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Criterion

Top praise for a Digital Short, good enough to join a hypothetical Criterion Collection of them. Example: "Is this short Criterion?"

term catalogued by the Screen Beat fan dictionary

First heard Ep. 10 · 1:46 Andy Walking 122 mentions across 42 episodes, 2024-04-15 to 2026-10-08

Keeps company with: Kim's VideoQuaidQuaid ArmySeth's Cornerlater, Quaidsrighteous kill

Where it comes from

The bit starts in Ep. 2 ("Lettuce"), where the hosts decide to end each episode by asking whether a Digital Short makes the Criterion Collection of shorts.

How the hosts use it

At the end of a short's discussion, someone asks "is this Criterion?" and the hosts vote yes or no.

Why fans love it

A group of comedy veterans takes a silly internet-video archive as seriously as an arthouse film canon, complete with vote counts, grading curves, fan lobbying and gatekeeping.

Written by the AI from the transcripts. Every sentence was checked against them, one by one (the full episode transcript wherever a sentence names one); 6 sentences that failed the check are left out. How the check works.

Every time it comes up

Ep. 2 Lettuce 2024-04-15

  • 0:15

    Seth: we're going to talk about the first digital short that aired

  • 32:44

    Seth: does it make the criterion collection of digital shorts?

    explained
  • 32:44

    Seth: does it make the criterion collection of digital shorts?

Ep. 10 Andy Walking 2024-06-03

  • 1:41

    Seth: The digital short that ended your first season... will not make the criterion collection of digital shorts.

  • 1:46

    Seth: will not make the criterion collection of digital shorts.

    coined here

Ep. 17 Business Meeting, Nurse Nancy, and Andy Popping Into Frame 2024-07-22

  • 27:08

    Seth: I do put it in the Criterion Collection for its uniqueness.

    coined here
  • 27:08

    Seth: I do put it in the Criterion Collection for its uniqueness.

Ep. 20 Dear Sister 2024-08-12

  • 15:12

    Akiva: It was seed number six, Dear Sister, Japanese Office

  • 28:41

    Dear Sister, Criterion? Yes.

  • 28:41

    Dear Sister, Criterion? Yes.

Ep. 21 Roy Rules 2024-08-19

  • 44:34

    Seth: Criterion Collection, Roy Rules. Does it make it?

    explained
  • 44:43

    Andy: I think it's a delightful confection, and I think it represents a type of giddy dumbness that we love.

  • 46:26

    Andy: By the way, United Way and Dear Sister are both criterion for our discussions.

Ep. 22 Talking Dog 2024-08-26

  • 28:51

    Andy: First off, dog lover, not criterion.

  • 28:51

    Andy: First off, dog lover, not criterion.

Ep. 26 Listener Q&A #1 2024-09-23

  • 9:15

    Harpoon Man is good, and I am officially putting it in the criterion.

  • 9:17

    I am officially putting it in the criterion.

    coined here

Ep. 31 The Mirror 2024-10-28

  • 14:48

    Akiva: it might be Criterion, which I never would have guessed.

  • 14:48

    Akiva: it might be Criterion, which I never would have guessed.

  • 14:51

    I think it is criterion.

  • 37:37

    Seth: And I will say, I'm going to put it Criterion.

    coined here
  • 37:37

    Seth: And I will say, I'm going to put it Criterion.

  • 37:40

    Seth: Mirror for me is Criterion. Depends how many slots we have at the end.

Ep. 34 Laser Cats! 3D 2024-11-18

  • 46:27

    So it seems like there were things to like in it, but maybe not Criterion Collection.

    explained
  • 46:44

    I think that out of the seven laser cuts, there was one for every season that Andy was on the show.

  • 48:25

    Seth: we were talking about maybe doing, around the holidays, a quick episode where we go back through all the shorts

Ep. 35 Here I Go 2024-11-25

  • 47:03

    It's Criterion Collection for me.

  • 47:03

    It's Criterion Collection for me.

Ep. 36 Daiquiri Girl 2024-12-02

  • 15:43

    Seth: This is not and is never going to be Criterion Collection.

  • 15:43

    Seth: This is not and is never going to be Criterion Collection.

  • 27:09

    Seth: they wrote me a text and said, like, we listen to the pod and we feel like we should decide what makes Criterion.

  • 27:09

    Seth: they wrote me a text and said, like, we listen to the pod and we feel like we should decide what makes Criterion.

Ep. 38 Japanese Office 2024-12-16

  • 10:36

    Akiva: I started laughing so hard out loud until tears welled in my eyes hearing Andy's voice.

  • 10:45

    It might be criterion for a real reason.

  • 10:48

    Seth: we do have to find another category for like the, I don't know, the Criterion shitbox

Ep. 39 The Criterion Episode 2024-12-23

  • 0:28

    Seth: I am joined by two luminaries who are going to help us select the criterion collection of the first 34 shorts

  • 0:33

    Seth: the criterion collection of the first 34 shorts

    explained
  • 27:16

    That was the first one of those where it was like, oh my God, that's the host.

  • 30:05

    Seth: They have incredible, for real, like the most incredibly high ethical standards.

  • 31:23

    Criterion Collection named their better one Harpoon after Harpoon Man.

    explained
  • 31:23

    Criterion Collection named their better one Harpoon after Harpoon Man. So Citizen Kane is Harpoon.

  • 33:06

    the name Scott Garbasiak goes in the criterion collection of great.

  • 53:04

    Harpoon Man is. Harpoon Man is, to be clear.

  • 56:37

    Seth: Lazy Sunday is in. Natalie's Rap is in. Dick in a Box is in. Dear Sister is in. I Ran So Far is in.

  • 57:22

    Seth: Laser Cats received over 75% of the vote. It got a yes from Jake. It got a no from Mike. It got a yes from Alan.

Ep. 40 Listener Q&A Episode 2 2024-12-30

  • 7:15

    Seth: all seven Laser Cats should go in as one.

Ep. 41 Listener Q&A Episode 3 2025-01-06

  • 27:02

    I proudly voted for it to be in the Criterion Collection

Ep. 44 Breaking Down Mike O'Brien's SNL Digital Shorts 2025-01-27

  • 1:08:03

    Do you feel like there's anything that belongs in the Criterion Collection that has not received enough love?

  • 1:08:50

    Hero Song was my favorite for like a year.

Ep. 46 Incredibad Part 2 2025-02-10

  • 46:14

    I honestly think if we're talking Criterion Collection

  • 46:21

    Edgar Wright: I would say Sushi Glory Hole has got to be in there.

Ep. 51 The Jon Hamm Episode 2025-03-18

  • 8:40

    Jorma: do you guys think that this is a criterion collection episode

  • 8:40

    Jorma: do you guys think that this is a criterion collection episode

Ep. 52 Everyone's a Critic 2025-03-25

  • 41:24

    Is it Criterion? I don't know. I'm going to say not.

  • 41:24

    Is it Criterion? I don't know. I'm going to say not.

Ep. 57 Cookies w/ Amy Poehler 2025-04-30

  • 42:06

    Seth: I think Lauren certainly knew how Cookies was not going to be Criterion.

Ep. 63 Party Guys 2025-06-10

  • 53:15

    Andy: And that would make this Criterion.

  • 53:15

    Andy: And that would make this Criterion.

Ep. 65 The Zac Efron Episode 2025-06-24

  • 35:22

    I think that'd be a great second chance theater.

  • 44:37

    This was a digital short we made the week with Zac Efron, and it did not air.

Ep. 67 Motherlover 2025-07-08

  • 1:09:42

    So, Seth, you like to ask if this is criterion.

  • 1:09:42

    So, Seth, you like to ask if this is criterion.

Ep. 69 Movie Awards 2025-07-22

  • 6:46

    Seth: each one of them costs like what five digital shorts cost.

Ep. 71 The Date & Megan's Roommate 2025-08-05

  • 30:42

    Seth: we talk about Criterion Collection, and for me, this is Criterion Collection

Ep. 80 Tizzle Wizzle Show 2025-10-07

  • 28:13

    Seth: we're coming off back to back criterions

  • 34:29

    Andy: And it's 100% Criterion.

Ep. 83 The Curse 2025-10-28

  • 40:35

    I'm sorry, that's impeachably great. You can't, you can have ones as good, but I don't think you can have a better actor than that.

  • 54:48

    Is the curse criterion?

  • 54:51

    Seth: 100%, no hesitation at all.

Ep. 87 Jorm Thanks You 2025-11-25

  • 5:53

    Seth: Sergio Criterion, eyelines all over the place.

  • 6:02

    Jorma: Highline's gotta be right. They gotta be flawless.

Ep. 88 The Other Man 2025-12-02

  • 40:13

    Seth: is it criterion it's not but it goes from one

    explained
  • 40:13

    Seth: is it criterion it's not but it goes from one where you think the audience is going to get ahead of you and you end it with an impossible

Ep. 90 Cherry Battle 2025-12-16

  • 32:20

    Is it Criterion? I don't think so.

  • 32:20

    But I would maybe I would maybe posit that it's like in the conversation for Kim's video.

Ep. 91 Listener Q&A Episode 9 2025-12-23

  • 0:36

    Yeah, he said it was his favorite one all time, right?

  • 0:36

    Yeah, he said it was his favorite one all time, right? This is a quote. For me, it's the best.

  • 2:26

    Akiva: the Criterion episode part two has been recorded without us with, is it, it's not a spoiler.

Ep. 92 The Criterion Episode (2024 Re-release) 2025-12-30

  • 2:21

    Seth: help us select the criterion collection of the first 34 shorts we have covered

    coined here
  • 17:00

    But I remember it's like landing on the moon for SNL comedy.

  • 27:02

    Obviously, like, proving that for the first time... the host can also explode out of one of these digital shorts.

  • 30:11

    I think laser cats is criterion. Really?

  • 31:19

    Seth: Criterion Collection named their better one Harpoon after Harpoon Man.

    explained
  • 31:19

    Seth: Criterion Collection named their better one Harpoon after Harpoon Man. So Citizen Kane is Harpoon.

  • 31:40

    Seth: Dick in the Box holds, based on the 3,072 votes we had, the most yeses.

  • 34:54

    I ultimately said no, but I love this sketch so much.

  • 42:17

    Mike Schur: And I just can't quite bring myself to say this is a Criterion Collection thing when it's not quite gay panic

  • 49:06

    So it's got Walken, it's got Chris Dodd, it's got Kenan, it's got Andy getting his bionic eye.

  • 53:04

    So we decided on the 34 that we went through, we decided six unanimously, and then we diverged on two.

  • 57:34

    Seth: We have three maybes, and I also want to run down with the trio how they feel about our Kim's videos.

Ep. 93 The 2025 Criterion Episode 2026-01-06

  • 0:14

    This is our second Criterion Collection episode.

    explained
  • 0:14

    This is our second Criterion Collection episode.

  • 5:57

    I'll just say what the internet is already saying, which is laser cats should be one Criterion collection

  • 13:00

    Oh my God. Okay. So here's one. I went in thinking this is Criterion.

  • 13:02

    I went in thinking this is Criterion.

  • 28:47

    It's one of the only truly moving Lonely Island sketches because the whole cast gets to play.

  • 31:30

    Seth: everybody else said I'm on a boat is Criterion.

  • 32:16

    Seth: I think we're going to group them into criteria. I don't think we're ever going to do a full rank

  • 38:57

    Questlove: is this the definitive criterion list and never to be rethought of again or?

    explained
  • 1:08:12

    Questlove: I believe that eventually one day I want a complete anthology of the Lonely Island.

Ep. 95 Golden Girls Theme 2026-01-13

  • 25:52

    Do we need to address the criterion picks?

  • 25:52

    Do we need to address the criterion picks?

  • 26:24

    Akiva: I think the curse deserved to go into Criterion.

  • 43:38

    Seth: The curse is clearly criterion.

  • 45:29

    Kim's video, I think, implies a certain amount of coolness and style.

  • 46:12

    Seth: he said there should be a new category called laser cats.

Ep. 97 Great Day 2026-02-03

  • 1:03:03

    Seth: It's Criterion, and I love you guys.

Ep. 104 Boogerman Part 1&2 2026-03-26

  • 51:01

    Boogerman, Criterion or Kim's video?

Ep. 106 I Broke My Arm 2026-04-08

  • 1:10:30

    So I broke my arm, not Criterion, not Kim's video, but fine.

Ep. 109 Listener Q&A Episode 12 2026-04-28

  • 19:28

    Seth: you pulled out your laptop and showed us not just any short, but what I now recognize as Criterion Collection

  • 19:34

    Seth: Criterion Collection shoe-in

Ep. 121 Listener Q&A Episode 14 2026-07-23

  • 15:11

    Ross Trent absolutely belongs in Criterion Collection.

Ep. 125 Beastly 2026-08-18

  • 35:13

    by the way, we never talked about whether or not it's criterion.

  • 49:23

    Hello everybody, it's Akiva. Sorry I couldn't make the episode this week

  • 49:41

    Akiva: Criterion, and you're wrong, Seth. Andy, I can tell you're on the fence

Ep. 131 Snuff Box: F**k You 2026-10-01

  • 17:17

    Seth: anytime Andy says he quibbied three days in a row, they would like Greg Chun to make a song

  • 17:38

    Akiva: for the criterion categories, suggests a third category

  • 17:57

    Akiva: she suggests library for the shorts that are essential to the Lonely Island story.

  • 19:11

    Akiva: I theorize that if it's a white man in the criterion closet between 45 and 58, that's like a 50% chance they're going to pick up Withnail and I.

Ep. 132 Laser Cats 6: The Musical! 2026-10-08

  • 1:01:33

    so Criterion, I feel like Seth thinks yes.

  • 1:01:42

    Akiva: Is Laser Cats as a body of work its own thing, or do we take them as individuals?