YouTube has come a long way from its earlier days of being a good place to watch funny cat videos and bootleg video of concerts and old music videos. Sure, you can still watch all of that stuff on YouTube, but they live stream concerts, provide access to citizen journalism and even rent movies.
YouTube also gives the common folk a way to communicate with celebrities through submitted questions that they then go on to answer in follow up videos. Google recently did this with Anderson Cooper.
Now, they’re doing it with Taylor Swift. “I want to get the questions directly from you, the fans. You always have the best ones anyway,” she says.
Fans have until the end of the day Wednesday, August 31 to submit their questions.
In a video posted to the Canadian actor’s website, jimcarreytrulife.com (currently down, presumably from traffic), he shamelessly proclaims his love for Miss Stone. He tells her how she is “all-the-way beautiful, not just pretty but smart a kind-hearted.” He then goes on to discuss their hypothetical sex life and the hypothetical “freckle-faced” kids that they would have together.
Check it out below –
Personally I like how the video eventually becomes a meditation on aging, with Carrey discussing the “only discernible” byproducts of the aging process.
This video is today’s big thing on the internet and has achieved viral status. Twitter seems to be debating whether the video is funny or a bit creepy.
@YoGF_Busted Jazminn I dont take this video love letter by Jim Carrey to Emma Stone seriously everyone thinks its creepy, this shit is hilarious lmao he’s joking18 minutes ago via web · powered by @socialditto
86% of the U.S. Internet audience viewed online video in July, according to new findings from comScore, who also reports that the duration of the average online video was 5.3 minutes. The average online video ad was half a minute.
In fact, video ads accounted for 12.4% of all videos viewed and 1.2% of all minutes spent viewing video online in July, the firm says.
If you watch Hulu much, you probably won’t be surprised to learn that it led the charge in the ad department. comScore reports that Americans viewed over 5.3 billion video ads in July, with Hulu generating the highest number of video ad impressions at 963 million. Adap.tv came in second (1st among video ad exchanges/networks) with 674 million ad views.
Time spent watching video ads totaled more than 2.4 billion minutes during the month, with Hulu delivering the highest duration of video ads at 409 million minutes, comScore reports. Video ads reached 49% of the total U.S. population an average of 35.9 times during the month. Hulu delivered the highest frequency of video ads with an average of 40.4 over the course of the month.
Rumor going around the tech blogosphere today is that Google is in the running for a possible acquisition of Hulu, and according to the Wall Street Journal, should be considered a frontrunner (along with Amazon). The publication notes that Google has been trying to get more premium content for YouTube. Meanwhile, Eric Schmidt is expected to tell broadcasters that it needs them.
Interesting. Google has certainly not been shy about acquisitions lately. We’ll see.
TorrentFreak is reporting that a recent decision by FOX to delay the online availability of its shows (on Hulu, as well as Fox.com) by 8 days has led to an increase in piracy.
Google sites still dominate unique viewers in terms of video content properties. comScore has them with 158,073 in July, compared to Hulu’s 24,368.
Google has added a feature to YouTube that lets users start a Google+ Hangout from any video page. You could already watch YouTube videos in hangouts, but this is probably a better way, because it may inspire you to share the video as you come across it.
There was no real announcement from Google about the feature, but Google’s Rick Klau said in a Google+ post, “Fun to see new features get discovered.” He then pointed to a link to a blog post from Brian Krassenstein at Google Plus Headlines, where he points out the feature.
When you click the “share button” on a video page on YouTube, you are presented with various sharing options. This one appears in the same area, yet a little separate from the other ones, presumably to make it stand out.
If you’re still unfamiliar with Google+ (it is still in invitation-only mode, though invitations are getting easier to come by), Hangouts is a feature that lets you group video chat, and watch videos together if you like:
Hangouts has been one of the more hyped features of the service. Watching YouTube videos with friends seems almost like what the feature was made for, so this new feature makes tons of sense. Of course, Hangouts can serve other purposes like business meetings, online family reunions, etc. Google itself has been using it to talk to users to get ideas for new Google+ features.
The former Tea Party candidate for the U.S. Senate from the state of Delaware made an appearance on “Piers Morgan Tonight” last night. And by make an appearance, I mean a brief appearance, as O’Donnell cut the interview short and walked out on the host.
Her 2010 campaign for the Senate will probably be remembered for her “I’m not a witch” ad that flooded the internet and television and spawned numerous parodies.
On his HBO show Real Time, comedian Bill Maher aired a clip from his previous show, ABC’s Politically Incorrect, that featured O’Donnell saying, “I dabbled into witchcraft – I never joined a coven. I hung around with people who were doing these things, we went tot a movie and then had a little midnight picnic on a satanic altar. And I didn’t know it.” That generated a lot of buzz in the media and prompted this now infamous ad –
Last night, O’Donnell appeared on Piers Morgan’s show to promote her new book, “Trouble Maker.” She didn’t like the persistence that Piers showed on his questions about gay marriage and “don’t ask don’t tell.” O’Donnell said she wanted to discuss the book, and Piers claimed that he was discussing stuff that was, in fact, in the book. After calling the host “rude,” she abruptly ended the interview. Check out the video below –
O’Donnell asks, “Don’t you think, as a host, um, if I say this is what I want talk about – that’s what we should address?” To which Piers Morgan replies, “Uh, not really, no.”
Piers tweeted about the incident pretty much all night. Check out some of the best tweets –
@piersmorgan Piers MorganDo you think Christine O’Donnell is going to put a witch’s curse on me now?14 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto
Piers retweeted this –
@DVNJr Don Van Natta Jr.Christine O’Donnell is the first author in the history of publishing to walk out of a TV interview because the host apparently read her book11 hours ago via Tweetlogix · powered by @socialditto
Christine O’Donnell also had some interesting things to say on Twitter –
@ChristineOD Christine O’DonnellI only agreed to go on the Piers Morgan Show because he promised not to hack my cell phone.13 hours ago via txt · powered by @socialditto
@ChristineOD Christine O’DonnellPiers, thanks for the invite. Schedule is already packed, maybe another night. No hard feelings, you cheeky bugger.11 hours ago via txt · powered by @socialditto
O’Donnell said this about walking out on Piers this morning (courtesy of My Fox DC) –
Well first of all I want to set the record straight, it wasn’t the question on gay marriage. He had a decidedly inappropriate line of questions leading up to that, that many people – bloggers, are saying was just border-line creepy.
And, I’m trying to move away from it, you know, I’m not a 20-year-old on MTV right now, so let’s get back to the political issues that I lay out in the book – and he wouldn’t let up.
I was not there to talk about sex – and he would not stop trying to talk about sex.
What do you think? Should he have continued to press her on the issue? Let us know in the comments?
Lady Gaga – Mother Monster, Twitter commander, has made good on her word and announced the YouTube debut of her latest video via Twitter.
Last week, we explored the viral takeoff of her stripped-down “Edge of Glory” performance on the Howard Stern show. We talked about Gaga’s enormous internet presence and how she is able boost her popularity through smart, strategic use of social media.
This latest release is another example of that.
Gaga has been promoting the release of the Yoü and I (yes, strange umlaut and all) on Twitter for over a week. On August 2nd, she announced that the video link would be her 1000th tweet –
In the video, Gaga presents her male alter ego (Father Monster?). It’s a little NSFW due to sexual content (involving a mermaid Gaga). Check it out below –
The video already has 13,000 likes at the writing of this article.
In actuality, the video hit the internet a little before Gaga’s 1000th tweet, as it appeared on Perez Hilton earlier today.
What do you think about the new video? Is Gaga the undisputed Queen of the Internet? Let us know in the comments.
What is it about Elvis Presley that makes people flock to Graceland on the day of his death, year after year, to hold candlelight vigils? Why is his death celebrated, seemingly more than his birth?
On this day 34 years ago, The King was found collapsed on his bathroom floor, dead from an apparent heart attack at the age of 42. The role that his drug use played in his ultimate demise has been debated for decades, with the common knowledge saying that years of abuse led to multiple medical problems that all contributed to his death.
Today marks the end of “Elvis Week,” the 7-day celebration/memorial service held at his long-time home of Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. The culmination of the week was last night’s candlelight vigil, where fans were “invited to walk up the driveway to Elvis’ gravesite and back down carrying a candle in quiet remembrance. Free admission. No tickets or reservations. Gates remain open until all who wish to participate in the procession have done so, which typically takes until the early morning hours of August 16, the anniversary date of Elvis’ passing.”
Last night, the crowd reached somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 people strong and stretched into the early morning hours. People came from all over the world, including Japan, England and Germany to leave flowers and other tokens at his gravesite.
Why does Elvis still hold so much sway on our national consciousness? Why can we not let him go, as we’ve let so many other icons truly rest in peace? Critic Jon Pareles had this to say on the 25th anniversary of his death:
Twenty-five years after he died of a drug overdose in his bathroom at Graceland, on Aug. 16, 1977, he is still a charismatic figure, as widely recognized as a president or a Coca-Cola logo. And he is still ripe for admiration and exploitation.
Elvis remains an archetype as a musician and a celebrity, as an idol of almost religious proportions and a punch line, as a success story and a cautionary tale, as a touchstone for performers and a cash cow for recording companies.
Does Elvis offer something to everyone? For those old enough to have lived through his rise and eventual fall, has he been elevated to the level of religious icon? For the younger generation who might barely remember when he died, is his story fascinating – a true American tragedy?
Is he just revered as America’s first true mega-star?
Whatever it is, people still truly care about Elvis and his death day is basically a national day of remembrance. He’s a top trend on Twitter and tweets are rolling in by the hundreds every few minutes.
@SamanthaKohrt Samantha Kohrttoday is the 34th anniversary of Elvis Aaron Presley’s death all these years later..he is still the King and always will be. TCB Elvis1 minute ago via Twitter for iPhone · powered by @socialditto
@DraconicVerses Jim PhoelGood AM, My esteemed Tweetniks. Today is the 34th anniv. of Elvis Presley’s passing. I’ve always kind of thought of it as a high holy day.4 minutes ago via web · powered by @socialditto
While social media, especially Blackberry Messenger, was a communication tool of choice for rioters, the police department in Manchester, England has begun using a broad array of social media networks to track down rioters who were trying to copy their London brethren. And these efforts have been met with success, as the lead video demonstrates quite nicely.
The Greater Manchester Police have even set up a YouTube page, and the latest video discusses “Shop a Looter” program, where images of the wanted rioters and looters will be posted on their Flickr page and as well as billboards and advertising vans that drive around the city. There’s also a video discussing the program, and it’s evident from Assistant Chief Constable Garry Shewan’s delivery, if the Manchester police have their way, they’ll punish everyone who was involved with the Manchester rioting:
Say what you will about England’s CCTV policies and their effectiveness in relation to prevention, but a quick glance at the Flickr page that was set up to find the wanted rioters, it’s an effective tool in regards to reactionary responses.
Currently, there are 68 items listed on the GMP’s Flickr stream, and, as you can see, there’s no escaping the quality of the images being uploaded:
There’s also an 800 number listed for those of you who would like to share any information.
While the GMP’s use of YouTube and Flickr is a lesson in effective social media use, the police force has been an absolute animal on their Twitter account, doing their social networking best to catch the rioters. Some examples, including the awesome response that came after the lead arrest video was posted:
@gmpolice GM Policetotal number of arrests following Tuesday’s disorder now stands at more than 220. More than 130 charged.1 day ago via TweetDeck · powered by @socialditto
And yes, both of those “can you identify these suspects” tweets go to separate Flickrpages.
What are your thoughts on using social media coupled with law enforcement? Does the open acknowledgement of the police doing their jobs–in this case, effectively–make you feel any safer or more like living in a police state? Considering the rioters were smart enough to show their faces in the land of CCTV, it’s their own fault if they get caught, no matter what means were used to detain them.
The latest Gaga content that people are going gaga for is a stripped down version of her song “Edge of Glory” that she performed on The Howard Stern Show.
Apparently, it took Stern months to get Lady Gaga to come on his show. Once he did, however, it was worth the wait. He raves about the performance, saying that it’s “one of the best live performances he has ever seen on the show.” Featuring just a piano and Gaga’s voice, the YouTube video has blown up. Check it out below –
In just a couple of weeks the video has amassed over 1 million views, almost 5,000 comments and has been favorited 7,300+ times.
She is a viral machine.
One way she stays so relevant on the internet is with her videos on YouTube. Her official video for “Bad Romance” is the second most-viewed video of all time, notching over 405 million views in a little over a year. Her YouTube channel has over 1.7 billion views altogether.
Think about it this way: This version of the song “Edge of Glory” just hit 1 million views. Another live version already has 2.5 million views. The original video has over 25 million views. Two live versions of one of her songs has more views than most YouTube videos could ever dream of having.
Of course another way she stays internet relevant is through Twitter. I mentioned that she is queen of the followed earlier, but she also interacts with fans and posts semi-regularly – about once a day.
@ladygaga Lady GagaIts nice to dance but sometimes u must cry to make the next dance better @luhgaga RT U were the 1 to draw tears from my eyes to hear u sing.11 days ago via web · powered by @socialditto
And then there are the random things that Gaga does to boost herself online. Take for instance the YouTube question forum she did for Google. Fans submitted questions via social media and host Marissa Mayer forwarded them on to Gaga. The event even had its own logo and hashtag, #googlegoesgaga.
Love her or hate her, you can’t deny that her internet presence is becoming that of legend.
SAMCRO is almost back, and if you’re not excited then I don’t know what excites you.
FX has been hitting it out of the ballpark lately – with Louis C.K.’s amazing show Louie in its second season, the long-running Rescue Me in the middle of its final season, and even new comedy Wilfred making me laugh more than I thought it would. Sons of Anarchy is no exception.
In the time between Season 3’s mind-blowingly awesome ending and Season 4, set to premiere on Tuesday, September 6th at 10 EST, we’ve been provided with a little bit of SOA entertainment. Show creator Kurt Sutter went on an amazing Twitter rampage following some (unforgivable) Emmy snubs. There, he called out Glee as well as the Academy’s old age. If you missed it, please take some time to catch up – I promise it is well worth your time.
But now, as we are less than a month away from the premiere, a new promo has dropped giving us the first footage from Season 4. Check it out –
Want an even more in-depth Sons of Anarchy experience? Check out the recently updated iOS app that’s new for Season 4. [Spoiler lurks ahead]
Included in the updated version, three additional scenes, shot exclusively for the app. These three scenes will provide a glimpse of life both in the Stockton prison where many SAMCRO members have been incarcerated for the past 14 months and of life back home in Charming. Using genre-bending ways of telling the story, the app illustrates some of what has come to pass in the time lapse, leading up to the season four launch on FX, Tuesday, September 6.
The SOA app is updated every Monday and Wednesday with new storyboard “appisodes” and deleted scenes.
Right now it is only available on iOS, but it will be available to Android users on September 2nd.
The show is also promoting through Twitter. The official website has a Twitter Wall devoted to tweets containing the suggesting hashtag #SOAFX.
Everywhere you turn, at least on the Internet, content from the misguided riots going on across the pond are flooding outlets of every kind. Whether it’s a site like Reddit or an actual news outlet like CNN.com, the English riots are the thing. Considering the images alone that are popping up here, there, and everywhere, it’s almost like riots and the Internet go hand-in-hand.
As reported earlier, Blackberry makers RIM offered their hand in assisting the punishment of these individuals. For these gestures of goodwill, RIM had their Blackberry blog hacked. Apparently, Anarchy in the UK is not just a song to enjoy.
It’s a lifestyle to be lived.
What else could be gathered after seeing the insane amount of content, courtesy of the bored and apparently useless youth of London? Speaking of content, as indicated, Reddit.com has been a fount of riot-related images and other materials. The same is true for Buzzfeed and Flickr. In fact, there’s so much riot-related content, to list it all would call for an article the size of a J. R. R. Tolkien novel.
Because of that, this post will only focus on a portion of it. Take, for instance, the lady who actually defied the rioters. The unnamed defender has reached “bad ass” status with the Internet crowd, and the video shows why:
That’s so pathetically sad, it’s hard not to wish hurtful things on the “Samaritans” who were “helping” the guy. There’s truly a special place in hell for someone who would rob someone who was hurt/adversely effected during these ridiculous (or any) riots.
While the videos do a great job of demonstrating the chaos the London Police are dealing with, the images do so much more:
Over at the aforementioned Reddit, we came across this gem, which listed under the following title, which maybe the most fitting thing ever: “Stupid is as stupid does. Idiot London looter shows off on Twitter – then quickly tries to excuse her crime.” What we have is some wunderkind bragging about looting on her Twitter account.
You can tell she’s a super-genius by her awesome use of the Queen’s English:
As you can see, all the personal information has been blacked out, but over at the Imgur.com post, more information about mankind’s savior was revealed.
Considering her last tweet, there’s little doubt Jenna Major is reconsidering her brilliant actions, especially now that she’s been outed.
Other gems include this next photo, with perhaps the most honest caption, ever:
Food for thought, no?
However, not all of the content focused on the negative. As with just about any period of social unrest, there’s the inevitable cleanup. This makes for good Internet content as well, especially the upcoming piece of Twitter genius:
@almostalady Eleanor Orebi GannWaterstones staff member to me last night: “We’ll probably stay open. If they steal some books, they might actually learn something.”7 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto
As for the cleanup, it appears to be going well, thanks to the power of social media:
It’s just sad dumbasses like Jenna “BARBZbabes” Major are the reason such cleanups are even necessary. That being said, the community spirit is a nice change after seeing all the misguided rioting. Clearly, these situations bring out the worst and the best in people.
This is the second year in a row that the popular contest has devoted a show to YouTube hopefuls. This year’s finalists will be performing Tuesday night (August 9th) and America will vote to advance 4 acts. The results shows will air on Wednesday (August 10th)
Here’s how the competition worked –
If you can sing, dance, juggle, or pretty much perform any other talent, send us your video from today until June 9 at midnight ET at youtube.com/agt. We’ll gather the videos and ask for your votes from June 28 to July 8. And this year, you can also submit and vote for your favorite videos on your Android devices and iPhone.
An expert panel of NBC representatives will review the submissions and select the top 20 entrants. Those 20 entrants will go live on the AGT YouTube channel, where the YouTube community gets to vote for their favorite to become The YouTube People’s Choice Winner, with a guaranteed spot on the AGT YouTube Special episodes taping August 9 and 10. The grand finale will air on September 14.
That list of 20 submissions has been narrowed down to 12, with the YouTube community picking this as their favorite –
And here is a list of the rest of the YouTube hopefuls who will perform on Tuesday night’s show (Courtesy of Google+Reader”>Mashable)
Aeon – Los Angeles, California (parkour)
Beth Ann Robinson – Dothan, Alabama (dancer)
Breena Bell – Lincoln, Alabama (solo gymnast/dancer)
Kalani Basketball Freestyle – Honolulu, Hawaii (variety)
Kevin Colis – New Braunfels, Texas (singer)
Powerhouse – Burbank, California (choir)
TNC Elite – members from Kentucky, Tennessee, South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina (cloggers)
In my opinion, you can’t beat a bulldog on a rocking horse. “Gabe Rocks” gives us just that –
America’s Got Talent continues to be the most watched program of the summer. Both the performance and results shows are top hits for NBC and were the only two programs to average more than 9 million viewers last week. America’s Got Talent has been on the top of the charts for 7 straight weeks.
Fans rejoice, as you can now download the much-anticipated album “Watch The Throne,” the collaboration of Kanye West and Jay-Z.
The digital copy was released at midnight and right now, it is available exclusively on iTunes. The physical release is set for August 12th and those who want a deluxe edition in their hands can grab that exclusively at Best Buy. It will hit other retailers on August 23rd.
This method of release has caused a bit of a controversy within the retail world, as record shops and larger retailers everywhere lament the decision to give iTunes and Best Buy “preferential treatment.” They feel like the exclusivity of the release will amount to nothing but “crumbs” being left for them once people buy the album in the opening windows.
And they may be right, as the initial buzz surrounding the album is massive.
Check out this Twitter trends box from just now. Note that along with #ThroneDay, 6 of the other 9 top trends are individual tracks from the album. What an amazing domination of Twitter Mr. West and Jay-Z have pulled off.
If you want to check out the tracks, here’s a YouTube playlist where you can do that. Here’s a compilation of the tracks, played out in 30 second snippets:
As previously reported, YouTube streaming concerts from Lollapalooza all weekend, highlighting how YouTube has become just as good of a vehicle for live, high profile entertainment as it has for silly user generated cat videos.
The streaming actually started yesterday, with bands like: Coldplay, The Kills, Bright Eyes, Mountain Goats, Two Door Cinema Club, White Lies, and others. Today’s schedule looks like this (times are Central):
1:45 – J. Roddy Walston and the Business
2:15 – Walk the Moon
2:30 – Fitz and the Tantrums
3:00 – Black Lips
3:30 – Mayer Hawthorne and the County
4:00 – Death From Above 1979
4:30 – Big Audio Dynamite
5:30 – Local Natives
6:00 – Ween
7:30 – Beats Antique
8:00 – My Morning Jacket
I’ve seen Local Natives (at SXSW in Austin) and My Morning Jacket (here in Lexington) this year, and I can vouch for both being performances you don’t want to miss.
This won’t be the first time YouTube has streamed a My Morning Jacket Performance. When the band’s latest album Circuital came out, YouTube also streamed a live concert.
The race for the White House in 2012 might have gotten a little more crowded. Roseanne Barr has put her name in the mix, joining President Obama and a slew of Republican primary challengers. Although, it doesn’t look like she wants to associate with either of those parties.
Last night on The Tonight Show, Roseanne announced her run for office to Jay Leno. She stated that she will be running on the “Green Tea Party” ticket and that her religion is the church of common sense.
Here’s the short video of her announcement –
This isn’t the first time Roseanne has announced her candidacy for President to the public. Back in 2010, she gave her stump speech in Washington D.C., right outside the White House.
In that speech, she outlines her threefold platform to “result in world peace within one year.”
Step one: Make War Illegal and Legalize Hemp. This step also involves the legalization of marijuana and the end to the war on drugs.
Step two: Change the Demographic of Government.
Since women make up 53% of the population, as well as the work force, a MINIMUM of Green Tea Party leadership will be female, and given that one in six Americans lives in poverty, at least one sixth of the party’s officials will officially be poor (since generations of rich guys running things has only gotten us here).
Step three: She will outlaw Bullshit. I guess I can get behind that one.
She has been hitting Twitter pretty hard today, warning those who would doubt her that she is serious –
@TheRealRoseanne Roseanne Barrfor those who ask: yes I’m serious about running 4 pres. so I can speak on behalf of the taxpayers of this country who r dissed 2 the max.15 hours ago via web · powered by @socialditto
@TheRealRoseanne Roseanne BarrI am running for the Green Tea Party of America. I have the solution to every problem figured out, and its cheap and good.1 hour ago via web · powered by @socialditto
@TheRealRoseanne Roseanne Barrdon’t vote for ME, vote for my SOLUTIONS! they work no matter what party you are in! grow veggies store water and beans. do it1 hour ago via web · powered by @socialditto
@TheRealRoseanne Roseanne Barrwe can solve all of our problems just with some more caring and some more sharing and some figuring stuff out together.1 hour ago via web · powered by @socialditto
Here’s a little more from her speech last year –
We will simply combine capitalism and socialism, and create People-ism–where both ideas work together for a functional system. No one shall cling blindly to a single unyielding ideology just because of bloated obese talk radio hosts who tell the starving to tighten their belts, or that damned Ayn Rand book. People and societies do not work like machines. You actually have to have compromise, adjust, and make reasonable choices. COMMON SENSE!
Whether all of this is simply promotion for her new TV show, Roseanne’s Nuts, is unknown. What is known is, although Roseanne Barr doesn’t have much chance of becoming commander in chief, we are living in a strange political climate right now. Who knows who could be President 10, 20 years down the road? If I had to vote for a former TV star Preisdent, however, I think I’d vote for Dennis Haysbert. He was a great Prez on 24.
Or maybe President Zack Morris. He knew how to get himself out of a pickle.
You’ve got to hand it to these beer enthusiasts – they really know how to work the social media angle. Today is the second straight day we celebrate a holiday popularized online – as well as the second straight day we celebrate a holiday about beer.
Yesterday, the craft beer people celebrated International IPA Day. Buzz for the holiday honoring the India Pale Ale was spread through social media, especially Twitter. Two beer enthusiasts with mild Twitter followings successfully got #IPADay trending in multiple cities on Twitter- a truly homegrown effort.
While yesterday was the first annual celebration of #IPADay, today’s beer holiday has been around since 2007.
International Beer Day is another grassroots internet holiday that has grown to prominence. “Happy International Beer Day” is currently a trending topic on Twitter. According to the IBD site, they reached the top Google search trends list last August 5th. They say that there have been International Beer Day celebrations in 23 different countries. Apparently, people love a holiday that glorifies beer drinking. Go figure.
IBD was founded by Jesse Avshalomov (@allforJesse) and Evan Hamilton (@evanhamilton) 4 years ago. The purpose of the holiday, according to the IBD website, is threefold.
The purpose of IBD is threefold:
1) To gather with friends and enjoy the deliciousness that is beer.
2) To celebrate the dedicated men and women who brew and serve our beer.
3) To bring the world together under the united banner of beer, by celebrating the beers of all nations and cultures together on this one remarkable day
Sounds like something we can get behind, right?
Though the folks behind #IPADay said that the celebration was for everyone, not just IPA drinkers, IPA’s most likely ruled the night. Tonight (on a Friday, as it would happen), IBD looks to be the universal toast of anyone enjoying a beer – whether it be a robust, complex craft beer or yellow beer, the point is that it is beer.
@BettyFckinWhite Betty F*ckin’ WhiteHappy International Beer Day! Please remember to drunk text responsibly.1 hour ago via web · powered by @socialditto
@funnyordie Funny Or DieHappy International Beer Day! “To alcohol! The cause of and solution to all of life’s problems.” -Homer Simpson24 minutes ago via web · powered by @socialditto
And to honor the special day, here are few of my favorite beer-related YouTube videos. First, this classic video of a guy who just wants more beer. The only problem is that he can’t really stand up. I prefer this version, with the awesome Clint Mansell score in the background.
Next, this is a really interesting beer commercial from Australian brewers Hahn. Not sure why I like it so much, but enjoy –
Now, watch Harry Potter dominate a pitcher of beer in 5 seconds!
Finally, beer pong trick shots. There are a lot of these videos out there, as this trend blew up a couple of years ago. But this is one of my favorites –
Fair use is an issue that will not have much resolution going forward. Users want to have some creative control over songs they own, and the governing bodies that by have a much more strict approach to that practice. It’s an age-old battle that’s been around since Walt Disney’s days, but now, with the ease of use the Internet provides, the situation is much more volatile, especially when some in the intellectual property litigation industry view copyright as a money-making device.
TechDirt’s coverage of fair use and public domainhasbeentopnotch. It’s a cloudy subject with very little compromise on either part. That being said, there are humorous approaches to this touchy subject, something Blink 182 attempted with their first music video release in eight years. To create their video, they offer the following explanation:
To launch our first single in eight years, AT&T helped us search YouTube for every instance of fans using our music without our permission. And then we rewarded them for it. This film is made out of clips from all those videos. Thanks for being a fan.
The surprising thing, at least from this perspective, is, after finding them, AT&T didn’t have takedown notices issued. That might have ruined the video Blink 182 was trying to make, however. The video in question:
It’s a mash of various clips and recreations, culminating in an entertaining video that also speaks a great deal about some of the creations fair use and public domain inspire. Granted, Blink 182 made it a point to say these songs were used without their permission, but they thanked the fans anyway. Of course, the entertainment industry’s view on fair use, public domain, or, well, using anything that they think they are entitled to is captured quite nicely in the following webcomic:
Too bad no one from the RIAA or MPAA shares the same kind of humor as the comic or Blink 182.
Considering the mentality of the entertainment industry rulers is much like this:
The RIAA’s Jennifer Pariser claimed that there’s no value to a work in the public domain. Apparently Pariser is unfamiliar with the works of Shakespeare. Or Beethoven. Is she serious? I mean, you could make the argument that it makes life more difficult to sell those works for the labels she represents, but those works have tremendous value. Pariser, of course, is famous for making ridiculous statements, sometimes under oath.
As long as this mentality has the inside track with the governing bodies of the U.S., fair use and public domain is not a luxury many people will be allowed to enjoy without legal hassles.
It should be said Blink 182 is entitled to determine how their music is used, but if a person actually purchases a song and makes a video that they don’t profit from, how was the artist’s brand damaged?
The Lollapalooza music festival kicks off for its 20th anniversary this upcoming weekend (August 5-7) at Chicago’s Grant Park. Unfortunately for those of you who haven’t bought tickets yet, it appears as if you’re out of luck. Never fear, however, thanks to the streaming powers of YouTube, who will be providing a webcast of the event for those of you who won’t be able to make it.
On the YouTube.com/Lollapalooza channel, there will be feeds from the four stages, and, according to the YouTube blog, the webcast will last for the entirety of the festival. YouTube is even getting in on the celebration a little earlier by featuring some of the bands that will be appearing at Grant Park:
…we’ve been featuring video premieres from some of the biggest names playing the festival/webcast. On Monday, the Foo Fighters unveiled their affecting “Garage Tour” short film, which follows the band as they play intimate shows in people’s garages across the country. (Warning: the first vignette might make you cry.) Today, we feature headliners My Morning Jacket. We’ll have more premieres from bands playing the webcast through the week; keep checking back to youtube.com/music.
YouTube’s Lollapalooza page features the bands that will take part in the YouTube webcast, and judging by the list, it shouldn’t disappoint, even if you can see these performances in person. Included in the list are bands like the Foo Fighters, The Cars, Ween, My Morning Jacket, and Coldplay.
To celebrate their involvement with the webcast, My Morning Jacket debuted a new video on YouTube for the song, “Holdin On To Black Metal,” which we’ve embedded:
As indicated, for those of you who want to attend but haven’t purchased your tickets yet, the secondary market appears to be your only option, provided a YouTube webcast isn’t sufficient. All of the ticket listing at the official Lollapalooza site have “Sold Out” next to them. Granted, you could probably buy them from scalpers at the event, but you’ll have to pay what the market is asking, and it’s doubtful face value will be the amount.
With that in mind, you can always curl up with your favorite device and live vicariously through YouTube’s Lollapalooza webcast. The fun starts this Friday at 1:30 pm, Central time. The first act to be shown will be The Vaccines. Simply navigate to the page in question and enjoy the show. Don’t forget your lighters.
Isaiah Mustafa and Fabio must both be exhausted, as their marathon battle for advertising supremacy has finally come to and end.
Ever since the epic battle Mano a Mano in El Bano began at noon on Tuesday, videos featuring the sparring spokesmen have been posted to YouTube at a furious pace.
All in all, over 140 separate videos have been uploaded to the Old Spice YouTube channel. Those videos included responses to specific tweets, a Pong match, and even a staring contest. If you want to occupy about half your day, all of those uploads are available here.
Fabio tried everything to unseat the Old Spice Guy as the epitome of manly freshness – dropping giant dinosaur bones on him, firing torpedoes and shooting him with elephant tranquilizer darts. He also tried to replace him with a lookalike, thinking that we wouldn’t notice. Mustafa’s “triumphant return” is one of the best videos from the lot –
Internet users everywhere were asked to cast their vote by “liking, sharing, commenting, tweeting, posting, or all other things smart internet people do.” Within many of the YouTube videos posted in the last couple of days, viewers were also able to vote by clicking a in-video link for either the Old Spice Guy or Fabio. That combination of social media activity has been tallied to determine the winner, the original Old Spice Guy.
Yes, Fabio has been defeated. And it was because the internet community enthusiastically disapproved of him. For example, every video starring Fabio had more dislikes than likes on YouTube. Every video starring Mustafa barely had any dislikes. The comments were overwhelming in favor of Mustafa as well. His badassery has catapulted him to new heights, beyond anything Chuck Norris could have ever dreamed of.
Here is the last video posted, entitled “This Must End.” In it, Mustafa is officially declared the winner –
After earning his victory, Old Spice guy can now take a much-needed vacation –
It appears that Old Spice has done a great job in reviving an ad campaign that has been around for a long time. Would you prefer that Old Spice continues with the Old Spice Guy ads? Or do you think they should try something else?
The White House began their “office hours” today at 2 p.m. EST. They asked Twitter followers to submit questions about the debt debate using the hashtag #WHChat. As their last response, they took the opportunity to play the internet’s oldest practical joke on a user (and catching the rest of us in the wake).
Financial discussion isn’t always the most riveting of subjects, everybody knows that. Twitter user @wiggsd decided to use the #WHChat hashtag to tweet his frustration with the lack of entertainment coming from the correspondence briefing.
In response to that, The White House decided to give him something a little more lively. They tweeted the following, and yes, the link leads directly to Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up.”
If there was one film that the masses were demanding, it’s one based on the board game Battleship. Personally, I remember watching as Jim Carrey’s Riddler played the famous game in Batman Forever. When he spoke those immortal words “You sunk my battleship!”, I can clearly recall the thought that popped into my little head: Who will make that masterpiece – and can they please make the ships into aliens and/or robots?
Okay, it probably didn’t happen like that, but who wouldn’t want all of their favorite childhood games converted to the silver screen? Stratego? Jenga? The possibilities are endless.
Today, we were given the first look at the upcoming Battleship. It stars Liam Neeson, True Blood‘s Alexander Skarsgard and Friday Night Lights’ Taylor Kitsch (the TV show). It’s directed by Peter Berg of Friday Night Lights (the film) and Hancock fame. Oh yeah, and Rhianna is in it as well.
Check out the newly released trailer –
Now, I’m not going to say that the weird mechanized creature reminds me of Transformers, but I feel Michael Bay’s derision from here.
The internet has exploded over this trailer, and here are some of the best Twitter responses out there –
@yrralh Larry HofferI still cannot believe that they’ve made a movie inspired by the game Battleship. Is Sorry next? Who will play the Pop-a-Matic?23 minutes ago via web · powered by @socialditto
@westonian WestonHow bad is it that there’s more Battleship in Batman Forever than in the Battleship trailer?2 minutes ago via web · powered by @socialditto
@JamesGunn James GunnI’m hoping “Battleship” does well so it puts heat on my Rummikub movie. Fingers crossed.21 minutes ago via web · powered by @socialditto
Oh well, it’s a good thing Hollywood has board games to take from since they have run out of video games and books.
