A
viral video is a
video clip that gains widespread
popularity through the process of
Internet
sharing, typically through
email or
Instant messaging,
blogs and other media sharing websites. Viral videos
are often humorous in nature and include televised comedy sketches
such as
Saturday Night
Live's
Lazy Sunday and
Dick in a Box; amateur video clips like
Star Wars Kid, the
Numa Numa videos,
The
Dancing Cadet,
The Evolution of
Dance, the "
Benny
Lava" video,
Chocolate Rain on
youtube; and web-only productions such as
I Got a Crush... on Obama. Some
"eyewitness" events have also been caught on video and have "gone
viral," including the
Battle at
Kruger.
With the proliferation of
camera
phones, many videos are being shot by amateurs on these
devices. The availability of cheap video editing and publishing
tools allows video shot on mobile phones to be edited and
distributed virally both on the web by email or website, and
between phones by
Bluetooth or
MMS. These consumer-shot videos
are typically non-commercial videos intended for viewing by friends
or family.
Social impact
Internet celebrities
Video websites such as
YouTube often create
Internet celebrities, popular
individuals who have attracted significant publicity in their home
countries from their videos. These
meme have come from many different
backgrounds.
Geriatric1927, one of the most subscribed
YouTube members, is an 80-year-old pensioner from England
who gained
widespread recognition within a week of making his debut on the
site. For these users, Internet fame has had various
unexpected effects. YouTube user and former receptionist
Brooke Brodack has been signed by
NBC's
Carson Daly for an
18-month development contract.
Another example is the uncovered fictional
blog of lonelygirl15 , which was
discovered to be the work of some film directors, starring New Zealand
actress Jessica
Rose.. Other Famous YouTube members include the comedy
duo Smosh as well as Fred, Nigahiga and Shanedawsontv
Band and music promotion
YouTube has also become a means of promoting bands and their
music.
In the same light, a video broadcasting the
Free Hugs Campaign with accompanying
music by the
Sick Puppies led to
instant fame for both the band and the campaign, with more
campaigns taking place in different parts of the world. The main
character of the video,
Juan Mann, has
also achieved recognition, being interviewed on Australian news
programs and appearing on
The
Oprah Winfrey Show.
Whistleblowing
Viral video has become a way for people to air their grievances in
instances of alleged abuses of authority. For example, in 2006, a
courtroom video of Utah Third District Court judge
Leslie A. Lewis spread rapidly through Utah and was
picked up by the news media. The video showed her finding a
courtroom spectator in
contempt of
court and arresting him because he left the courtroom while the
judge expressed her displeasure at his brother's hunting
activities. The judge
recused herself from
the case due to her professed bias against deer hunters. Lewis lost
her retention vote in the 2007 election.
Customer relations
Viral videos such as the
"United
Breaks Guitars" video by the Canadian folk rock music group
Sons of Maxwell are examples of how
viral videos can be used by consumers to force companies to react
to complaints.
Early examples
One of the first viral videos is
Bad day, which began circulating in
1997.
Given the lack of early mass-outlets for viral video, some of the
earliest videos to catch on in a similar way (namely, spread by
e-mail) have been dwarfed by bigger hits on sites like YouTube and
FunnyorDie. Some of these, however, still find lives on YouTube,
etc, such as the video for
Daler
Mehndi's song "
Tunak Tunak
Tun".
The phrase "
All your base
are belong to us" was spread as a flash animation. To this day
this animation is popular and various versions of it can be found
on YouTube converted to video.
Notable viral video sites
See also
References
- Geriatric1927's YouTube profile
- Collins, Scott, " Now she has their attention." Los Angeles
Times, July 19, 2006. (Accessed July 19, 2006)
- Geoffrey Fattah, Hunters Target Judge, DeseretNews.com
External links
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