Philosophy Tube

[[File:Portrait of Abigail Thorn.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Abigail Thorn in 2021]]{{youtubenav}}
'''Abigail Thorn''' {{lived|1993|}}, known by her [[YouTube]] channel name '''Philosophy Tube''', is a [[United Kingdom|British]] philosopher, actress, and YouTuber.

Her videos discuss political issues through a [[leftism|leftist]] perspective informed by philosophy, using the [[Socratic method]] and, since 2018, theatricality. Philosophy Tube has been met with positive critical reception and has over 1.2 million subscribers and 82.5 million views.

Thorn came out as [[bisexual]] in October 2019,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Hi6j2UXEZM Queer✨| Philosophy Tube] YouTube. October 28, 2019.</ref> and as a trans woman in January 2021 (to her online followers — she'd been out with her loved ones prior).<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AITRzvm0Xtg Identity: A Trans Coming Out Story | Philosophy Tube] Youtube. January 30, 2021</ref>

== Philosophy ==
Abigail Thorn started her career writing articles for publications such as ''[[HuffPo]]'' under the name Oliver Lennard.<ref>[https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/olly-lennard/ Olly Lennard] on ''Huffington Post UK''</ref> She created Philosophy Tube in 2013 with the intention of sharing her [[philosophy]] degree on YouTube for free, after the [[David Cameron|Cameron]] government tripled university tuition fees. She originally intended to record her college lectures,<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p07h1fnb "Giving away a philosophy degree online"],  [[BBC]]</ref> but ultimately decided to use a standard "talking head" format with Thorn speaking directly to the camera about philosophy (duh),<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nywz473cmp4 "Why We Need Philosophy"]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DV_nwUq6uQI "Meaning of Life!"]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQxv_kzuTD8 "Do We Have Free Will?"]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jOFgvy79ho "How to Pass Philosophy Exams"]</ref> philosophers,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jteIKYWAS4A "Cartesian Dualism"]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLvDGRwO5q8 "The Republic: Internationally Friendly Version"]</ref> [[political philosophy]],<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHid2PbcYhc "Is Democracy a Human Right?"]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7BSQGu04hhE Should the Government Be Secular?]</ref> political theory,<ref>Including a four-part series on [[Karl Marx|Marx]]: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWF_0lkBhjY part I], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yynYFEp8H6w part II], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X98uzqpQ3JM part III], [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mBcW_ylIN14 part IV]</ref> overanalyses of popular culture,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeiHdrg2AJ0 "Is Rick and Morty an Argument Against Scientism?"]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTCwyF6NA3E "Pokémon Philosophy: Is Mewtwo MARXIST?"]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oeW5tAt58M "Are YouTube Poops Art?"]</ref> and [[ethics]],<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tytukM4rUuI "Is it Wrong to Watch Pornography?"]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u1Q4d8AubIY "Is it Ever Okay to Lie?"]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nvz_5Jqe2_M "Should You Save the Planet?"]</ref> and also discussing interesting comments from past videos. 

== Politics ==
After the world lost its sanity and [[Donald Trump]] ran for [[president of the United States]] and won, Philosophy Tube became more focused on socio-political issues and [[social justice]], with longer, more in-depth video essays. In 2018, Thorn abandoned the old format and adopted a more theatrical style akin to [[ContraPoints]], utilising studio sets, comedic/dramatic sketches, costumes, makeup, artificial lighting, and music by Nina Richards.

She has criticised [[reactionary]] topics and personalities such as [[Brexit]],<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vr-ZeToI4R8 "Brexit: What Is Democracy?"]</ref> [[Steve Bannon]],<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO6uD3c2qMo "Steve Bannon"]</ref> [[Jordan Peterson]]<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEMB1Ky2n1E "Jordan Peterson & The Meaning of Life"]</ref> and [[Ben Shapiro]],<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2PAajlHbnU "Abortion & Ben Shapiro"]</ref> often by tying them to another topic ([[democracy]], [[abortion]], etc). She also discusses [[gender]] and [[sexuality]] from a [[feminism|feminist]] perspective.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yCxqdhZkxCo "Transphobia: An Analysis"]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmk47kh7fiE "Witchcraft, Gender & Marxism"]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1DZfUzxZ2VU "Sex Work"]</ref>

== Mental health ==
As a survivor of an abusive relationship, Thorn's content also deals with mental health issues like trauma and depression.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AuFvboGKrQ "Why Do I Hate My Self?"]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AeGEv0YVLtw "Men. Abuse. Trauma."]</ref> She has been open about her struggle with [[suicide]] and self harm, represented by her "Cosmonaut" character,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQNw2FBdpyE "Suic!de and Ment@l He@lth"]</ref> and credits the UK mental health charity Samaritans for saving her life.

On August 2019, inspired by her friend [[Hbomberguy]]'s Mermaids stream (which featured Thorn), she hosted a five day charity stream where she read the complete works of [[William Shakespeare]] for the Samaritans,<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1AFMllFQgY "Reading Shakespeare's Complete Works for Charity"]</ref> with special guests such as ContraPoints, Jim Sterling, Mara Wilson, Kyle Kallgren, Dan Olson (Foldable Human), Maggie Mae Fish and [[Wikipedia:SonicFox|SonicFox]], among others, voicing characters from the plays.<ref>[https://www.twitch.tv/videos/471767916 Part 1 of the stream] on Twitch</ref> The stream helped raise around $130,000 (£109,440), about 26 times more than what Thorn expected.

On January 30th 2021, Thorn came out as transgender via Twitter citing her new name as Abigail and she/her pronouns.<ref>[https://twitter.com/PhilosophyTube/status/1355577911949070341/photo/1 "I’m a trans woman!"]</ref>

== Acting and other work ==
Thorn has acted in the [[BBC]] comedy ''Ladhood'',<ref>[https://www.comedy.co.uk/online/ladhood/episodes/2/3/]</ref><ref>[https://www.comedy.co.uk/online/ladhood/episodes/2/6/]</ref> and the Sky/Canal+ series ''Django''.<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14084828/?ref_=tt_ch IMDB]Django cast</ref>

Thorn has written and starred in the Off West End stage play ''The Prince'' at the Southwark Playhouse.<ref>[https://diva-magazine.com/2022/06/16/the-prince-abigail-thorn/]</ref> She has described it thus:
{{QuoteBox|“The Prince is a show about being trapped in bad relationships – with parents, friends, lovers and even with yourself. The story follows a handful of characters in a Shakespeare play who start to realise they are all stuck inside a performance. Some are in denial about their sexuality and gender, others are just trying to prepare the next generation for the struggles ahead. My genius dramaturge Donnacadh O’Briain describes it as ‘Elizabethan scifi’ – I tell friends it’s ‘Like [[The Matrix]] if it was written in 1600.'<ref>[https://diva-magazine.com/2022/06/16/the-prince-abigail-thorn/]</ref>}} The play received an "Offie" (Off West End Theatre Award) in the "OneOff" category<ref>[https://offies.london/abigail-thorn-offies-2022-newnoms-oneoff-special-award/]</ref>, and has been nominated for the Broadway World Awards for Best New Play, Best Lead for Thorn, and Best Supporting for co-stars Mary Malone and Tianna Arnold.<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/PhilosophyTube/comments/yyuhsy/the_prince_is_nominated_for_three_broadway_world/]</ref>

Since 2021, Thorn has co-hosted the ''Kill James Bond!'' podcast with November Kelly and Devon. They review and critique the James Bond film franchise (as well as other spy/thriller films) with the intent to "give 007 the socialist, feminist comeuppance he so richly deserves."<ref>[https://www.killjamesbond.com]</ref> For a time KJB was the highest rating film review podcast in the UK.

== External links ==
* [https://www.youtube.com/user/thephilosophytube/featured Philosophy Tube] on [[YouTube]]
** [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNL8SCfixpPsU5shwmv9Kuw Philosophy Tube Live], her secondary channel
* [https://twitter.com/PhilosophyTube Philosophy Tube] on [[Twitter]]
* [https://www.facebook.com/PhilosophyTube Philosophy Tube] on [[Facebook]]
* [https://www.reddit.com/r/PhilosophyTube/ /r/PhilosophyTube] on [[Reddit]]
* [https://regenerationmag.org/philosophy-tube-faith-in-humanity/ "Let Philosophy Tube Restore Your Faith in Humanity"], ''Regeneration Magazine''
* [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fETpW5SS_lI "Critique of Philosophy Tube"]

==References==
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[[Category:Actors]]
[[Category:British people]]
[[Category:Educators]]
[[Category:Feminists]]
[[Category:Left-wing activists]]
[[Category:LGBTQ people]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Philosophers]]
[[Category:Philosophy]]
[[Category:Socialists]]
[[Category:YouTube]]

Categories: Actors, British people, Educators, Feminists, Left-wing activists, LGBTQ people, Living people, Philosophers, Philosophy, Socialists, YouTube