I love this sort of video, but the attention-grabber opening segment drives me crazy every time I see one.

I know this is a shit post, but scribble dry erase marker over it.

What is it?

You’re right that manpower depends on a number of factors, and global tensions were pretty high in the Navy of the mid-80s, so those increases could be entirely attributable to other more mundane reasons.

I can only find mentions of “+500%” Navy recruitment during that time, and stories of Navy recruiters setting up booths at movie theaters, so it seems like even the official story is probably somewhat sensationalized. I did find mentions of an increase in the total number of high school graduates entering the Navy, percentage wise. From sub-85% in 1985 to more than 90% in '86, so that could speak to the overall volume of recruits available during that time, but that might be drawing the wrong conclusions.

I didn’t find any indication of similar things in the Air Force. As far as I can tell things were pretty steady. Either way, it doesn’t really seem to follow that people would watch a movie about Navy pilots and then decide to hit up the AF recruiter.

I had always heard Navy recruitment skyrocketed, but your comment made me curious, so I looked at the Defense Manpower Data Center numbers for the years surrounding Top Gun’s release in May of '86 and…

In September of '86 the Navy’s manpower increase was nearly double that of the year before or after (10k versus 6k). Meanwhile the air force had a more moderate increase and then numbers fell in '87.

I think the overall gains are probably overstated, but there were definite spikes in the Navy E-1 and O-1 numbers following Top Gun, a trend not seen in the Air Force numbers.

Source: https://dwp.dmdc.osd.mil/dwp/app/dod-data-reports/workforce-reports

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Maybe I’m just crazy, but I hated all of the characters!

I was totally ready for a sob story, glad I was wrong

That’s a lot of allegations

Isn’t Lance Stroll the son of the team owner? Or am I thinking about somebody else?

I’m interested in all interpretations! I just think it’s neat.

But that’s a good thing, right? It correctly interpreted the phrase as a whole instead of the punny misinterpretation of the others.

What’s with the voiceover?

Whoppers are 95% great. It’s that gross 5% that really makes me savor the rest.

I got on a YouTube kick a while back and subscribed to anybody whose videos entertained me. They haven’t all been winners, and I’ve unsubscribed from some of them, but for the most part it gives me a good way to see the sort of content I want. It’s actually halfway decent.

Until you start using the apps, that is. They are the most cancerous, dark pattern bullshit hellscapes and I can’t believe how far they’ve come. Every movement and click on those things is intended to get you to engage and watch just one more video, it’s terrible.

Generations are such poor descriptors anyway. So if not the same age then at least of an age.

I think it’s pretty clear that the post is referring to people who are old enough to grow up with computers and now have children who are old enough to be fixing computers on their own.

It feels pretty squarely aimed at millennials.

It could be secured to hell and back, it’s all moot if he still has access, i.e. knows the combo, knows where the keys are, etc.

Ah yes, the daily ritual of trying not to starve.

Your laziness sounds delicious, though. If you had to give it a fun descriptive name for everyone to use, what would you call it?

That’s great! Maybe I’ll call it an Australian grilled cheese!