Interview appropriate attire. Exhibit A.
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Viral
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/10510576] Fascinating talk by Fred Wilson (venture capitalist and partner of Flatiron Partners and Union Square Ventures which means he knows what he's talking about) about what he believes are 10 important qualities that make for successful web applications. There are some good takeaways here not only for app developers, but also marketers and brand builders.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqhlfz9GQPE] Top 10 Biggest and Best Jumps Ever starring adrenaline junkies. As one MeFi wrote:
Oh this is awesome. Next time my boss tells me "We should make a viral video!" I'm going to tell her jump out of a plane without a parachute. And I might even avoid getting fired for it!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oS3Olh9DnaE&feature=player_embedded] Okay, David after Dentist, step aside. Here's the new dentist drugged YouTube star. Yes, THIS IS REAL LIFE AND IT'S HILARIOUS, especially when she does some Christian rapping. Jesus approves her "wisdom."
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAl28d6tbko] Yes. Yes it does. As did a part of my soul which died along with the innocently sacrificed iPad in this video.
Reason #9. They pull off a killer Jason Mraz cover on an ukulele which makes it cool, even if you don't like Jason Mraz. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErMWX--UJZ4&feature=player_embedded]
I know this video has circulated around to every corner of the Internet and posted on every blog. I was so resistant to this for so long and I don't remember who finally compelled me to watch it, but I'm posting it here as a sort of PSA or act of community service for that ONE remaining person who might not have seen this yet. Turn up your speakers, enjoy and if you aren't Asian then feel that pang of jealousy that your future child will never be quite as cute as mine (Spoiler: Because I'm Asian). I win. The End.
[Disclaimer: It appears to be a video created by Sprite and so despite the "hidden cam" it may all be a complete set up. But it's still a pretty solid concept.] This guy thinks he can get into any club by wearing requisite DJ gear (sunglasses, bright hoodie, and a record bag) and telling the bouncer that he is "playing tonight."
Okay, it's less of a show and actually a commercial for Volkswagen. So by posting it and replaying it here (yes, another YouTube vid--apparently that's the unifying theme today), I'm cognizant that I'm just shrilling for a large car company. However, that aside, I'm still awed by the creativity and the execution of this video that involves hand puppetry which is also rorschach-esque. [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zIODJsnqXE]
The commercial isn't going to get people to buy the car (VW Phaeton) and so in that sense, it's a terrible commercial (if you look at Ad Age's rankings of most impressionable commercials, it's generally the incredibly crude ones that just pound the viewers with a simple message over and over again--Dial down the center, anyone?), but for artistic merit and originality, I'm sure this VW ad will pick up some industry awards.
This is an amusing, but slightly bizarre music video with one of the members of Lonely Island (which brought you the Chronic-what?-cles of Narnia) and Kal Penn from Harold and Kumar along with a surprising what-the-fuck cameo by Brandon Routh aka Clark Kent aka Superman.[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KlxhD284RKM]
Asian Americans inevitably deal with racial stereotyping in the US. This commercial is clever, because it highlights the gross absurdity with which many ignorant and/or prejudiced whites in America perceive their Asian American neighbors. This distasteful situation is an obvious point to many of you reading this, but it's interesting to me to see it played out in a commercial. Other than the slight caricature of the (white) parentals portrayed in the commercial, the ad captures the sensibility and atmosphere of what it's like to be a minority youth in this country. Less so than our parents, and grandparents, and great-grandparent's generations, it's less of a taboo (of course, it's still forbidden in some families, etc) kids today to date someone of another "race" or ethnicity. Today, traditional lines of demarcation--religion, class, and race--aren't as rigid as they once were. So it's interesting to see an inter-racial white-Asian couple in this commercial.
The only problem I see is that some people aren't going to "get it" and only reaffirm their ignorance. Anyway, I would have loved to be a fly on the wall at the ad agency that created it.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwQkU7jLXRY]