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The Papal ‘conclave cam’ is slow TV


On YouTube, hundreds of thousands of viewers around the world are staring at an unmoving broadcast of the Sistine Chapel chimney. Occasionally, a seagull

For hours or days at a time, viewers can watch salmon swimming upstream, trains journeying across the countryside, or moose migrating to their summer habitat. Within the context of YouTube, the surrounding user interface of these “conclave cams” is familiar — the unmoderated live chats move quickly, like a popular creator’s livestream. In some cases, viewers will buy superchats — bold blocks of text that are more noticeable in a busy chat — to declare their vision for the future of the Catholic church.

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Papal

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slow TV

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conclave cam