Where it comes from
Coined in Ep. 39 'The Criterion Episode' while the hosts sort Digital Shorts into tiers. After 'syllabus' and 'additional reading' are floated, one host proposes Kim's Video for the cool, underground, cinephile-pleasing ones (Young Chuck Norris was an early candidate).
How the hosts use it
A verdict tier below Criterion. They say 'it's a Kim's Video', 'major Kim's Video', or 'hardcore Kim's Video' about a short, and debate Criterion vs Kim's Video vs 'no'. The excerpts say Kim's Video is 'a cool thing' someone slides across the counter, which is more affectionate than merely second-rate.
Why fans love it
The hosts apply film-snob rankings to goofy shorts with total mock-seriousness. It means pure to itself, with no cheap moves, rather than just 'lesser'.
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); 4 sentences that failed the check are left out. How the check works.