“I’m a flying reptile, / a pterodactyl on Adderall.

” 1 These arbitrary lyrics are found on the Pink

Season2 album and are written by the YouTube comedian “Filthy Frank,” 2 whose nonsense humor is a

trademark characteristic of his. Many have heard of the Japanese-Australian music artist, George Miller--

“Joji”, who has gained mass amounts of popularity over the past five years. What many still may not

know about is his past in the world of entertainment. From 2011 to 2017, Joji went by the alias “Filthy

Frank” on the internet and posted YouTube videos under this and various other characters he invented.

This internet personality is drastically different than the Miller the world sees today… it was one of

extreme vulgarity and immaturity. Miller admitted in multiple interviews that his upbringing in Japan and

his childhood friends played a large role in the personality he developed early on. 3 Miller lived in Japan

until he was eighteen, then moved to the U.S. for college where his YouTube career took off. 3 Miller’s

YouTube channel was critical in his development as an artist because 2017 kick-started his music career

with the release of Pink Season, 5 one of his first comedy-studio albums under the name “Pink Guy”-- a

character he created for his YouTube channel. For a while, Miller lived a double life-- creating content as

Filthy Frank for his YouTube followers and developing his musical style as Joji behind the scenes. 3

However, at some point Miller made a complete switch-- ending his career on YouTube and pursuing

music as a completely different personality, Joji. Joji’s personality is almost the obverse to Pink Guy’s

personality as displayed on Pink Season and Miller’s YouTube channel-- Joji being much more

emotionally sensitive in his lyrics and showing absolutely no trace of the highly offensive character that

Miller previously embodied. This led to the 2017 creation of the In Tongues6 album which marked both

the beginning of Joji’s career in music as well as the termination of Filthy Frank’s career in

entertainment. The switch in character Miller made from creating as Pink Guy to Joji was shockingly

drastic, which makes it perplexing as to why the shift happened in the first place. Miller has a history of

being very seclusive about his personal life, however, through analyzing his work as an artist, it is

possible for the public to gain a glimpse of what he has gone through. Over the timeline of George

Miller’s two albums Pink Season and In Tongues, Miller’s lyrics showcase his exploration of love and

development of a bitter attitude toward it.

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 Pink Season was born of Miller’s comedy-based YouTube channel started under the character of

“Filthy Frank” in 2011-- a channel he created when he was just nineteen years old. 7 It quickly gained

popularity on the internet due to Miller’s use of shock humor and offensive jocose. This channel is where

his music career took off; often Miller created humorous and ironic music to add to his videos and

augment his content, but as he grew, he began to take music more seriously. In an interview on Pigeons

and Planes, Miller describes how making satirical music with his friends helped grow his musicianship,

“Through f***ing around we learned how to produce, how to train our voices, and learn from the internet

what was popping.”7 Although initially made for fun, or, “f***ing around,” Miller’s YouTube content

was critical in his growth as a creator. Pink Season-- the album born from the YouTube channel-- like the

channel itself, focused mainly on comedy and offensive humor. However, the album was produced

professionally in contrast to what Miller previously created for his channel. Today, the personality Miller

displayed for this album and for his YouTube following is nearly unrecognizable after having

transformed so dramatically into the R&B Hip Hop artist called “Joji.” Miller went from a harsh and

offensive YouTube star creating satirical and ironic rap to a lovesick LoFi artist producing music about

heartbreak. The album Pink Season, by George Miller, prefaced Miller’s character transformation and the

development of his bitter attitude toward love.

Upon appearance, the album Pink Season by Pink Guy (George Miller) is made almost

exclusively for the purpose of comedy, however, it shows an underlying discomfort around the topic of

relationships and proves to be the predecessor to Miller’s future focus on love. Frequently on this album,

Miller writes vulgar descriptions of unrealistic sex to perpetuate shock humor as the album’s

encompassing theme, which is seen clearly on the song “She’s So Nice.” Miller writes, “After twenty

minutes you can drive a f***ing Jeep in the p***y.”8 (13) This excerpt is one of the less extreme lines in

the song… it only increases in bawdiness. On the surface, it seems lyrics like these are exclusively aimed

toward the purpose of entertainment. Not only with profanity such as “f***” and “p***y”, but also by

using uncomfortable mental images surrounding sex, Miller strives to achieve his goal of entertaining. In

the aforementioned interview with Pigeons and Planes, Miller claimed, “this is joke music . . . I like

9
creating funny things,”9 when comparing what he released as Pink Guy to what he released later as Joji.

However, on a deeper level, Miller’s use of irony and shock humor can also be inferred as a cover-up for

hidden uncomfortable feelings. Some studies suggest that people are drawn to lewd humor as a way to

“relieve tension” around uncomfortable subjects... indicating that humor is used as a coping mechanism

for internal conflict around the topic of the joke. 10 Additionally, according to an article on HealthMatch,

hypersexuality has a strong link to PTSD in many trauma survivors. The article reads, “Compulsive

sexuality is a logical coping strategy to deal with trauma.” 11 This is an extreme example, but proves that

previous distress can often lead to extreme ideas and behaviors surrounding the event in the future. Miller

uses disturbing humor for sex in a large portion of his songs on Pink Season, which, according to this

research on dark humor and trauma, can indicate that Miller has had bad experiences with relationships

and is therefore drawn to this humor as a way to cope with the pain he may feel. This is also apparent in

the rest of the songs on Pink Season, which may not discuss sex but continue to focus on crude and

satirical humor-- such as the song “High School Blink193.” In the song, some of Miller’s lyrics are,

“High School sucks / High School sucks / everybody called me a f*****.” 12 (2-3) These lyrics are

delivered with a potently satirical tone, and at a glance seem completely non symbolic. In this song,

Miller uses a mocking tone to make fun of the lyrics and musical style of the popular 90’s band Blink-

182-- hence the title, “High School Blink193.” A review on Sputnik Music states, “‘High School

Blink193 is exactly what it says it is, (overly ironic Blink-182 parody).’” 12 However, there is a deeper

meaning behind the offensive humor and use of the f-slur in the song. Miller mentions several times in

songs throughout Pink Season that he has been bullied in the past and accused of being gay-- whether the

claims had substance to them or not is irrelevant, but the comments clearly make him uncomfortable. This

is even explicitly stated by Milller on the album in multiple songs such as, “Please Stop Calling Me

Gay,”14 which is self-explanatory by the title. Even further proof of this link between humor and negative

experiences lies within the Filthy Frank YouTube channel, the parent of Pink Season. There are multiple

videos still posted on the channel of Miller reading severely hateful comments about himself and turning

it into humor. There is a very clear correlation in Miller’s life between uncomfortable feelings and humor.

9
Even if it seems like simple jokes at a glance, Pink Season is more than entertainment… it is the

beginning of proof of Miller’s discomfort with love.

The personality Miller displayed for this album and for his YouTube following has almost

nothing to show for itself after having shifted so drastically into what he is today, however, there are a

few songs on Pink Season that hint at Miller’s journey in love. The track titled “We Fall Again,” 15 is the

song most obviously written about young love. The sound of the song is much calmer in comparison to its

sibling songs on the album as Miller writes, “Got me running deep in the superstition, and I / can’t believe

my f***ing eyes. / Yet in a thousand years, / I never thought I would see you come from beneath me, / I

feel like falling. / I feel like falling.”16 (9-14) This soft, sad song contrasts heavily with the hard beats and

vulgar lyrics used in the rest of Pink Season. It shows the very beginning of Miller’s transformation in

character, and it gives the first glimpse of Miller discussing the concept of love. The words “we fall

again” are repeated many times throughout the song along with the line “I feel like falling.” Falling, in a

metaphorical sense, is undoubtedly associated with a new romance or relationship-- this is the same with

“superstition,” as mentioned in the song. Although Miller never shares details about his love life with the

public, it can be inferred from these lyrics that he is writing about a romantic situation. The same

inferences can be made about a moment in the song “Fried Noodles,” where Miller writes, “Do you miss

me anymore? / And I don’t even notice / when it hurts anymore. / Anymore.” 17 (28-31) There is a deep

tone of longing with these lyrics. Asking, “do you miss me anymore?” makes it hard to deny that Miller

wrote these lyrics with yearning, and it can be assumed based upon the lyrics in “We Fall Again” that

they are written inspired by romance. Furthermore, in “Fried Noodles,” the lyrics have a sadder tone and

indicate discomfort with feelings of love. The words, “I don’t even notice when it hurts anymore,” hints

at the possibility Miller had been hurt multiple times or for an extended period of time by this experience

with love. These are the only two examples on the thirty-five-song playlist, but they prove that with Pink

Season, Miller is beginning to make his switch from Pink Guy to Joji.

Pink Season by George Miller as Pink Guy is undoubtedly the predecessor to Miller’s visible

journey in love. It shows viewers an intense contrast between the character of his lyrics before and after

9
he made his transition. Not only this, but it also shows an underlying discomfort about relationships

throughout, as Miller displays vulgar images of sex: what he claims as humor, but really could be a way

to relieve tension about the subject.

This discomfort with relationships is made evermore apparent later down the line as Miller

develops as an artist. Not even two months after the demise of George Miller’s YouTube channel in 2017,

Miller released his first album under the name Joji. The tracklist is technically an EP (extended playlist)

because it was comprised of only six songs. It contrasts completely with the Pink Season album as it is

deemed by his followers Miller’s first “serious album.” 18 Miller claimed, “I get everything creatively from

the Joji stuff, it’s the sounds that I want to hear that take a lot of effort.” 19 Miller poured himself into the

In Tongues album and revealed the side of him that was no longer interested in the internet humor he

spent so much of his early life on.20 The “Joji stuff” Miller mentions is in reference to the drastically

different style of music he creates under the name Joji in comparison to what he created as Pink Guy. Not

only in the sound of the music, but the difference is especially prevalent in Miller’s lyrics as Joji. They

represent a completely different personality. Rather than the previous offensive lyrics he came up with for

humor, Joji’s lyrics cry heartache, loneliness, and yearning. The album In Tongues marked the full

crossover of Miller’s character and shows he has formed a bitter attitude towards love and relationships.

The topics discussed on this tracklist contrast dramatically with those shown in Pink Season

which displays Miller’s pivotal shift where he develops a bitter inclination towards love. Instead of using

humor in his lyrics, Miller writes in a hopeless tone that shows his pain surrounding the topic of love. In

one of these tracks titled “Pills,” Miller writes, “Please don’t run away / please don’t run away . . . I need

you back.”21 (1-2, 9) These lyrics are undoubtedly full of fear and yearning. Miller’s use of the word

“please” immediately brings an element of desperation to the line and indicates begging and praying.

Miller is clearly in fear of someone leaving his life, which he illustrates by begging them not to “run

away.” The difference between this style and the style used on Pink Season is black and white-- Pink

Season is comprised of aggressive, rude lyrics that seemingly have the intention of pushing others away.

However, the lyrics written for In Tongues call someone back into Miller’s life-- likely a love interest. In

9
a YouTube interview with Mass Appeal, Miller explains one of the overarching themes of his album, “A

lot is about letting go, cheating . . . The constant struggle to be good. That’s the theme of the EP.” 22

Although Miller’s love life is never addressed directly, these lyrics are definitely written about love and

Miller’s fear around it, which is a theme Miller makes obvious by mentioning “cheating.” The theme of

having to let go is also portrayed with Miller’s claim, “I need you back.” It is undeniable that these lyrics

beg a figure to remain in Miller’s life. Within In Tongues, Miller continues to write about sex as he does

in Pink Season, but it is in a much more subtle way that shows his loneliness and sadness on the topic of

love. On the track “Will He,” Miller asks, “Will your tongue still remember the taste of my lips? / Will

your shadow remember the swing of my hips?”23 (12-13) It is a fact that this line was written in

reminiscence of a past romance that Miller is yearning for. The lyrics are sensual as they mention kissing

in the first half of the line, and Miller makes a reference to sex by saying “the swing of my hips.” Miller

also uses a metaphor to tell his listeners that he is writing about a figure that is not tangible-- the

“shadow”-- someone he used to have in his life that has since left. In the aforementioned interview with

Mass Appeal, Miller explains, “The sadness in sex, I’m still trying to figure out. That’s why I’m making

these songs-- I’m trying to come to a conclusion.”24 Miller makes this claim in reference to this very song,

“Will He,” which proves the fact Miller’s melancholic lyrics are written about a past love interest, or at

the very least a sex partner to whom he had an emotional attachment. This also relates back to his

previous tendency to make uncomfortable jokes about sex in the album Pink Season and proves Miller

does not have an ideal relationship with sex. Miller made a huge shift from the intense and humorous

Pink Season album with subtle references to sex, to flat-out writing about “the sadness in sex” and his

yearning for a past partner. Miller agrees in the interview that the song has an intentional melancholic

tone to it, “It’s a bloody song,” he says, “It cries.” Simply claiming that the song “cries” shows Miller’s

audience the emotional intention behind the song. The difference between this and the intentions of Pink

Season is like night and day-- irony for the purpose of entertainment versus the honest loneliness Miller

illustrates on In Tongues. Every song on the In Tongues album contains lyrics that display Miller’s

aversion to relationships and the negative outlook on love that he had developed since the release of Pink

9
Season. The lyrics Miller uses in these tracks speak of intense loneliness and hopelessness surrounding

romance. “Where did you go? / I thought we’d last forever,” 25 Miller writes on the track titled “Pills.” The

question “where did you go?” signifies desperation in finding a lost love, and “I thought we’d last

forever,” brings melancholy over a missed opportunity to the line. As mentioned before, this is

completely opposite from Miller’s previous crudeness as Pink Guy with lyrics that drive people away.

The lyrics on In Tongues are marked by a painful, nostalgic tone and aim to call someone back into

Miller’s life. In the Mass Appeal interview, Miller makes the claim, “In my music, there’s a very

nostalgic, sexual vibe to it-- which I intended to have.” 26 The feeling of nostalgia most often comes with

reminiscence, thus, this intention of Miller’s supports the fact that he is calling out to someone he misses

with the lyrics on In Tongues. In the same song, Miller repeats, “I need you back / I need you bad.” 27 As

discussed earlier, these lyrics come from Miller begging for a companion to return to him. However, this

line differs with the addition of “bad” as an adjective. “I need you bad,” adds an additional element of

desperation to Miller’s words and emphasizes the degree to which he longs for this missing figure. On

this tracklist, Miller not only writes with dejection but also passive aggressiveness toward a past lover

which showcases his bitter attitude toward love. The album’s interlude titled “Worldstar Money” provides

an example of this with the line, “Am I crazy? / So tenderly you watch me burn, you watch me burn.” 28

These lyrics lie with a tone of anger and betrayal as he describes someone that is important to him

watching him suffer. Miller uses juxtaposition in the line using the soft word “tenderly” contrasted

against the anger felt in the rest of the line. This can justly be interpreted as a reflection of Miller’s

internal world. In many of the interviews Miller stars on, he describes being conflicted as a prominent

issue following him in his life. “I think I’m-- I think we are all very conflicted people,” 29 Miller states.

This shines through with Miller's juxtaposition in his lyrics as well as his musical style. In the interview

with Mass Appeal, Miller admits once again that he is a “naturally conflicted person.” He also claims that

he intends for that to show in his music… partially from the conflicting and juxtaposing soft and harsh

sounds he includes, and partially from his lyrics.

9
 The difference between Pink Guy and Joji is undeniable. It is clear that Miller made a huge shift

in his personality and writing styles between the albums Pink Season and In Tongues. The latter is

comprised of tracks that are far more melancholic than the former, and that are focused on love with the

purpose to make listeners feel nostalgic and sad. However, it is less obvious that the two albums feed into

each other. The albums discreetly discuss the same feelings… except Miller opens up about his negativity

toward relationships in his second album.

Over the timeline of George Miller’s two albums Pink Season and In Tongues, Miller’s lyrics

display his exploration of feelings of love and his development of aversion to it. Miller’s audience is able

to follow the major shift in his life through his lyrics and musical style that show him flipping his

personality completely. Beginning with Pink Season, it is shown that Miller’s obsession with lewd and

offensive humor is indicative of him developing negative feelings toward love and relationships. This is

proved by a few of the lyrics on songs like “We Fall Again,” and “Fried Noodles,” which include words

undeniably directed at a past partner. Miller’s debut “Joji” album, In Tongues, confirms this growth with

bitter lyrics almost entirely about being burned by a former lover. Within In Tongues, Miller opens up

about all of the underlying emotions hidden in Pink Season. The journey did not end with In Tongues,

however. Since the album, Miller has released three additional albums under the name Joji… and they all

further prove Miller’s aversion to love. Every song Miller writes includes references to relationships,

heartbreak, and sex. This is apparent still in one of his most recent 2022 singles, “Glimpse of Us,” which

is entirely about missing a past relationship and Miller trying to distract himself from it. “Said I’m fine

and said I moved on / but I’m only here passing time in her arms / hoping I’ll find / a glimpse of us.” 30 In

addition to everything, a major influence on Miller’s career path were his various health concerns which

led to the early demise of his YouTube channel. Miller has admitted in multiple interviews that he has a

neurological disorder which causes seizures. He has also made claims to throat tissue damage, among

“several [other] serious health concerns.” 31 All considered, it is impossible to forget Miller’s old passion

for entertainment on the Filthy Frank YouTube channel and discussing pterodactyls on Adderall.

9
 Notes
1
Pink Guy, “Fried Noodles,” Spotify, 88rising, 4 Jan. 2017, spotify.com
2
Pink Guy, “Pink Season.” Spotify, 88rising, 4 Jan. 2017, spotify.com
3
“TVFilthyFrank,” YouTube, 22 Jan. 2013, youtube.com.
4
Pigeons & Planes, “Joji Interview (uncut): Pigeons & Planes.” YouTube, 23 Nov. 2017,

youtube.com.
5
Pigeons & Planes.
6
Joji,“In Tongues (Deluxe).” Spotify, Empire, 88rising, 14 Feb. 2018, spotify.com
7
Pigeons & Planes.
8
Pink Guy, “She’s So Nice,” Spotify, 88rising, 4 Jan. 2017, spotify.com
9
Pigeons & Planes.
10
Jeanna Bryner. “Study Reveals Why We Laugh at Disgusting Jokes.” Livescience, Purch,, 10

Aug. 2010, livescience.com

11
HealthMatch, “Is Hypersexuality an Effect of PTSD?” HealthMatch, 9 Sept. 2022,

healthmatch.io
12
Pink Guy, “High School Blink193,” Spotify, 88rising, 4 Jan, 2017. Spotify.com
13
“Pink Guy Pink Season,” Sputnik Music, 13 Jan. 2017, sputnikmusic.com
14
Pink Guy, “Please Stop Calling Me Gay,” Spotify, 88rising, 4 Jan. 2017. Spotify.com
15
Pink Guy, “We Fall Again,” Spotify, 88rising, 4 Jan. 2017. Spotify.com.
16
Pink Guy, “We Fall Again.”
17
Pink Guy, “Fried Noodles.”
18
Pigeons & Planes.
19
Pigeons & Planes.
20
Pigeons & Planes.
21
Joji, “Pills,” Spotify, Empire, 88rising, 14 Feb. 2018. Spotify.com
22
Mass Appeal, “Open Space: Joji: Mass appeal.” YouTube, 8 Nov. 2017. Youtube.com

9
 23
Joji, “Will He,” Spotify, Empire, 88rising, 14 Feb. 2018. Spotify.com
24
Mass Appeal.
25
Joji, “Pills.”
26
Mass Appeal.
27
Joji, “Pills.”
28
Joji, “Worldstar Money (Interlude),” Spotify, Empire, 88rising, 14 Feb. 2018, spotify.com
29
Pigeons & Planes
30
Joji, “Glimpse of us,” Spotify, 88rising, Warner Records, 10 June. 2022. spotify.com
31
Eric Skelton. “Joji Explains Decision to Quit Filthy Frank and Pink Guy as the Pursues Music

Career.” Complex, 5 Dec. 2018, complex.com

9
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Blais-Billie, Braudie “Joji: BALLADS 1.” Pitchfork, 31 Oct. 2018, pitchfork.com

Briella and Alpert. “Joji Profile and Facts (Updated!).” Kpop profiles, 7 June 2021,

Kprofiles.com

Brotherton, Laine. “While Jojji Takes Over, We Still Havven’t Forgotten About Filthy Frank.”

The Michigan Daily, 29 July. 2021, michigandaily.com

Bruner, Raisa. “How a YouTube star Became a Mysterioius R&B Star Joi.” Time, 3 Apr. 2019,

time.com

Codymathiesonloweblogs. “Pink Season,” Cody Mathieson-Lowe Blogs, 9 Nov. 2017,

codymathisonloweblogs.wordpress.com

Eric Skelton. “Joji Explains Decision to Quit Filthy Frank and Pink Guy as the Pursues Music

Career.” Complex, 5 Dec. 2018, complex.com

Gurduila, Dimitra. “Review: A Look Inside Joji’s Artistic Manifesto, His Second Album

‘Nectar.’” Atwood Magazine, 13 Oct. 2020, atwoodmagazine.com

HealthMatch, “Is Hypersexuality an Effect of PTSD?” HealthMatch, 9 Sept. 2022, healthmatch.io

Hernandez, Miguel. “From Filthy Frank to Joji: The Growth and Development of a Once

Bleeding Heart.” Medium, 28 Oct. 2018, medium.com.

Jeanna Bryner. “Study Reveals Why We Laugh at Disgusting Jokes.” Livescience, Purch,, 10

Aug. 2010, livescience.com

Joji. “BALLADS 1,” Spotify, 88rising and 12Tone Music, 26 Oct. 2018, spotify.com

Joji. “Chloe Burbank.” Spotify, 8 Dec. 2019, spotify.com

Joji, “Glimpse of us,” Spotify, 88rising, Warner Records, 10 June. 2022. Spotify.com

Joji,“In Tongues (Deluxe).” Spotify, Empire, 88rising, 14 Feb. 2018, spotify.com

Joji, “Worldstar Money (Interlude),” Spotify, Empire, 88rising, 14 Feb. 2018, spotify.com

Joji, “Will He,” Spotify, Empire, 88rising, 14 Feb. 2018. Spotify.com

Joji, “Pills,” Spotify, Empire, 88rising, 14 Feb. 2018. Spotify.com

9
 Kelley, Caitlin. “Singer/Producer Joji on his career flip from crude viral comedy to understated

R&B: ‘Now I get to do stuff that I want to hear.’” Billboard, 11 Dec. 2017, billboard.com

Lal, Kish. “The Duality of Joji.” Cool Accidents Music Blog, 25 Sept. 2020. Coolaccidents.com

Mass Appeal, “Open Space: Joji: Mass appeal.” YouTube, 8 Nov. 2017. Youtube.com

Pink Guy, “We Fall Again,” Spotify, 88rising, 4 Jan. 2017. Spotify.com.

Pink Guy, “Please Stop Calling Me Gay,” Spotify, 88rising, 4 Jan. 2017. Spotify.com

“Pink Guy Pink Season,” Sputnik Music, 13 Jan. 2017, sputnikmusic.com

Pink Guy, “High School Blink193,” Spotify, 88rising, 4 Jan, 2017. Spotify.com

Pink Guy, “She’s So Nice,” Spotify, 88rising, 4 Jan. 2017, spotify.com

Pink Guy, “Pink Season.” Spotify, 88rising, 4 Jan. 2017, spotify.com “TVFilthyFrank,” YouTube, 22 Jan.

2013, youtube.com

Pink Guy, “Fried Noodles,” Spotify, 88rising, 4 Jan. 2017, spotify.com

“Pink Guy.” Underground Oasis, 1 Oct. 2020, blogs.uww.edu

Saldana, Mario. “Filthy Frank’s ‘Pink Season’ is Uproarious.” The Renegade Rip. 1 Feb. 2017,

therip.com

“The Many Faces of Joji, the Internet’s Favorite Shapeshifting Sad Boi.” Stereogum, 11 July.

2022, stereogum.com

TuCollegia. “‘Pink Season’ shows that comedy music is real music.” The Collegian, 7 Feb. 2017,

tucollegian.org.