Video Folk Art: A Look Back

While other outlets attempt to select the best feature-length films of the aughts, Topless Robot goes where the real action was: YouTube. This was the decade when popular cinema became a semi-anonymous folk art, and Shaun Clayton honors that by offering his nominations for the 10 "Most Infamous Video Memes of the '00s." I think one or two of his choices might have actually originated in the '90s, but that's the sort of ambiguity that thrives online so their presence still seems appropriate.

Meanwhile, as long as we're looking back at the decade's Internet video sensations, I've got a question. Anyone out there know who was responsible for this clip?

It's been circulating since 2005 (if not longer), and I've yet to see a filmmaker's name attached to it. Take a bow, somebody.

Elsewhere in Reason: Some general thoughts on this sort of list.

Elsewhere Not in Reason: My favorite films of the decade as of 2006.

Comments

[John Tagliaferro]

Anyone out there know who was responsible for this clip?

I didn't do it.

[EJM]

Of course, there are also old fogeys like myself who use YouTube primarily to watch, say, airchecks of WISN-TV news opens from 1978 and 1979. 😉

[Ted S.]

That, and annoying 1970s songs

[Pro Libertate]

I'm pretty sure that song was made into a movie or maybe a made-for-TV movie.

[sage]

I don't know who made that clip, but I'm having trouble getting what the overriding theme is for it...anyone?

[CoyoteBlue]

My inlaws.

[Franklin Harris]

My own pick for YouTube video of the year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSgiXGELjbc

[Citizen Nothing]

That's very cool, F.H.

[Brian Sorgatz]

Don't miss this and this by the same video artist.

[Pro Libertate]

Did anyone see the Gorn Cannon episode of Mythbusters? Why am I always the last to know about these things? Dammit.

[Episiarch]

I didn't. So what was the verdict? Busted? I would imagine so as Kirk had no breech to contain the blast and direct it out of the barrel.

[thew83]

Busted, the thing blew up and would have done more damage to Kirk than the Gorn. Among other things.

[Pro Libertate]

Maybe if your Kirk did it. But the real Kirk? No problem.

[Episiarch]

"Kirk got in a fight with a Gorn and won. Picard got in a fight with a spring and won."

[Pro Libertate]

Episiarch,

You should watch this review of Star Trek: Generations. The same guy did a longer review of the fourth Star Wars movie.

[Episiarch]

"Kirk only puts his phaser on stun when he's looking for sex."

[Pro Libertate]

As Mad Magazine once said, "Set phasers to caress."

[SIV]

They shoulda stuck more closely to the Frederic Brown source material

[Pro Libertate]

You mean this? Not sure the world was ready for a naked Shatner.

[Pro Libertate]

It's the story, people--no pictures.

[Dagny T.]

I think Samwell deserves a place up there among the greats.

Also, does Jesse's video put anyone else in the mood for PORKCHOP SANDWICHES?

[Episiarch]

I think Samwell deserves a place up there among the greats.

BUTTERS

[Dagny T.]

Let's do it in the butt. O-K.

[Dagny T.]

Re. the best films: I'm glad to see Y tu mam? tambi?n on so many lists. I loved that movie & always thought it was underappreciated.

[Tim Cavanaugh]

I think one or two of his choices might have actually originated in the '90s

I'd be very surprised if All Your Base Are Belong To Us is from Decade Zero.

[hmm]

I wouldn't. Zero Wing was in the late 80s early 90s and I remember All Your Base Belong to US going meme or starting around the time EQ came out. That makes it possible to have started in late 99. Although it is more likely to have started in 2000 since it went mainstream in 01ish. I'd say the video is definitely not 90s, but the meme was around before the video.

I do remember using the phrase during PvP in EQ which would have been late 99 and maybe in UO. Early EQ for sure though. It was a gamer meme long before the rest of the world caught on.

[Episiarch]

According to Wikipedia the meme spread in 2000-2002. That doesn't mean it didn't actually start in '99, but it's effectively not a 90's phenomenon. Unlike, say, Friends, which I hear Tim counts as his favorite show of all time. He associates a lot with Chandler.

[Pro Libertate]

That's a low blow, even for you, Episiarch.

I never ever even a little bit got why Friends was popular. Unfunny, stupid, and pointless.

[Episiarch]

I'm surprised that you don't like the show, ProL; you've always reminded me of Jennifer Aniston.

Now that's a low blow.

[Pro Libertate]

That or your perceptions are skewed from drinking too much coffee. I'm like the Anti-Aniston.

I felt that America was stronger when that show went off the air. Its popularity was a sign of something, something dark and sinister.

[Episiarch]

I felt the same way about Dharma and Greg. But then again, I would feel the same way if Law & Order, CSI: Miami, or COPS went off the air.

[Pro Libertate]

You know, I've never seen more than five seconds of any of those shows. I'm about at the point where I completely eschew the old networks. I guess I watch House, but even that's only via DVD.

There's been some great TV in the last ten years, but there's also been some horrific crap.

[Pro Libertate]

Speaking of Cops, did you ever see Troops?

[Pro Libertate]

Like SugarFree is the Anti-Tim Berners-Lee.

[sage]

He associates a lot with Chandler Gunther.

You're welcome.

[hmm]

I agree it is more a meme of the 00s than the 90s. I just think there's a good possibility it started in 99.

MASH and All in the Family > all 90s sitcoms

[Pro Libertate]

Early M*A*S*H, yes. My favorite character was Captain Tuttle. He was a great American.

[hmm]

He also gave generously to charity.

I'm not a hater of the bunny hugging communist Alda. The dark comedy continued to the end and that's the part I liked.

[Pro Libertate]

Alda won me back over for being a major science geek in his later years.

[Pro Libertate]

The game is from the 90s, surely. But I think the Internet meme started in the last ten years or so.

[ClubMedSux]

If liking Little Debbie Nutty Bars makes one a hillbilly then you can call me Cletus.

[sage]

Do you have a mullet and a propane tank shoved up your ass? Because that would help your case a bit. Cletus.

[Bubba]

Howsadoin Cletus.

[Jed]

Yas cants be fgettin' the cooter. Nutin beats the fresh cooter stew.

[Jersey Patriot]

If no one's posted it yet, you need to see the Star Wars video, where Darth Vader's lines are replaced with James Earl Jones quotes from other movies.

[EJM]

Would that also include his old ads for (the former) Bell Atlantic?

[EJM]

(1.) "Closed captioning is brought to you by Bell Atlantic..." (at the very end)

(2.) "This is the book that got Bubba cooked..." (starting at about 1:05)

[aix42]

Vader Sessions....

Hard to hear some lines but is worth a look

[The Expatriate]

Ah, the South! Will you ever fail to amuse me?

[Mad Elf]

That list is useless without "Ding Fries Are Done".

[hmm]

The list missed the largest meme to take off this decade.

http://icanhascheezburger.com/

[Ted S.]

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned "Numa Numa" here.

Am I the only person who thinks the lolcats are singluarly unfunny?

[hmm]

yes.

[hmm]

or more appropriately.

I tinks yaz.