Hennessy Youngman is a persona invented and performed by Jayson Musson.[1][2]
Youngman makes addresses to the Internet at large in online episodes of a series titled "Art Thoughtz." Most often, Youngman takes on the role of art critic or cultural critic while speaking to topics concerning art, race, gender, and popular culture.[3] In addition, Youngman makes DJ mixtapes called "CVS Bangers" with songs interspersed with seemingly random statements and air horn blasts.[4]
In his video monologues, Youngman becomes a tutor to an audience of hopeful artists in search of success. By explaining traditional art concepts and relating them to pop culture and real-world examples, he is able to expose issues and conflicts within contemporary art society. A scheme is perpetuated, through Youngman and the "Art Thoughtz" videos, of following an often sympathetic character, one who is apparently outside the art world, attempting to understand and permeate a seemingly exclusive cultural society. This sort of 'underdog in the art world' characterization can be seen in the work of video artist of Alex Bag or motion pictures such as the biopic Basquiat or the art world satire (Untitled).[5]