Viral Videos

[Gail Simone]

Why do we watch stuff (after sometimes lengthy downloads) on our computers that we'd completely ignore if it were on television?

I sometimes get a 'funny' video sent to me twelve times, and it makes me wonder, because I know no one would even notice if the same video were on, say, SNL or something.

Is the computer viewing experience that different that our tastes change that much?

Gail

[Weetomuncher]

On TV, we expect to see expensively made, professionally produced programmes and films while on the internet we expect to see quirky, cheaply made 'counter-culture'.

The internet is home to practically everything that is just off the mainstream. And to an extent, the plain weird.

[Cam63]

What Weeto said.

...and by most people's nature, we're curious buggers.

[Ogdred]

Why do we watch stuff (after sometimes lengthy downloads) on our computers that we'd completely ignore if it were on television?

I usually don't watch the things people forward to me. It's one of the few good things about having a crappy internet connection: I have an excuse not to watch the latest "craaaazy" video that generally does nothing for me.

The only time I end up watching them is if I'm at a friend's house and I'm pretty much forced to do it. 90% of the time, it's a waste. Every once in a while, you'll find something that genuinely makes you laugh.

I guess, though, I'm in favor of people making their stupid videos (as long as it's not another person getting hit in the crotch or whatever). I hope they had fun doing it. But, in most cases, they probably should have kept their crappy little video to themselves.

[Buzz Dixon]

I like the one with the two Korean middle school girls singing in the karaoke.

[Typo Lad]

Well, now they're actually doing a TV show that plays Viral Videos for those who missed them.

[Karl J. Barnes]

Well, now they're actually doing a TV show that plays Viral Videos for those who missed them.

VH1 has a show called Web TV and Bravo does a few shows that show video clips from the internet.

[Typo Lad]

VH1 has a show called Web TV and Bravo does a few shows that show video clips from the internet.

The Bravo one is what I was thinking about.

[stealthwise]

Why do we watch stuff (after sometimes lengthy downloads) on our computers that we'd completely ignore if it were on television?

I sometimes get a 'funny' video sent to me twelve times, and it makes me wonder, because I know no one would even notice if the same video were on, say, SNL or something.

Is the computer viewing experience that different that our tastes change that much?

Gail

Er... I'm probably in the minority here, but I never watch them. My mom and other people send them to me all the time, so it seems to be a common thing among both people who regularly use and only occasionally use the internet. But I just never seem to care, and often delete them.

[JKCarrier]

Really, I think it's just an excuse to goof off for a few minutes at work.

[Sanagi]

Am I the only one who finds the term "viral videos" annoying? It's just funny internet stuff, it doesn't need a label, especially one with five syllables.

I sometimes get a 'funny' video sent to me twelve times, and it makes me wonder, because I know no one would even notice if the same video were on, say, SNL or something.
I think people would notice if something funny was on SNL.

[Weetomuncher]

I was watching the famous clip of Borat (a fictional Kazakh journalist) singing a song about throwing Jews down a well on the internet in a country style bar in the States (while singing karaoke). The really awkward bit is that not one single person complained about the song.

Before everyone wants to kill me, the guy who plays and created the character is in fact, Jewish.