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Object-Oriented Programming is Embarrassing: 4 Short Examples

Brian Will · commentary · Watch on YouTube

Software architecture & designSoftware practice, open source & careers

What it is

Brian Will follows up his earlier anti-OOP video by walking through four short code examples, including Java code in the style of Uncle Bob, to show how object-oriented design complicates simple programs. It argues that OOP hides and scatters state and adds needless indirection.

Why Hacker News recommends it

HN commenters point to it as a sharp, example-driven critique of OOP and Clean Code style, often alongside Brian Will's other anti-OO videos.

  • 6 people recommended it
  • 5 different months
  • 2 strong recommendations
  • first 2016, last 2025

What HN commenters said

  1. “I highly recommend "Object Oriented Programming is Bad" and "Object Oriented Programming is Embarrassing" on Youtube.”

    Anti-OOP video series.

    rubyist5eva, 2021-03 · Strong recommendation · in “Why OO Sucks by Joe Armstrong (2000)”

  2. “One of my favorites”

    Commenter's favorite OOP critique videos.

    ravenstine, 2025-07 · Strong recommendation · in “Python classes aren’t always the best solution”

  3. “Perhaps the Brian Will anti-OO videos provide more useful examples”

    Anti-OO videos with more useful examples.

    DrScump, 2016-03 · Recommendation · in “Inheritance Is Terrible”

  4. “Check out this video”

    Dissects four code examples, including Uncle Bob Java code.

    smnplk, 2019-10 · Recommendation · in “Object-Oriented Programming and Essential State”

  5. “The blog post and related youtube videos are pretty interesting as well[2][3][4].”

    Related videos on state in OOP, pretty interesting.

    lazulicurio, 2019-10 · Recommendation · in “Why Isn't Functional Programming the Norm? [video]”

  6. “Brian Wills has a few good videos”

    Covers similar concerns to the Clean Code critique.

    pentaphobe, 2021-05 · Recommendation · in “It's probably time to stop recommending Clean Code (2020)”

Excerpts from Hacker News comments, linked to the originals. Summaries and labels were written by a language model from those comments.

Topics: oop, code examples, state, clean code, software design

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