The Forbidden Film Big Oil Tried to Erase

Quick Overview

The creator apologizes for extreme claims made in a two-year-old video titled "The Brainwashing Of America's Children | Climate Town," which featured propaganda from the American Petroleum Institute (API) called "Fuel-Less, You Can't Be Cool Without Fuel" (1996), and subsequently details the extensive research and effort required to unearth the film and its context, culminating in the reveal of numerous Easter eggs and hidden corporate agendas within the original propaganda.

Key Points: The creator issues an apology for extreme claims made in a two-year-old video about propaganda in public schools, specifically referencing the 1996 API film "Fuel-Less, You Can't Be Cool Without Fuel." The creator spent months tracking down a bootleg copy of the 17-minute educational DVD film, which was distributed to middle-school audiences by the American Petroleum Institute (API). The film parodies the 1995 movie Clueless to promote the idea that oil is essential, featuring scenes like a student realizing everything she owns comes from oil (hairdryer, clothing, cosmetics) and another scene in an oil field. The video highlights that the film's premise—that everything cool comes from oil—is a propaganda tactic designed to distract from issues like oil spills (e.g., Exxon Valdez) and environmental degradation. The creator reveals several Easter eggs hidden within the propaganda film, including references to Al Gore's alleged marijuana brownie recipe and a scene featuring a character wearing an outfit similar to one worn by an actress in Gilmore Girls. The creator shows evidence of the oil industry's continued efforts to fight emissions standards, citing a 2018 New York Times article about a covert campaign financed by Charles G. Koch to roll back car emission rules. The video concludes by showcasing a list of patrons who support the channel's continued work, suggesting that personal responsibility (like recycling) is used to distract from systemic industrial pollution, referencing the EPA's success in reducing lead in the air by 96% since the mid-1970s due to regulations, not just corporate goodwill.