Post: #1

Post: #2

Thank you for posting this beautiful and moving video.

The part where he is in the food mart is amazing... yes, so many different foods to choose from, it's not easy -- all kinds of crazy things, different brands of dinners, so many Gatorades of every color, pink, blue, so you just start drinking them once in a while. And they have peanut butter with jelly in the jar; you haven't seen anything like that before, definitely not in the prison system. But look, Skippy Creamy is still there after 40 years and I bet it tastes exactly the same and just as good.

I loved this man; I hope he lives to be 100. Happy Thanksgiving, Otis.

Post: #3

(11-25-2015 06:50 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  Thank you for posting this beautiful and moving video.

The part where he is in the food mart is amazing... yes, so many different foods to choose from, it's not easy -- all kinds of crazy things, different brands of dinners, so many Gatorades of every color, pink, blue, so you just start drinking them once in a while. And they have peanut butter with jelly in the jar; you haven't seen anything like that before, definitely not in the prison system. But look, Skippy Creamy is still there after 40 years and I bet it tastes exactly the same and just as good.

I loved this man; I hope he lives to be 100. Happy Thanksgiving, Otis.

Hell no. Different fats used as filler (palm oil vs. hydrogenated vegetable oil) and high fructose corn syrup vs. sugar.

Post: #4

Fair enough, Dr. Howard, I stand corrected. But Skippy Creamy still tastes amazing to this day, so I almost don't want to think of what it would be like for it to be even better -- assuming that such a thing is possible.

There are some ideas: a better mayo than Hellman's; a better ketchup than Heinz; and a better peanut butter than Skippy Creamy -- that can be put into words, but do not really cohere in the mind. It's as if these things have reached a state of perfection in which they don't need to be better.

Post: #5

He aint seen noting yet..

Just wait until he stumbles onto pornhub.

Post: #6

So many people take their life for granted. They shove shit down their gullets, whether food or drugs, and watch themselves slowly die away.

People can learn from this man. Otis' story is crazy, but his outlook on life now is even more inspiring.

He doesn't dwell on the past, he doesn't think society owes him anything for his jail time, because he's just that thankful for his freedom now. And he's 69.

Some people wonder why men like us are so devoted to self-improvement. I'd say this is one of the reasons why. Because we don't take life and freedom for granted.

You're given one life, so why waste it? Might as well make the most out of it.

Post: #7

What does he do for a living?

At 69 he dresses pretty fly and seems to have a comfortable live. Also, he has no family and perhaps did not learn any useful skills in prison. Not to mention, getting a job with a Felon is not easy.

Post: #8

Just wait until he reacts to today's Western women. He aint seen nuthin yet.

Post: #9

Wow... 44 years is a long time to be apart from the world.

This is why you shouldn't attempt to murder police officers! Doh!!

Post: #10

(11-25-2015 08:03 PM)Dr. Howard Wrote:  

(11-25-2015 06:50 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  Thank you for posting this beautiful and moving video.

The part where he is in the food mart is amazing... yes, so many different foods to choose from, it's not easy -- all kinds of crazy things, different brands of dinners, so many Gatorades of every color, pink, blue, so you just start drinking them once in a while. And they have peanut butter with jelly in the jar; you haven't seen anything like that before, definitely not in the prison system. But look, Skippy Creamy is still there after 40 years and I bet it tastes exactly the same and just as good.

I loved this man; I hope he lives to be 100. Happy Thanksgiving, Otis.

Hell no. Different fats used as filler (palm oil vs. hydrogenated vegetable oil) and high fructose corn syrup vs. sugar.

Here are the ingredients of Skippy Creamy, direct from their website (to my shame I don't have one at home right now but I will remedy that as soon as I can):



Ingredients: Roasted Peanuts, Sugar, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Cottonseed, Soybean and Rapeseed Oil) To Prevent Separation, Salt.

No high fructose corn syrup. And they may have had palm oil before, but I'm not sure about that.

What I know is that the taste of Skippy Creamy has not changed for as long as I can remember it. And it's perfect every single time; a scarily great product.

Post: #11

Makes me think of that guy in Shawshank Redemption.....he ended up hanging himself because he couldn't handle life 'outside.'

Post: #12

(11-25-2015 10:33 PM)LeeEnfield303 Wrote:  Makes me think of that guy in Shawshank Redemption.....he ended up hanging himself because he couldn't handle life 'outside.'

Yes, that is the literary cliche... and sometimes it's even true.

But reality is often so much deeper and sweeter. And this gentleman is handling life outside just fine. He's even willing to try out some new soft drinks with different colors; and then just go sit on a bench by the water and take it all in.

Post: #13

(11-25-2015 10:23 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  

(11-25-2015 08:03 PM)Dr. Howard Wrote:  

(11-25-2015 06:50 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  Thank you for posting this beautiful and moving video.

The part where he is in the food mart is amazing... yes, so many different foods to choose from, it's not easy -- all kinds of crazy things, different brands of dinners, so many Gatorades of every color, pink, blue, so you just start drinking them once in a while. And they have peanut butter with jelly in the jar; you haven't seen anything like that before, definitely not in the prison system. But look, Skippy Creamy is still there after 40 years and I bet it tastes exactly the same and just as good.

I loved this man; I hope he lives to be 100. Happy Thanksgiving, Otis.

Hell no. Different fats used as filler (palm oil vs. hydrogenated vegetable oil) and high fructose corn syrup vs. sugar.

Here are the ingredients of Skippy Creamy, direct from their website (to my shame I don't have one at home right now but I will remedy that as soon as I can):



Ingredients: Roasted Peanuts, Sugar, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Cottonseed, Soybean and Rapeseed Oil) To Prevent Separation, Salt.

No high fructose corn syrup. And they may have had palm oil before, but I'm not sure about that.

What I know is that the taste of Skippy Creamy has not changed for as long as I can remember it. And it's perfect every single time; a scarily great product.

I stand corrected! Skippy is the same and I think I will have to switch brands. Kraft peanut butter has definitely changed oils and its not the same taste I remember as a kid.

Consider this thread derailed into the 'peanut butter connoisseur' thread.

Post: #14

I think at the moment he's still naively optimistic about all the crazy things he sees in the world.

"Wow, how can people see where they're going while looking at their phones all the time?! They're like special agents with those wires coming out of their ears!"

"Blue, pink drinks?? I got to try this!"

If he ever finds out that those are actually mindless zombies walking around who can't socialise unless in a special enviroment with alchohol, and all that amazing American 'food' is actually shit full of chemicals. He'll probably become just as depressed as the guy in Shawshank Redemption.

Post: #15

Look at 4:21, when he's telling his story about children.

Compare the black man and the red-shirted, overweight father with the kids.

The black man carries himself with purpose and accentuated lift in his step. I've noticed in all the scenes, especially in the subway, that he has a confident demeanor.

The red-shirted father is over-weighted, slothful and walks dragging his weight with a load in his pants. His son walking behind him isn't far behind.

That's 44 years of difference of in vs. out. The black man just calls this stuff "crazy", but I wonder if he knows that the convenient food, digital screens and sedentary lifestyle is what makes him so healthy, perceptive and lively in comparison to the overweight father.

Anyway, I hope the man lives the next few decades as densely and fulfilling as possible. Best to him. Happy Thanksgiving.

Post: #16

Skippy is very hard to beat for taste.

I tried to avoid rapeseed oil, but I should think the amounts in some foods are not harmful.

This is a good peanut butter if you're very particular about what you eat:



Ingredients: Organic Roasted Peanuts Whole Skin On (99%), Sea Salt* (1%). Organically grown unless asterisked.

http://www.meridianfoods.co.uk/Products/...-With-Salt

They do a crunchy one too. There is probably a similar product available in the States.


I suppose 44 years in prison will force you to become a serious thinker if you don't go mad. I like his perspective, very mellow.

Post: #17

RedPill and Pontifex:

I think that Otis Johnson, at this stage of his life, is not a man easily driven to anger or annoyance. But if one of you dudes were to tell him to his face that spending 4 decades in prison, never seeing a woman, never meeting a friend, always having to watch your back, eating shitty tasteless prison food, and missing out on all the miracles of progress, convenience, and variety that these incredible decades have brought us is the way to stay "healthy, perceptive and lively", I think he would take it as a very bad joke; and maybe he would ask you guys to have a little fucking perspective for once in your lives.

No; the reason the video is so beautiful and so moving is precisely because this man -- unlike so many others -- is not fundamentally deluded; it is because, within his limited sphere or perception, he sees the world with the fresh eyes of unspoiled wonder -- and so he sees it as the endless and incredible FEAST that it truly is, now more than ever before. A bitterly hard and cruel fate -- that I would not wish on anyone -- has had this very late and small (but beautiful) recompense, that the man is not an ingrate; that he is delighted like a child to sit back and take in the whole endlessly various, interesting and spectacular show. And so he is able to feel some of the gratitude that the rest of us -- whom life has treated a thousand times better -- should, in fact, feel in far greater measure as we sit down to the warmth and bounty of the Thanksgiving table, surrounded by the people we love, and by every comfort and convenience that generations of men have invented and refined for our sake.

Maybe it's time for a reminder on this great American holiday: Don't Lose the World Because of Ideology.

Post: #18

Fascinating. The guy is literally a "living fossil" from the times before smartphones and social media dictated everyone's way of life and people were actually connected with each other, not through a device. I can see what RedPillUK is getting at, and I agree, but I can't help but be moved by this guy. He seems real as fuck. He's done his time and came out the other side with an incredibly wise perspective. People these days could learn a lot from a man like him.

Post: #19

(11-25-2015 10:23 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  Rapeseed Oil

Can Skippy be declared the official peanut butter of the patriarchy?

Post: #20

@LOZ. I agree.

I'm not saying that Johnson shouldn't or doesn't deserve to enjoy every aspect of modern life. Of course he does. I'm curious to whether he realizes that modern Americans have gone too far to the opposite of the hedonistic spectrum.

He's clearly a smart man, but he said, "Everyone is like a secret agent." instead of questioning, "Should people be crossing the road while looking at their phones?" Was his comment about iPhones and headphones innocent optimism or enlightened optimism, or just a friendly, indifferent jab?

I think he does realize the tragedies of American consumerism, but he's too at peace. It's more of the video editing and tone that makes it too childish, more like a toddler opening his first Christmas present than newly freed man. Maybe I'm just an asshole who's overthinking a cheery video.

Post: #21

(11-26-2015 01:05 PM)Pontifex Maximus Wrote:  @LOZ. I agree.

I'm not saying that Johnson shouldn't or doesn't deserve to enjoy every aspect of modern life. Of course he does. I'm curious to whether he realizes that modern Americans have gone too far to the opposite of the hedonistic spectrum.

He's clearly a smart man, but he said, "Everyone is like a secret agent." instead of questioning, "Should people be crossing the road while looking at their phones?" Was his comment about iPhones and headphones innocent optimism or enlightened optimism, or just a friendly, indifferent jab?

I think he does realize the tragedies of American consumerism, but he's too at peace. It's more of the video editing and tone that makes it too childish, more like a toddler opening his first Christmas present than newly freed man. Maybe I'm just an asshole who's overthinking a cheery video.

I'm going for the latter.

Otis Johnson has his head firmly screwed on, more than you can say for the overwhelming vast majority of his fellow countrymen and women.

Post: #22

(11-26-2015 11:15 AM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  No; the reason the video is so beautiful and so moving is precisely because this man -- unlike so many others -- is not fundamentally deluded; it is because, within his limited sphere or perception, he sees the world with the fresh eyes of unspoiled wonder -- and so he sees it as the endless and incredible FEAST that it truly is, now more than ever before. A bitterly hard and cruel fate -- that I would not wish on anyone -- has had this very late and small (but beautiful) recompense, that the man is not an ingrate; that he is delighted like a child to sit back and take in the whole endlessly various, interesting and spectacular show. And so he is able to feel some of the gratitude that the rest of us -- whom life has treated a thousand times better -- should, in fact, feel in far greater measure as we sit down to the warmth and bounty of the Thanksgiving table, surrounded by the people we love, and by every comfort and convenience that generations of men have invented and refined for our sake.

Maybe it's time for a reminder on this great American holiday:

Really good! This is on par with the Wall Street Journal Thanksgiving editorials which I love.

Post: #23

Pontifex, I think that Otis' main relation to "the tragedies of American consumerism", such as they are, is that he -- very correctly -- wishes to participate in them to the touchingly modest extent that his means and his imagination allow.

Do you really believe that his remark about iphones and people walking around and not looking ahead is some form of subtle social criticism? Come on. He is a simple man, and he is noting the things he sees in genuine childlike amazement and bewilderment. But through the extraordinary circumstance of having spent more than four decades isolated from the world, he is now able to see it -- within his limited sphere of perception, as I noted before -- as it really is: full of peerless wonder, variety, interest, and every miracle of human progress.

It is not that he is especially intelligent or even wise, some sort of prison sage; it is that the exceptional path that his life took, first depriving him of the world completely, and then throwing him back in, has allowed him to see what is always right in front of our eyes. But that is precisely what almost all intelligent men fail to apprehend, because they are blinkered and unworlded by an ideology that would rather chatter all day about "consumerism" than see the world as it really is: a place ravished and transformed by the course of man's rapidly escalating and unstoppable triumph over materials; a place full of meaning, where to see -- to truly see -- is to love.

Post: #24

Thanks for posting this. I remember life before cell phones, computers and the internet. Funny how things change. This was a good watch for me.

Post: #25

(11-25-2015 10:23 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  

(11-25-2015 08:03 PM)Dr. Howard Wrote:  

(11-25-2015 06:50 PM)The Lizard of Oz Wrote:  Thank you for posting this beautiful and moving video.

The part where he is in the food mart is amazing... yes, so many different foods to choose from, it's not easy -- all kinds of crazy things, different brands of dinners, so many Gatorades of every color, pink, blue, so you just start drinking them once in a while. And they have peanut butter with jelly in the jar; you haven't seen anything like that before, definitely not in the prison system. But look, Skippy Creamy is still there after 40 years and I bet it tastes exactly the same and just as good.

I loved this man; I hope he lives to be 100. Happy Thanksgiving, Otis.

Hell no. Different fats used as filler (palm oil vs. hydrogenated vegetable oil) and high fructose corn syrup vs. sugar.

Here are the ingredients of Skippy Creamy, direct from their website (to my shame I don't have one at home right now but I will remedy that as soon as I can):



Ingredients: Roasted Peanuts, Sugar, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (Cottonseed, Soybean and Rapeseed Oil) To Prevent Separation, Salt.

No high fructose corn syrup. And they may have had palm oil before, but I'm not sure about that.

What I know is that the taste of Skippy Creamy has not changed for as long as I can remember it. And it's perfect every single time; a scarily great product.

"Hydrogenated" oils means there is trans fat. The FDA doesn't require you to label trans fats if it's under 1g per serving. Make no mistake though, there is trans fats in Skippy and it'll add up if you eat an entire jar. Avoid.