Man's Search For Happiness

[Video Link] Philosophy departments around the world are throwing their ontology books away, replacing them with this video, which answers all questions about existence and the meaning of life. (Via CN)

Mark Frauenfelder is the founder of Boing Boing and the editor-in-chief of MAKE and Cool Tools. Twitter: @frauenfelder. Come and hear Mark speak at the ALA conference in Chicago on July 1.

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http://www.facebook.com/marko.raos Marko Raos

“The uploader has not made this video available in your country. Sorry about that.”
What? The answers to all questions about existence and the meaning of life are not available in Croatia?
- Boundegar
  
  Too Mormon for Croatia, apparently. At least, I think the video is Mormon, with that preincarnation business. Also, only white people go to heaven.
  - http://www.facebook.com/marko.raos Marko Raos
    
    Mormons? I’ve seen some of those occasionally… You mean the weirdos in 50′s clothes and backpacks lurking in trams? I mean I can understand orange robes on buddhist monks and long beards on orthodox priests but I’ll never be able to understand how someone can believe that God is particular about fifties retro fashion… (apart from Mad Men fans, ofc)
    And besides, there is a mormon church in Croatia, I think I’ve seen it somewhere in Zagreb.
    - strangefriend
      
      Wait till you get a Mormon to strip & you get to see their magic underwear.
    - liquidstar
      
      You don’t like Men In Black, do you?
  - liquidstar
    
    Yay! Racism. I’m Lovin’ It.
- kroeghe
  
  No happiness in Poland, either. Quite ironic, if you think about it.
- Tore Sinding Bekkedal
  
  You can’t find happiness in Norway either.
  - luisella
    
    Nor Iberian Peninsula.
  - jimkirk
    
    And here I thought Norway was one of the happiest countries in the world, second only to Denmark.
    http://finance.yahoo.com/news/the-happiest-countries-in-the-world.html?page=all
  - http://www.facebook.com/people/Nell-Anvoid/100002383626402 Nell Anvoid
    
    I could have told you that, because I lived in Sweden for a while. They know all about you guys…
hibas

“The uploader has not made this video….” as well. I’m in Africa. But we already knew that 3rd world countries needs to be kept in the dark.
- liquidstar
  
  No. All populations need to be kept in the dark.
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Nell-Anvoid/100002383626402 Nell Anvoid
  
  Not at all. We in the “developed” world want you to have the satisfaction of finding it for yourself.
  
  We’ve got ours. Get your own!!! And we won’t like it at all if you decide that it’s different!
  
  Harumph!
Gregzilm

What if I use my allotted time to pursue slack? Don’t those suckers know they only need to pay $35 and “Bob” will guarantee entrance into the afterlife or triple your money back?
this should explain everything anyone should want to know.
- liquidstar
  
  You just described what actually is going on in religion.
  - http://devojane.blogspot.com devophill
    
    That’s why I sent $35 to “Bob”.
Wreckrob8

I am no more enlightened except to learn that the video contains restricted content. But we’re a godless lot in the UK so don’t deserve to know.
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Nell-Anvoid/100002383626402 Nell Anvoid
  
  And don’t you forget it! The truth hurts!
UXO

Sign me up for a double helping of “base desires”, please! The infinite stripper pole type will do nicely….
mkanoap

That looked very familiar to me and a quick google search confirmed that yes, it is a mormon video from 1964 that I would have seen in my childhood. Pretty obnoxious for “something weird video” to slap their logo on it and cut out any credits. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man%27s_Search_for_Happiness. The entire thing can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ojX172jF9-I and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aPqF3MN66Lo&feature=channel&list=UL
- Boundegar
  
  I felt the same way. Weird Mormon videos should be properly sourced.
- http://bhtooefr.org/ Eric Rucker
  
  Something Weird is a seller of videos like that – so they’re using the trailer (or a trailer of their own making) to advertise DVDs that they’re selling of it.
http://www.facebook.com/postelwait Cameron Postelwait

yes, this is mormon. i grew up mormon and was shown this as a kid. i remember being creeped out by the prospect of my dead relatives coming to see me, all old still.

I also thought it was strange that only the white people got to be reunited with their families.
Utenzil

“…and why is this reverb on my inner voice all of a sudden? Could I get some phase shifting, or maybe some flange? How about that T-Pain pitch effect thing?”
Utenzil

Also, that part where the blonde in the beehive gives him the scathing ”you big dumb stupid lunk” dirty look? That symbolizes the pitfall of marriage.
- http://www.facebook.com/marko.raos Marko Raos
  
  jeezus and i’m missing so much just because i live in stupid croatia!!!
Leif M.

Not available in germany, either.
Well, we are used to that kind of stuff, thanks to GEMA.
http://artdonovan.typepad.com Art

“This is My work and MY glory”

And, as such, is fully protected by domestic and international patents.
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  “This is My work and MY glory”
  
  Here is my handle and here is my spout.
  - http://devojane.blogspot.com devophill
    
    This is my rifle and this is my gun.
    - noah django
      
      I am the creator and this is MY house!
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_NSn5RfxoXs
trentondouglas

Thank god i’m american and was able to see this video and know the truth. Perhaps the unavailability in other nations is a sign that verifies their wickedness. I’ve had suspicions of europeans for some time
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Nell-Anvoid/100002383626402 Nell Anvoid
  
  Isn’t that part of the GOP platform this year?
Z z

Yey, tolerance!!!
Thank you for restoring my faith in hum… wait. Never mind.
“only white people go to heaven” because a video form the 60′s will obviously give a representative sample of who is going to heaven. Although, being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I will say that some church media does deserve to be laughed at, good intentions aside. It feels kind of like you are watching the intro to twilight zone. My only other gripe about the church is the software they use.
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  My only other gripe about the church is the software they use.
  
  If those are your only gripes about the Mormon church, then you are a moral abyss. It’s a cesspit of racism, sexism and homophobia.
Boundegar

One thing that troubled me: the Righteous Geezer ascended to heaven to receive his reward, only to be met by… his grandchildren? What happened to the grandkids? How did they die? It’s like those Precious Moments dolls that are really dead babies, yet nobody ever seems to think they’re creepy at all.

http://s3.amazonaws.com/bonanzleimages/afu/images/7539/0145/Precious_Moments_SGG_1.jpg
http://twitter.com/jokrausdu Joe Kraus

There was a black woman near the very end of the video. She starts in on the right side about 4:45 in.
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Nell-Anvoid/100002383626402 Nell Anvoid
  
  Even Mormon films have bloopers.
fredh

I applaud the director’s thorough attempt to represent each and every profession in the parade of souls at 4 minutes in.
RCDavis

Why is this foolishness on Boing Boing? Really? I contest the decision that this topic is worthy of your valuable column inches.

In other news, for those of you that can’t see it, check out Tunnel Bear (http://www.tunnelbear.com) Incredibly simple way to watch US or UK based videos
Wreckrob8

Yay, I’ve seen it now. I thought everyone in heaven was going to be 33 years old, ‘cos that is the age at which Jesus died. Is this a Mormon thing or not? I seem to remember an ex-Mormon mate telling me so.
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  Will they be nearly naked and bleeding like Jesus as well? Because heaven sounds like an MMA cage match.
- El Cucui
  
  I thought everyone in heaven was going to be 33 years old…. Is this a Mormon thing or not?
  That’s a “Mormon folk doctrine”: something somebody came up with that picked up steam amongst some batches of Mormon people, some of whom even went as far as to believe/teach it to be gospel truth, and may claim to have scriptural references (or quasi-scriptural references) to back it up. But officially, no such doctrine actually exists….[anymore....I say mostly in jest]I gotta say, being in such a young religion gives one an interesting perspective on how beliefs in older may have matriculated and evolved.
El Cucui

Ah, yes. I remember this video from my youth. There’s a whole treasure trove of this genre of LDS promotional videos stretching a couple decades. The film strip version was pretty rockin’, let me tell you!

But, hey, something must have worked ’cause I’m still at it, attendin’ my ward, payin’ my tithing, lookin’ forward to all that white-robed happiness…. wait, that last bit probably didn’t come off right.
- http://www.facebook.com/people/Nell-Anvoid/100002383626402 Nell Anvoid
  
  Hah. We understood you…perfectly.
Dan Maryon

This film was produced for the Mormon Pavilion at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York and then shown at the Temple Square visitor’s center in Salt Lake City for at least 20 years. It was already embarrassingly weird even for Mormons by the end of the 60s. Trivia note: it was one inspiration behind Diane Keaton’s decision to write/direct a film called “Heaven” in 1987.
Jorpho

The little boy at 5:03 sure looks like he doesn’t want to be there.