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--- incidents:yourfavoriteson_documentary [2025/09/03 04:07] – [Act 2] gothickingwhatsup52
+++ incidents:yourfavoriteson_documentary [2025/09/03 08:59] (current) – gothickingwhatsup52
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ======Your Favorite Son Documentary======
-{{page>:blurbs#Stub}}
 <WRAP right round box 50%>
 ^  Your Favorite Son Documentary  |
-| {{ :incidents:yfs_thumb.webp |}} //Clip from the 3rd act: The Interview//|
+| {{ :incidents:hq720yfs_doc.jpg?nolink&400 | }} //The documentary's thumbnail//|
 | **Event style:** Documentary   |
 | **Location:** [[places:Conquistador Apartments]], [[places:Casper]] |
 | **Important characters:** [[characters:KingCobraJFS]], Mayor of Casper, YourFavoriteSon, [[Characters:Darfliny|Darfliny B]]   |
-| **Summary:** YouTuber YourFavoriteSon takes a train to Casper to interview and follow Josh over the course of a week, and at the end of the week secure an interview. |
+| **Summary:** YouTuber YourFavoriteSon takes a train to Casper hoping profile Josh over the course of a week, and at the end of the week secure an interview. |
 | **Event Genre:** Documentary   |
 | **Saga:** [[sagas:The Puff Saga]],  [[sagas:The New Apartment Saga]]|
@@ Line 22: / Line 21: @@
 ====Act 1: Joshua Faye (sic) Saunders====
-YFS goes over the backstory of Cobra, from the first YouTube videos put out under [[:sagas:the gothickingcobra52 saga|GothicKingCobra52]] and early content from The Basement Age, [[:characters|the characters]] that would show up in his videos and streams, the [[activities:cooking|food hacks]] and [[objects:drink combos]] to the modern era and decline of his health in present day. YFS speaks with Homeboy Robbie and Eggy/Eggman—two other observers of the Cobraverse—to see what draws them to Josh and his content.
+YFS goes over the backstory of Cobra, from the first YouTube videos put out under [[:sagas:the gothickingcobra52 saga|GothicKingCobra52]] and early content from The Basement Age, [[:characters|the characters]] that would show up in his videos and streams, the [[activities:cooking|food hacks]] and [[objects:drink combos]] to the modern era and decline of his health in present day. YFS speaks with Homeboy Robbie, Eggy/Eggman, and Tar Man—some other prominent observers of the Cobraverse—to see what draws them to Josh and his content.
 ====Act 2: Enter the Cobra====
-After unsuccessful attempts to contact Josh through phone calls and voicemails, YFS set out to visit Cobra directly and pitch the documentary idea in person. Upon arriving at his apartment, YFS went in alone with a peace offering of Marlboro NXTs and peach whiskey. Josh, initially standoffish, accepts the offer and agrees to hear him out. He pitches a week of activities ranging from boxing and hiking—which Josh did not want to do—to going to the arcade, bowling and doing a cooking video.
+===Day 1===
+After unsuccessful attempts to contact Josh through phone calls and voicemails, YFS set out to visit Cobra directly and pitch the documentary idea in person. Upon arriving at his apartment, YFS went in alone with a peace offering of Marlboro NXTs and peach whiskey. Josh, initially standoffish, accepted the offer and agreed to hear him out. YFS pitched a week of activities ranging from boxing and hiking—which Josh did not want to do—to going to the arcade, bowling, and filming a cooking video.
-Having gained Cobra's trust and introducing the crew to Josh, they filmed a small house tour. YFS noted that the apartment is not as unkempt as some believe it is, and that Josh does in fact smell good (or at least doesn't smell bad). Josh is proud to show off his bearded dragon, [[characters:puff saunders|Puff]], to the crew and though it is only about a month after receiving Puff, Josh displays a surprising amount of thought to the care of his lizard including detailing a calcium routine to help with his bones, nails, and mitigate an issue that he suffers from regarding the scales on his tail.
+Having gained Cobra's trust, YFS introduced the crew to Josh, and they filmed a short house tour. YFS noted that the apartment was not as unkempt as some believed, and that Josh did not smell bad. Josh proudly showed off his bearded dragon, [[characters:puff saunders|Puff]], and, although he had received Puff only about a month earlier, he displayed a surprising amount of thought in caring for the lizard. He detailed a calcium routine to support Puff’s bones and nails, as well as treatment for an issue affecting the scales on the tail.
-Following a strong drink and a shot, Josh would played guitar and banjo for the crew. YFS profiled some of the decor in the apartment, including a collection of [[objects:Drinking vessels|skull mugs]], skulls, various fan creations and a half-eaten sub sandwich.
+After a strong drink and a shot, Josh played guitar and banjo for the crew. YFS profiled some of the apartment’s decor, including a collection of [[objects:Drinking vessels|skull mugs]], skulls, fan creations, and a half-eaten sub sandwich.
-Josh agreed to go to a bar for some drinks; however, despite agreeing to a time, YFS was left waiting while Josh insisted that he still needed to take a shower and needed to let his nails dry. When Josh did step out of his apartment, he kept them waiting while he smoked a cigarette. While in the parking lot, Josh was tossing a large knife from one hand to another. At one point a car was forced to go around him and rather than stepping out of the way of the passing vehicle, he dared the car to hit him, remarking: //"You had the perfect opportunity to run me over and I'd stab you in the throat."// During the car ride, YFS offered to take Cobra to a gym to try some boxing, inspired by Danny Brown’s idea of pitting Cobes and Cyraxx against each other in a match.
+Josh agreed to go to a bar for drinks; however, despite agreeing on a time, YFS was left waiting while Josh insisted he still needed to take a shower and let his nails dry. When Josh finally stepped out of his apartment, he delayed them further while finishing a cigarette. In the parking lot, Josh tossed a large knife from one hand to the other. At one point, a car was forced to go around him, and rather than moving out of the way, he dared the driver to hit him, remarking: “You had the perfect opportunity to run me over, and I'd stab you in the throat.”
+{{ :incidents:screenshot_2025-09-03_000955.png?300|}}
-Upon arriving at the Horseshoe bar, Cobra played some pool and revealed that tonight was karaoke night. Josh insisted on doing only trick shots and repeatedly looped back to the missing tip of his pool cue—one of several topics he would hammer on throughout the night. Having some drinks in him, Josh got up and did a karaoke rendition of //Hurt// by Johnny Cash.
+During the car ride, YFS offered to take Cobra to a gym to try boxing, inspired by Danny Brown’s idea of pitting Cobes and Cyraxx against each other in a match.
-====Act 3====
+Upon arriving at the Horseshoe Bar, Cobra played pool and revealed that it was karaoke night. Josh focused exclusively on trick shots and repeatedly mentioned the missing tip of his pool cue—one of several topics he returned to throughout the night. After having a few drinks, Josh performed a karaoke rendition of Hurt by Johnny Cash.
+They closed out the night with a late run to Poncho's, where Cobra ordered a heavily customized burrito. YFS reflected on the evening, praising Cobra for being empathetic and supportive, and noting that Josh seemed to genuinely enjoy the company of others.
+===Day 2===
+Josh spent the second day out with his father, which allowed YFS to explore Casper and gain a better understanding of the town Cobra calls home. He discussed the town’s history as an oil hub, its association with Dick Cheney, and the unexpected beauty of the area.
+He met with the mayor of Casper, Bruce Knell, who described aspects of the town’s identity and how its “40 years ago” way of life both gave it charm and hindered progress toward a more inclusive community. Mayor Knell praised Casper’s small-town feel combined with the amenities of a larger city.
+Noticing that most Casperites—Mayor Knell included—did not know who King Cobra was, YFS and his crew visited businesses that Josh used to frequent to gather opinions about him. YFS admittedly chose mostly places from which Josh had been banned. As expected, they did not have many positive comments, though some expressed sympathy for his situation.
+===Day 3===
+YFS took Josh to a casino; however, Josh’s directions led them on a detour showcasing many important places around Casper, including [[places:615 South Center Street|his old apartment]], Frosty’s, the funeral home where [[characters:Alex Anderson]] was prepared, and Natrona County High School.
+At the casino, they had a few drinks and played slots. Josh continuously responded to trolls while gambling. After a few hours, the group called it quits and—perhaps due to losing money, reflecting on his behavior toward his father the previous day, or a combination of factors—Josh’s mood soured.
+They stopped at a dispensary on the way home so Josh could purchase Delta-8.
+===Day 4===
+The fourth day began with Josh’s channel receiving a strike for telling a viewer to kill themselves. Determined to salvage the day, YFS took him to Albertson’s to buy ingredients for a recipe Josh had devised, dubbed the KFC Doritos Double Down. Unbeknownst to YFS, Josh had previously been trespassed from this location, leading to the police being called. Fortunately for Josh and the documentary, management declined to press charges. Josh decompressed from the stressful morning with a Cobra’s Venom (Monster and Jack Daniel’s) and a few puffs of Delta-8.
+The cooking video began after Josh was already intoxicated. Unlike other Cooking with Cobra episodes, the crew had set up a wide shot to capture a classic cooking show feel. This choice backfired, as Cobra spent most of the time facing the stove in the corner and barely acknowledged the camera. As was typical, the cooking took an inordinately long time. According to YFS, the meal had little flavor aside from a vague Bud Light taste.
+Due to Josh’s inebriation and the five-hour cook time, the interview was pushed to Day 5.
+====Act 3: The Interview====
+===Day 5===
+YFS secured his interview with Josh in a relatively sober state, though still noticeably intoxicated. The interview started with basic background questions about who Josh is, the reason he started his YouTube channel, and other preliminary topics before moving into more personal questions. Josh answered questions about dealing with autism, his experience with bullying, aspirations, how his content has changed and might change going forward, substance abuse, personal growth, and troles, among other topics. As the interview went on, Josh would get sidetracked and started promoting [[objects:Tactical Soap]], responding to texts from troles,
+{{ :incidents:yfs_thumb.webp}}
+Josh also fielded questions from Homeboy Robbie: "//If you met your younger self today, do you think he would like you?//" and Eggy: "//Why don't you ride bike anymore?//". Josh believed that his younger self would think he's pretty cool, and he claimed his bike needed the tube in the tire to be fixed; however, the bike shop is on the other side of town.
+After the interview, Josh was given a Cobra's Cantina sign, and Josh expressed an enthusiasm for the project. YFS also would ask Cobes about getting an interview with Clint—[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns6fx3VkVEA|which would come to fruition a few months after]]—but Josh was not receptive to the idea.
+===Day 6===
+YFS met up with Josh and Darfliny B in a park nearby park to interview the latter. Like before, the pair was over an hour late. Darf would detail how he met Josh in high school, their friendship and his place in the Cobraverse, misconceptions about Josh and himself, and his experience with troles. Darfliny expressed an indifference towards the Cobraverse, and he being part of it, especially since he isn't a very online person. Darf instead wished that people understood Josh a little more, and took Josh's autism into consideration instead of "tunneling in".
+Darf left a very positive impression on YFS from his genuine kindness and friendliness.
 ====Conclusions====
+YFS concludes his documentary, answering the question of why people tune in: //because he's a spectacle.// Whether they watch to see the downfall, the rage, or out of continued interest after being endeared to the genuine spirit of being himself, YFS suggests that the authenticity, the effort, and the passion are gone, and he is going down a path of self-destruction, lamenting that Josh won't take advantage of the opportunities provided to him. That original spark is still there, YFS says, and the hope of betterment for Cobra rests on the glimmers that peek through every now and again.
 =====Reception=====
+//Empire of Dirt// received generally mixed reviews from the community. The documentary contains some factual errors, including spelling Josh’s name incorrectly and confusing Liz Cheney (daughter) with Lynne Cheney (wife). Some fans noted the documentary’s length, a perceived focus on YFS rather than the subject, the merchandise segment, and moments such as gifting alcohol and aiding and abetting a violation of the Albertson’s trespass notice as low-points. Others also suggested that certain questions while interviewing Cobra felt surface-level, suggesting that a more in-depth exploration could have been included.
+Some positive reviews for the documentary praised their efforts in humanizing Josh, reporting on Cobra's cooking, the inclusion of Josh's //Hurt// rendition, their treatment of Josh, and the providing the perspective of Casper from the eyes of an average person.