How many times have you sat down to crank out that five-page paper the night before it’s due and instead found yourself getting distrated by the Internet for hours? This happens to me almost every time I attempt to start my homework, and YouTube is usually the #1 site to suck me in and drag my attention far, far away from academics.
In case you’ve been living under a rock for the past several years, YouTube is a site where people can upload and share their videos with worldwide viewers, and over the past few years there have been many videos that went viral due to their ridiculously stupid or adorable content. The majority of these viral videos are downright stupi (i.e. the recent music video for Rebecca Black’s “Friday”), yet they continue to spread through the cyber world like wildfire.
Speaking of Rebecca Black, hers is the most recent video to bombard the Internet. The official music video for “Friday” was uploaded to YouTube and within days, it gained widespread notoriety. Though the song may be considered catchy (Warning: It WILL get stuck in your head), the video and lyrics are so utterly bad that it becomes hilarious. The music video begins with Black’s description of her morning routine right down to her wait at the bus stop, where she miraculously spots her 13-year-old friends rolling up in a convertible.
She then repeatedly ponders which seat to take and from there dives into the chorus, an endless chanting of the word ‘Friday.’ Despite the terrible lyrics, the song became so popular that it was quickly available for purchase on iTunes, and Facebok users began to post its lyrics as their statuses. Soon after the video turned viral, Black signed on to record label DB Entertainment. So despite Black’s lack of lyrical or musical talent, YouTube helped her video gain close to 90 million views and became a huge factor in her quick shot to fame.
I actually discovered Black’s music video on a blog called Stoollala, which is written by Jenna Marbles, a popular video blogger whose own YouTube video also turned viral. Many of you have probably seen the video titled “How to trick people into thinking you’re good looking,” a beauty tutorial for people who “were born really ugly.” Marbles’ beauty tips are obviously not meant to be taken seriously; they include bleaching “the absolute s*** out of your hair,” applying so much self-tanner that “you ruin all of your clothes” and caking on makeup until “you look nothing like yourself.” Once again … it is a complete joke, yet it was popular enough to turn Jenna Marbles into a well-known Internet name with over 130,000 subscribers to her channel.
Another video that became an instant hit has now turned into the well-known “Bed-Intruder Song” we all know and love. Antoine Dodson rose to YouTube stardom after a local news team interviewed him about his encounter with a man who had broken into his house and tried to rape his sister. His flamboyant and enthusiastic suggestions to “hide your kids, hide your wife and hide your husband” were remixed by the Gregory Brothers and turned into a song. Since then, the song has been available for purchase on iTunes, and I personally think it’s even catchier than “Friday.”
Ted Williams, otherwise known as the man with a ‘golden voice,’ had his own viral YouTube video. Williams was discovered by local reporters in Ohio and instantly became an Internet sensation. The video showcases the homeless man’s deep and resonant voice, which is radio-show perfect and even led to a job offer from the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers.
Keenan Cahill is another YouTube star who has made quite the name for himself with his multitude of enthusiastic lip-syncing videos. Cahill lip-syncs popular songs like “Teenage Dream” by Katy Perry, “Only Girl” by Rihanna and, my personal favorite, “Whip My Hair” by Willow Smith. Ever since gaining fame, big-name celebrities have appeared in his videos, including 50 Cent and David Guetta, and Cahill has appeared on talk shows like Chelsea Lately. It just goes to show that a simple act like lip-syncing can popularize a video as long as it is done with enthusiasm.
Though not all viral videos lead to record label deals or job offers from professional sports teams, they do receive much recognition through not only the Internet, but also through television. Videos like “Scarlet Takes a Tumble” have been featured on Tosh.0, Daniel Tosh’s popular show on Comedy Central that focuses on funny videos found on the Internet.
Lastly, who could forget “Charlie Bit Me” and every other adorable video featuring babies or animals? It seems like endearingly cute content, stupid content and/or hilariously ridiculous content are the sole requirements for a video to achieve viral stardom.
Below are several of the videos mentioned above as well as another personal favorite for your procrastination viewing pleasure.
Scarlet Takes a Tumble: http://youtube.com/watch?v=cIwTYL1fwJk
Keyboard Cat: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J—aiyznGQ
Keenan Cahill’s “Whip My Hair:” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRjzXXWb91s
Jenna Marbles’ ‘Things to Do Instead of Cleaning Your Room:’ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvHwh9o9Tsg&feature=related