Final Frame

"We become what we behold. We shape our tools and then our tools shape us." – Marshall McLuhan

—

Today isn’t like every other day.

I take a deep breath. Who would’ve thought it would come to this.

It’s the end of the afternoon, and the sun coming through the window gives my living room a warmer, softer glow. Nothing beats golden hour light.

At exactly 6 p.m., my phone buzzes. It’s a YouTube notification: “DeadSerious uploaded: FELIX’s FUNERAL – Hosted by Jaz Cortez”.

I just stare at it for a second, then release a sigh. Might as well watch it like everyone else. I didn’t think I’d want to, but I guess I should.

I open my laptop and hit play—then almost jump as the volume blasts through my speakers.

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Why are online ads always yelling at you? I’d install a blocker if it weren’t for professional curiosity.

Finally, the video of the funeral begins. It opens with a compilation of social media headlines from this week.

“Video influencer Felix Sharp, a.k.a. DeadSerious, reportedly died this morning.”

“Sad to report the passing of Felix Sharp, known for his satirical videos on the channel DeadSerious.”

“Here's what we know about the last days of YouTuber Felix Sharp...”

“OMG guys, is DeadSerious really… DEAD??”

Yeah, it still feels weird to read those words.

What if this was all just a big mistake?

The screen fades to black, then reveals a wood-panelled room. Violins play softly as the camera glides toward a mahogany coffin surrounded by wreaths of white flowers.

A dramatic brassy note cuts the violins and Jaz appears waist-up—black tee, leather jacket, long dark hair cascading around her face.

“Hi there, I’m Jaz Cortez! You might know me from my channel TheJazExperiment, where I take on a new challenge every week…”

Quick cuts: Jaz launched from a giant slingshot; trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube mid-skydive; sitting in an ice bath yelling “WHY AM I DOING THIS?!”

“But today, on DeadSerious, I’m gonna be hosting Felix’s funeral. And my first question is… what exactly is a eulogy?”

I snort-laugh. Not everyone gets it, but I’ve always appreciated her off-the-wall self-deprecation.

Jaz opens the casket. No body inside—that would probably be crossing a line, even by today’s standards.

Instead, the coffin holds tokens of DeadSerious’s history: old props; the Gold Play Button from hitting a million followers; a cardboard sign with the channel’s catchphrase, “Who DOES that?!”.

A wave of nostalgia hits me as a retrospective begins. Clips from early videos, shot in a living room with poor lighting. One-actor sketches with only wigs to portray a variety of characters. Zero budget, but it felt authentic and relatable, I guess.

Then came the turning point: a mock dating show skewering toxic masculinity that went viral. It blew up—mostly from backlash. But as Dina would say, there’s no such thing as bad publicity, apparently.

I sigh.

Next, footage from recent work. Less sensitive topics, a more mature tone. Even a few short films. The DIY vibe gave way to full-blown production—studio shoots, coloured lighting, supporting actors, crisp editing.

Funny what product placements can buy.

But the nostalgia leaves me somewhat hollow. Fourteen years—this channel and its dry humour have been part of my life. And now it will soon be a thing of the past; no more new DeadSerious videos to look forward to. I can’t believe this is actually the end.

On screen, Jaz is echoing my thoughts, her face serious, perhaps even genuinely sad.

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Skip ad—for God’s sake.

The ceremony rolls on, now featuring a lineup of fellow content creators who’ve come to pay their respects—as well as to film their own content, of course.

Ellie Moon, a.k.a. @MoonPhase, is up first. Blonde hair in a side braid, draped over an elegant black lace blouse.

“Felix was the only person I ever collabed with who didn’t try to turn it into a couples rumor”, she says. “That alone puts him in rare company.”

Well, the bar, really, is on the floor.

Despite the flower crowns and tea hauls, Ellie’s always been the first to call out nonsense—I’ve seen her cut people down with a single raised eyebrow. I wonder what she really thinks of all this.

Then comes my pal Tyler Blitz, from BL!TZ’d. I’m distracted by my phone buzzing again and miss most of what he says, but he sounds… composed? Pretty unexpected, for someone who once streamed a ten-hour screamfest over Minecraft mods, knocking back energy drinks until he passed out.

On my phone is a message from Dina: “Watch it yet?”

“Just past the halfway mark”, I text back.

“Rest in pixels, brother,” Ty concludes, snapping my attention back to the laptop. It’s an old inside joke—something we used to say after a game-over screen. It feels weird to hear Tyler say it in this context, but I suppose it is appropriate.

I take a deep breath. I suddenly feel bad for him.

Next on screen is the expressionless, punchable face of Brandon Maks. What the hell is he doing here?

“What’s up Maxheads?!” he bellows at his own cameraman, despite the mic clearly clipped to his shirt. “Today we attend the funeral of a YouTuber, how crazy is that?! That’s literally the closest we’ve ever been to death, y’all!!”

Sure. Although according to his channel, “MaxXximum”, Brandon braves death pretty much every month—when he’s not too busy making desperate people perform stupid tricks by taunting them with ridiculous amounts of cash.

“Also, shoutout to TurboCoin—head to my channel for the link in bio, use code MAXXX.”

He’s a walking disgrace.

Thankfully, we’re back to Jaz.

“Felix ran on ideas, obsession, and—let’s be honest—KR8 Energy. KR8 is the next-gen energy brand—to keep the sleepless awake and the athletes hydrated. Try their limited edition flavour, Voltage Melon, now with 20% off using the promo code STAYALIVE. Link’s in the description!”

Then again, nobody’s perfect.

“Also, if you’re new here, don’t forget to subscribe, because someone tells me there’s a massive surprise coming up soon, you won’t want to miss it!”

A record scratch cuts in, and Jaz is now standing beside a grand piano.

“Now, you know what they say, nothing soothes the soul like a well-timed musical cue,” she declares. “Performing today in homage to Felix is Daxton Ray—former finalist on The X-Vibe, Sing For Your Life, and Canada’s Next Hope: seasons 1, 3, and 6!”

The lights dim as the camera pans to Daxton, seated at the other side of the piano beneath a spotlight. Behind him, a string quartet is illuminated by a soft, candlelight-like glow.

A lone violin, soon joined by the cello, starts the song with an eight-note opening. Then Daxton begins to sing, gently pressing a few low keys on the piano.

It’s a melancholic cover of Mad World by Tears of Fears. Probably an unusual choice, but oddly fitting.

The strings swell as the piano reprises the earlier eight-note melody—and Daxton closes the verse: “Mad world. Mad world. Mad world.”

I let out a resigned sigh.

As the final note fades, the lights rise to the sound of applause, and Jaz reappears.

“Daxton Ray, everyone!” she exclaims as Daxton humbly bows and gestures towards his musicians.

“Daxton, I understand you’ve got a new album coming up?”

“That’s right, Jaz. Ten acoustic covers of iconic '80s pop songs. Available to pre-order on Spotify, iTunes, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, or wherever you get your music.”

The camera pans again with a swish sound effect and we’re back to Jaz standing by the casket.

“Alright, that’s a wrap on the DeadSerious Funeral Challenge. I mean, Ceremony. Comment below with your favourite Felix moment, and who should host my funeral, should next week’s challenge go horribly wrong!”

The video ends abruptly—it’s a trick creators use to boost their retention score. Viewers drop during the outro? Ditch the outro, problem solved.

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I mute the laptop and scroll through a few of the comments.

“Aww, I miss the wigs!”

“The ‘Who DOES that?!’ meme will forever live on!”

“What do you think the surprise is? Are they gonna replace him with an AI?”

“Love Ellie’s hair!”

Setting the laptop aside, I stand and grab a can of Voltage Melon KR8 from the kitchen. Might need something stronger later, but for now, this will do.

After all, it’s not every day you get to watch your own funeral.

My phone rings, and my producer’s face appears on the screen.

“Hey, Dina.”

“So? I think Jaz did a good job.”

“Yeah, she’s a pro. What was Brandon freaking Maks doing there, though? That’s not something we’d discussed.”

“Well, surprise! He was at the studio, and I saw an opportunity. You can hate him, but he’s too big to ignore, Felix. Might as well use him.”

Or let him use us. “What did he want in return?”

“Nothing, just footage for his channel. It’s a win-win.”

Sure. This is exactly why I’ve wanted to stop—I’m tired of feeling like I’m sacrificing my soul so the craft can live.

“Whatever”, I mutter. No turning back now anyway.

“Get a good night’s sleep, Felix. We need you fresh for tomorrow.”

Probably should’ve skipped the KR8, then.

Tomorrow we shoot my next video. The one where I come back from the dead—and announce the launch of my new production agency.

YouTube was always a gamble—views, revenue, reach—all dictated by an algorithm that kept evolving. Eventually, I got tired of playing that game.

I’ve reached a point where I’d rather work directly with brands and make commercials. More stability. Knowing that my crew gets paid, my ideas funded, and I don’t have to beg for watch time to justify the budget. Just clean, intentional work.

From there, maybe we can even land documentaries, films, or series with the big platforms. The kind of stories that get recognition.

But the thing is, I knew a quiet transition wouldn’t cut it. This industry doesn’t respect soft exits—I needed a full-on spectacle.

So I framed my own death. Let Dina orchestrate a funeral for DeadSerious.

I know what you’re thinking: who DOES that, right?

I look through the window at the sun now setting in a purple sky streaked with orange, and take a deep breath.

Tomorrow, we shoot the “resurrection”. The reveal. The launch of the agency, Serious Studios.

That’s going to go so viral.