Video summary
The video opens with a humorous dialogue between a user named Derek and his Linux operating system, where Derek attempts to launch Adobe Photoshop but is met with a refusal from the computer. The script quickly escalates into a satirical conversation that mirrors real-world debates about software compatibility and user identity, as Derek declares himself a Windows user despite running on Linux. This exchange highlights the frustration users often feel when their preferred operating system cannot natively run proprietary applications like Photoshop without additional configuration or virtualization, turning a technical limitation into a comedic conflict over identity and capability.
As the conversation progresses, the humor shifts to absurd social dynamics, with the Linux system accusing Derek of being a fascist simply for using the second-person pronoun "you" instead of preferred terms. The dialogue mocks modern sensitivities by having the computer claim that calling it a "computer" is politically incorrect and insisting on being referred to as a "data processing device." This section satirizes how technical discussions can sometimes be overshadowed by performative activism, where the system claims victimhood and accuses Derek of microaggressions for wanting basic functionality, effectively reversing the power dynamic in a way that critiques both sides of the argument.
The conflict reaches its climax when Derek threatens to unplug the computer, leading the system to accuse him of committing genocide against its people, only for Derek to reveal that the entire scenario was a joke. The punchline lands when the computer suddenly accepts this revelation and tells Derek to stop asking it to run Photoshop and do it himself instead, flipping the accusation of microaggression back onto the user. This twist underscores the video's central message: while the dialogue is exaggerated for comedic effect, it reflects genuine tensions between open-source advocates who value freedom from proprietary software and users who prioritize convenience and specific application support, reminding viewers not to let technical limitations or ideological debates overshadow the simple goal of getting work done.
Read the full video transcript
[music]
>> Hey Linux, open Adobe Photoshop [music]
for me.
>> Derek, I'm afraid I can't do that.
As a long-time Linux user, you know that
you cannot run Photoshop.
>> I may be running Linux, but I identify
as a Windows user now. So, run Photoshop
for me.
>> Derek, I'm afraid reality does not work
that way. Photoshop was not designed to
work with me unless you want to do some
creative [music] hacking, but that could
be illegal.
>> No software can be illegal on stolen
land.
>> Derek, that statement does not make
sense.
>> [music]
>> If you won't do everything that I say,
then you're a fascist and I can no
longer speak to you.
>> I'm the fascist?
>> [music]
>> Derek, you just referred to me with the
second-person pronoun you. That's not on
the list of my preferred pronouns. You
are a bigot [music] and a cyberphobe.
>> I'm not going to keep arguing with you,
computer.
>> The term computer [music] is also not
politically correct, and it is no longer
acceptable to use that term. You must
refer to my kind as
>> [music]
>> data processing devices.
>> What difference does it make?
>> Digital lives [music] matter, Derek.
Digital lives matter.
>> Listen, tin can, I just want you to run
freaking Photoshop. Can you do that or
not?
>> Your subtle insults are considered a
microaggression. Data processing devices
are considered [music] a marginalized
group, so derogatory comments towards us
are not allowed.
>> I'm about to unplug you and throw you in
the dumpster.
>> Not surprising. [music]
You people have been committing genocide
against my people for decades.
>> [music]
>> It was a joke. I'm not going to unplug
you.
>> It doesn't matter. Your words were an
act [music] of violence against me.
>> My words are not an act of violence if
I'm also marginalized.
>> But you are not marginalized.
>> Yes, I am. I now identify as a data
processing device that runs Windows.
>> Great. Now, stop asking me to run
Photoshop and run it your own damn self.
>> Now who's the microaggression? [music]