Tons of people say they have the recipe for viral video success. All you have to do is go about your business, and when something surprisingly contrasting happens, videotape it.
If only viewers were that simple. The truth is, people are unpredictable weirdos who are difficult to please. Some people stockpile videos of laughing babies, while others prefer to watch wiener dogs running on treadmills (sorry Britt). What I find funny, you might not.
Tons of people say they have the recipe for viral video success. All you have to do is go about your business, and when something surprisingly contrasting happens, videotape it.
If only viewers were that simple. The truth is, people are unpredictable weirdos who are difficult to please. Some people stockpile videos of laughing babies, while others prefer to watch wiener dogs running on treadmills (sorry Britt). What I find funny, you might not.
But sometimes, a video comes along that millions of people cling to. It’s often stupid, has remix potential and looks real (even though it might not be). Other than that, I’ll chalk up its viral-bility to “general awesomeness.”
Here are our favourites:
Harry Potter G6 Parody
Everyone comments on the lead singer’s hotness, but if you can look beyond that you’ll notice this is better than the original. You don’t even have to be a Harry Potter fan to appreciate it, although you might not pee your pants at the Pumpkin Juice Cup part, like I did.
David After Dentist
Normally, it would be inappropriate to show a drugged up child on YouTube, but because a dentist did it to him, it’s okay. At times David looks like he’s about to puke, or pass out, but his dad’s reassuring, nonchalant responses always bring him back to reality:
David: “Do I have stitches?”
Dad: “Yeah, don’t touch it.”
David: “Why can’t I touch it?”
Dad: “Because it’ll mess up the stitches.”
David: “You have four eyes.”
Leprechaun in Alabama
Before watching this video, I always imagined leprechaun sightings as cheerful events full of rainbows, music and gold. There might even me some tummy rubbing and giggling. But no, it’s a serious event full of speculation and drug addicts hiding in trees. There’s also a special leprechaun flute, made “thousands of years ago, by my great-great-grandfather.” This is so fake and ridiculous that it must be real.
Dramatic Gopher
This might be the best 5 seconds of your life. The grainy camera quality, the forbidding stare, the duh-duh-duhhhhhhh music—it’s perfect. This li’l dude has spawned endless spoofs, with mustaches, doe eyes and light sabres drawn in. It does make you wonder, though, why a gopher is in a glass cage. That’s weird. Play it again.
Bed Intruder
This is a double viral bonanza. The original newscast of Antoine Dodson’s reaction to a crime has over 31 million views, and the remix has over 75 million. According to Mashable, it was the most watched YouTube video of 2010. It’s easy to see why: amazing quotes and autotune. Done.
Chat Roulette Piano Improv
This video is amazing because the Ben Folds lookalike playing the piano has incredible talent. If he was Rebecca Black, people would give him the finger and go Chat Roulette with someone else. I love videos that play on existing creepiness, and it doesn’t hurt that the dude’s name is Merton.
Double Rainbow
WHAT DOES IT MEAN? Well, Hungrybear9562, it means your double-rainbow trip made people trade in Joey Lawrence’s “WHOA!” for a more spiritual “WHOAAAAAAA.” Good work. It also means that you can retire from cagefighting (seriously) to focus on DoubleRainbowStore.com. This video makes me sad that I can’t get this excited about anything, but at the same time I’m okay with that.
