Trying to explain that academic journals and book publishers don't pay you, and then will also ask you to peer-review for free:

The video uses a relatable and humorous scenario within academia to connect with viewers who understand or are curious about the complexities of academic publishing. The use of contrasting reactions and the self-deprecating humor likely contributed to its shareability.

The video humorously depicts the frustration of explaining the academic publishing system, where journals and publishers don't pay authors and even request free peer-review services. It contrasts the speaker's attempt to explain this with the perceived reactions of concerned friends and family, and then their own attempt to explain adjacencies.