Top 20 YouTube and Other Internet Videos That Never Fail to Make Me Smile
(And also the longest title I've written yet?!)
I should really be careful with my lists. Apparently Entertainment Weekly recently did a "Hunkiest TV and Movie Geeks" article recently--and used many of the ones on my list! If only they'd come to me and asked me to do it first... hmph! Hacks...
I guess I picked this list to do next because Megan recently showed me a video (JK Wedding Entrance Dance, which I highly recommend) that definitely could've earned a spot on this list had I been given more time to absorb its awesomeness. Most of these videos are YouTube originals but a few originated elsewhere. I'll start with a classic:
20. Christmas Lights Gone Wild
Seems like this video was everywhere back in the first days of Teh Interwebs. I was getting it as an e-mail attachment before YouTube even existed but now it's a hit on YouTube with almost 5 million views to date. And why not? It's an awesome display of electric insanity Christmas spirit set to the tunes of the Transsiberian Orchestra's "Wizard in Winter." While I would never want this guy for a neighbor, it certainly is fun to watch it over and over again on my computer when the season rolls around.
19. The Picard Song (and it's inexplicable tag-on, with added fiber!)
I don't even watch any incarnations of Star Trek, much less The Next Generation, from whence the inspiration for this video came. And yet, it makes me giggle seeing Patrick Stewart dance around like a fool and act silly. Though it makes even less sense, the parody of the parody that some random YouTube user made using action figures dancing around in front of a cereal box makes me laugh just as much.
18. The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny by Lemon Demon
This is another old video that I first saw on either Albino Black Sheep or Newgrounds back in the day, two websites hosting collections of flash videos and animation. The plot is... pretty much what the title says: the ultimate showdown of every entertainer and fictional character in all of history, a fight to the death that was eventually won by Mr. Rogers (yes, even Chuck Norris fell). The animation is crude and the concept's a little silly, but it makes me nostalgic and I used to watch this video over and over again back in the day. Little did I know the creator, Neil Cicierega, would come up with something way more addictive years later...
17. Leeroy Jenkins Remix
NOTE: If you have no idea who Leeroy Jenkins is and what he's all about, then you WILL NOT find this video the least bit funny. Thankfully I had Keelah to introduce me to the wonder that is Leeroy Jenkins, an Internet celeb whose 15 minutes of fame sprung from the game World of Warcraft. I only have limited knowledge of WOW but I get it enough to get why it was so hysterical that a hungry dude named Leeroy screwed up a mission he was supposed to be doing with his friends by running in headlong shouting victorious battlecries and thus destroying all their meticulous setup. The video above is a response to the Leeroy Mania circulating after this video became an Internet sensation, a remix of Leeroy's actions that celebrates his joviality and heroic earnestness.
16. Frostie Shakes His Tail Feather
Bet you didn't think there was any bird on this planet that could make me grin stupidly without fail but Frostie, the most charismatic parrot I've ever seen, literally shaking his feathers to Ray Charles just does it for me every time. I challenge you to watch this whole video without breaking into at least the tiniest of grins.
15. Brian and Katie's Evolution of Wedding Dance
In the same vein as the wedding entrance dance I found this video back when it was posted about two years ago of a bride and groom's first dance at their wedding... something you just have to see for yourself to believe. I'd love to do something fun like this at my wedding one day but I don't know if I can pull it off like these two do! It sure would have been fun to be at this wedding, witnessing this dancing duel firsthand.
14. Moskau with English lyrics!
This energetic song from 70s-era German pop group, Dschinghis Khan, was hokey enough with their brightly-colored outfits and hammy dance moves, but apparently someone thought it needed to have more attention drawn to it and thus 'translated' the German to English--phonetically translated, that is. And thus the innocuous German phrases translate into lines like "Dinah Steeler is too loose" and "Billy is a handyman; porcelain is the surest plan" and my personal favorite "Please respect the caviar!" I like listening to the song even without the translation (it's admittedly pretty catchy... think Village People) but I'll never be able to separate the actual lyrics from the fake ones at this point. They are one and the same for me.
13. The 305
You would think this video, relased back in 2007 not too long after the release of the sleeper hit 300, would be first and foremost a parody of the stylistic graphic-novel inspired war film... but it's not. In fact, it is much more accurately a parody of the U.S. TV show, "The Office", using 300 as a backdrop. The 305 is about the 5 Spartan army rejects, left behind to tend a goat field and being filmed for a documentary, a la Dunder Mifflin. The boss, Claudius, is thick-headed, self-involved, and endlessly naive, like Michael Scott, his second in command is an eager oddball who could practically be Dwight Shrute's long-lost twin. There's even a Jim Halpert parody in the only sane character in the bunch, a loveable slacker. It's hysterically accurate parody, which was apparently expanded and released on DVD, though I have yet to get my hands on this. In the meantime, the YouTube video will suffice to entertain.
12. Simon's Cat in 'Cat Man Do'
This little animation about a hapless man and his eager, hungry kitty was such a big hit that the artist made a bunch more that are all funny little cartoons, but my favorite will always be the first, where Simon's devious cat goes to great lengths to awaken his unsuspecting owner for feeding time.
11. Unicorn Planet
Planet Unicorn (or, the lesser known unicorn-themed YouTube animation series) is the story of three unicorns, Feathers, Cadillac and Tom Cruise, who live on a planet created by an 8-year-old gay boy named Shannon, and their many adventures. It's random, weird, childish, and maybe a little bit offensive, but it's also endlessly silly and light-hearted fun, and isn't that why we love most YouTube videos?
10. They're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard
Where are they taking the hobbits again?
'Nuff said.
9. I'm On A Boat by the Lonely Island ft. T-Pain
I couldn't embed this video in my Livejournal, but does it really need to be linked? It's been around long enough by now that everyone knows what it is. I don't think I will ever be able to keep a straight face when I hear the line "I've got a nautical-themed Pashmina afghan." I'm on a boat, motherfucker!
8.T-Mobile Dance
This spontaneous extravaganza of song and dance, performed in the Liverpool Street Station, was an event organized by T-Mobile as an advertisement with the byline "Life's for sharing." And I'm so glad it was, because these 2 and a half minutes of pure joy really are worth sharing with everyone who will take the time. What starts off with one dancer expands to 400 within minutes, each dancer joining in unexpectedly; you just never know who's involved and by the end, more than half the station is in step, like a wonderful conspiracy! The hidden cameras catch some great moments (check out the pure, unadulterated joy at 1:55) and at the end of the routine, everyone disperses like nothing happened, but the buzz continues, and I'll bet the lucky witnesses to the event felt it long after it was over.
A similar video was created for a competitive reality show centering around The Sound of Music, in a German train station using a Do Re Mi remix:
7. Charlie the Unicorn
All of Jason Steele's videos defy explanation, really. It's almost shameful how funny I still find the pointless humor of the Charlie the Unicorn series, but I just can't resist it! It's like crack, from the very first bellowing "Heyyyy, Charlieeee! Wake up!" It's a good thing Charlie the Unicorn keeps getting sucked (sometimes literally) into the kooky schemes of the impish, whimsical, flowery-voiced pink and purple unicorns, because if he didn't continue to buy into their schemes, we wouldn't be blessed with such wonderful quotes as "We're on a bridge, Charlie!", "The Door can see into your sooooouuuulllll!", "Charlie, look out for the bleh bleh bleh!" and my personal favorite: "It's a Leopleurodon, Charlie! A magical Leopleurodon!" God bless crude humor; sometimes you just have to let yourself go and laugh yourself silly.
NOTE:if you really enjoy Charlie's adventures, make sure to check out Llamas with Hats, after which you will never be able to hear the name 'Carl' without saying it "Caaaaarrrrrr-ullllllll!"
6. "Here It Goes Again" by OK Go
Embedding was also disabled for this video, which I rather expected, being that record companies are Nazis about music videos these days, but again, I'm sure everyone's seen this by now. For those still unaware, "Here It Goes Again" by alternative band OK Go is the Internet hit from about three years ago where the four guys are dancing on the treadmills, in one of the most creative and inspired music videos I've ever seen. You just have to admire the guys for the thought and practice they must have put into this video, and the results pay off. They made another choreographed video prior to this with "A Million Ways" and they continued to push the limits of clever video-editing after, but nothing will ever reach the sensational levels of "Here It Goes Again." I was an old fan of OK Go's, and was completely shocked to see them bust out something so unusual for their sophomore album, but pleasantly shocked, as I'm sure many will agree.
5. Expialidocious
This video's high enough for a video I was only shown three weeks ago, but I actually almost put it higher because I have a feeling it will affect me for a long time to come. The reason being? It's an homage to a favorite movie from my childhood, and the level of nostalgia it inspires is staggering. "Expialidocious" is one of about a dozen remixed song and videos by Australian DJ Pogo sampling sound bytes from old movies, in this case "Mary Poppins." The song is hauntingly addictive and watching it spliced together with the merry and mirth-filled moments from this beloved film continues to bring tears to my eyes weeks later. Pogo has made videos for "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", "Harry Potter", "Alice in Wonderland" and more, and each one seems more amazing and inspired than the last. Unfortunately, his latest installment, "Bangarang", made using clips from "Hook" is embroiled in a copyright battle on YouTube, signalling the first time Pogo has encountered problems like this with his work. I wish him the best, and I hope the video comes back, because far from detracting from the film, Pogo's video fills you with wonder and makes you yearn for that childlike innocence the film inspires. His songs act more like free advertising for the films they represent rather than a deterrent and any production company would be lucky to have someone like him take an interest in their classics.
4. Free Hugs
This music video was first circulated back in 2006 and that's when I happened upon it on YouTube. Set to the tune of "All the Same" by unknown band Sick Puppies, the video tells the story of a guy whose mission was simple: give out free hugs. He goes out with a sign stating his offer and at first, no one responds, no one trusts him enough to get close. Sadly that's the state of our world these days--even a simple gesture offering love and hope can't be trustsed. You even begin to wonder yourself what his motives really are. It looks dire for our hero, but everything turns around at the 48-second mark, when he finally gets a response from a kindly old lady who thinks 'Why yes, I will give you a hug!' and any doubts you ever might have had about his intentions are dissolved. Subtly, the formerly black-and-white video shifts to color, dazzling you and reeling you in and the joy only rises from there as the offer of a simple act of love spreads to all those surrounding him. Friends and family in the vicinity join in, hugging our hero, hugging each other, making signs of their own. At 2:24 the video shifts again as Free Hugs are 'banned', and our hero is shooed away by guards and other persons of authority, but people aren't giving up that easy. A petition is passed around, 10,000 signatures are reached, and Free Hugs are here to stay. It's a simple and touching video for the simple act of touching. All it takes is reaching out and offering a hug, a display of affection to show you care, you support one another, and you have love to spare. To this day I can't watch this video without crying with happiness.
3. The Mysterious Ticking Noise (and other Potter Puppet Pals adventures)
Alright so maybe I cheated grouping all these videos together because they're all so great in different ways, particularly "Wizard Swears" and "Snape's Diary" but I'm including them all as one entry, with "The Mysterious Ticking Noise" as my example because it's my favorite. The Potter Puppet Pals, which come from the same comedic entertainer as "The Ultimate Showdown" Neil Cicierega, mentioned earlier, is one of my favorite acts of Internet parody. 6 Potter characters: Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, Snape, and sometimes Voldemort, are made into adorable little puppets and make fun of themselves and each other in exaggerated form, all for our amusement. Harry is bossy, bratty and emo, Hermione is a smartpants know-it-all, Ron is naive and doltish, Voldemort is deliciously evil, Dumbledore is batshit crazy and Snape is moody and depressed, taking out all his anger on the troublesome trio. It's silly, it's random, it's often mean, but you have to admit it's occasionally accurate! And that's what makes it so damn funny. That and lines like this:
Snape: (writing in his diary) I was at the Yule Ball with Lily Evans. I asked her to dance; she asked me to die. Would that I could, Lily. Would that I could.
Harry Potter: (reading Snape's diary) My mom was awesome!
2. There She Is! Step 5
Though the title states Step 5, the video above is a link to Step 1, because watching Step 5 without watching the preceding 5 steps of this mini-movie robs you of the emotional payoff, and on the off chance anyone is reading this, I would like to direct you to the beginning first. There She Is! Is a mini series of videos by a Korean artist that I first happened upon on Newgrounds.com some years ago. Step 2 followed some months after the first and both are endlessly adorable cartoons set to catchy music. I did not realize until late 2008 that the artist created another trilogy to add on to his story which took it in entirely new directions. The story starts simple: a boy cat named Nabi and a girl bunny named Doki (in a world inhabited by cats and bunnies acting as humans do) meet and for Doki it's love at first sight. Her love is exuberant and all-encompassing but it is not reciprocated right away. Nabi is afraid to love her back, because in their world, cats and bunnies aren't supposed to be together; they are supposed to stick with their own species. But Doki is not swayed and eventually Nabi learns to open himself up to the idea of loving her. It frightens him but he nonetheless continues to fall in love. In the 3rd part they begin to date but learn that not everyone will be accepting of them. The step ends on a suspiciously violent note, with a rock thrown through a window, setting us up for the 4th Step, which is by far the darkest of them all, but continues to set us up for a happy reunion in the final step. I can't watch these videos without crying--our of happiness and sadness. It's a deceptively deep story told through a misleadingly cute medium. It would be easy to say it's simply a metaphor for interracial relationships, but if you really wanted to, you could view it as commentary on acceptance of gay relationships as well. I do, in any case. There's just so much more going on there than you'd initially think, and while it spends some time in the emotional gutter, the payoff in the final step is so uplifting, so hopeful, than I can't help but feel great about myself and hopeful about humanity after watching the series.
1. Where the Hell is Matt?
In 2003 a guy named Matt Harding quit his job and traveled around the world, eventually coming up with the idea to film himself dancing stupidly in front of various tourist attractions in the many countries he visited. Upon his return, he compiled them into several montages and posted it on YouTube. Sounds simple enough, maybe even a little uninteresting? Watching clips of someone's vacation videos? Wrong. Nothing could be more beautiful and awe-inspiring than these two videos of a man truly enjoying life and exploring the far reaches of our world. The first video became such a sensation that when Matt traveled again, he implored people to join him and so many responded. Watching the 2008 video is 4 and a half minutes of pure joy. Nobody cares that they're dancing around like idiots; they're simply enjoying themselves and the company of the traveler in their midst. These videos have brought me endless joy and I can always cheer myself up watching either one of them. I can only hope to be able to do what Matt did one day, and I'm not just talking about seeing the world, but seeing the world the way he sees it.
I should really be careful with my lists. Apparently Entertainment Weekly recently did a "Hunkiest TV and Movie Geeks" article recently--and used many of the ones on my list! If only they'd come to me and asked me to do it first... hmph! Hacks...
I guess I picked this list to do next because Megan recently showed me a video (JK Wedding Entrance Dance, which I highly recommend) that definitely could've earned a spot on this list had I been given more time to absorb its awesomeness. Most of these videos are YouTube originals but a few originated elsewhere. I'll start with a classic:
20. Christmas Lights Gone Wild
Click to viewSeems like this video was everywhere back in the first days of Teh Interwebs. I was getting it as an e-mail attachment before YouTube even existed but now it's a hit on YouTube with almost 5 million views to date. And why not? It's an awesome display of electric insanity Christmas spirit set to the tunes of the Transsiberian Orchestra's "Wizard in Winter." While I would never want this guy for a neighbor, it certainly is fun to watch it over and over again on my computer when the season rolls around.
19. The Picard Song (and it's inexplicable tag-on, with added fiber!)
I don't even watch any incarnations of Star Trek, much less The Next Generation, from whence the inspiration for this video came. And yet, it makes me giggle seeing Patrick Stewart dance around like a fool and act silly. Though it makes even less sense, the parody of the parody that some random YouTube user made using action figures dancing around in front of a cereal box makes me laugh just as much.
18. The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny by Lemon Demon
This is another old video that I first saw on either Albino Black Sheep or Newgrounds back in the day, two websites hosting collections of flash videos and animation. The plot is... pretty much what the title says: the ultimate showdown of every entertainer and fictional character in all of history, a fight to the death that was eventually won by Mr. Rogers (yes, even Chuck Norris fell). The animation is crude and the concept's a little silly, but it makes me nostalgic and I used to watch this video over and over again back in the day. Little did I know the creator, Neil Cicierega, would come up with something way more addictive years later...
17. Leeroy Jenkins Remix
NOTE: If you have no idea who Leeroy Jenkins is and what he's all about, then you WILL NOT find this video the least bit funny. Thankfully I had Keelah to introduce me to the wonder that is Leeroy Jenkins, an Internet celeb whose 15 minutes of fame sprung from the game World of Warcraft. I only have limited knowledge of WOW but I get it enough to get why it was so hysterical that a hungry dude named Leeroy screwed up a mission he was supposed to be doing with his friends by running in headlong shouting victorious battlecries and thus destroying all their meticulous setup. The video above is a response to the Leeroy Mania circulating after this video became an Internet sensation, a remix of Leeroy's actions that celebrates his joviality and heroic earnestness.
16. Frostie Shakes His Tail Feather
Bet you didn't think there was any bird on this planet that could make me grin stupidly without fail but Frostie, the most charismatic parrot I've ever seen, literally shaking his feathers to Ray Charles just does it for me every time. I challenge you to watch this whole video without breaking into at least the tiniest of grins.
15. Brian and Katie's Evolution of Wedding Dance
In the same vein as the wedding entrance dance I found this video back when it was posted about two years ago of a bride and groom's first dance at their wedding... something you just have to see for yourself to believe. I'd love to do something fun like this at my wedding one day but I don't know if I can pull it off like these two do! It sure would have been fun to be at this wedding, witnessing this dancing duel firsthand.
14. Moskau with English lyrics!
This energetic song from 70s-era German pop group, Dschinghis Khan, was hokey enough with their brightly-colored outfits and hammy dance moves, but apparently someone thought it needed to have more attention drawn to it and thus 'translated' the German to English--phonetically translated, that is. And thus the innocuous German phrases translate into lines like "Dinah Steeler is too loose" and "Billy is a handyman; porcelain is the surest plan" and my personal favorite "Please respect the caviar!" I like listening to the song even without the translation (it's admittedly pretty catchy... think Village People) but I'll never be able to separate the actual lyrics from the fake ones at this point. They are one and the same for me.
13. The 305
You would think this video, relased back in 2007 not too long after the release of the sleeper hit 300, would be first and foremost a parody of the stylistic graphic-novel inspired war film... but it's not. In fact, it is much more accurately a parody of the U.S. TV show, "The Office", using 300 as a backdrop. The 305 is about the 5 Spartan army rejects, left behind to tend a goat field and being filmed for a documentary, a la Dunder Mifflin. The boss, Claudius, is thick-headed, self-involved, and endlessly naive, like Michael Scott, his second in command is an eager oddball who could practically be Dwight Shrute's long-lost twin. There's even a Jim Halpert parody in the only sane character in the bunch, a loveable slacker. It's hysterically accurate parody, which was apparently expanded and released on DVD, though I have yet to get my hands on this. In the meantime, the YouTube video will suffice to entertain.
12. Simon's Cat in 'Cat Man Do'
This little animation about a hapless man and his eager, hungry kitty was such a big hit that the artist made a bunch more that are all funny little cartoons, but my favorite will always be the first, where Simon's devious cat goes to great lengths to awaken his unsuspecting owner for feeding time.
11. Unicorn Planet
Planet Unicorn (or, the lesser known unicorn-themed YouTube animation series) is the story of three unicorns, Feathers, Cadillac and Tom Cruise, who live on a planet created by an 8-year-old gay boy named Shannon, and their many adventures. It's random, weird, childish, and maybe a little bit offensive, but it's also endlessly silly and light-hearted fun, and isn't that why we love most YouTube videos?
10. They're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard
Where are they taking the hobbits again?
'Nuff said.
9. I'm On A Boat by the Lonely Island ft. T-Pain
I couldn't embed this video in my Livejournal, but does it really need to be linked? It's been around long enough by now that everyone knows what it is. I don't think I will ever be able to keep a straight face when I hear the line "I've got a nautical-themed Pashmina afghan." I'm on a boat, motherfucker!
8.T-Mobile Dance
This spontaneous extravaganza of song and dance, performed in the Liverpool Street Station, was an event organized by T-Mobile as an advertisement with the byline "Life's for sharing." And I'm so glad it was, because these 2 and a half minutes of pure joy really are worth sharing with everyone who will take the time. What starts off with one dancer expands to 400 within minutes, each dancer joining in unexpectedly; you just never know who's involved and by the end, more than half the station is in step, like a wonderful conspiracy! The hidden cameras catch some great moments (check out the pure, unadulterated joy at 1:55) and at the end of the routine, everyone disperses like nothing happened, but the buzz continues, and I'll bet the lucky witnesses to the event felt it long after it was over.
A similar video was created for a competitive reality show centering around The Sound of Music, in a German train station using a Do Re Mi remix:
7. Charlie the Unicorn
All of Jason Steele's videos defy explanation, really. It's almost shameful how funny I still find the pointless humor of the Charlie the Unicorn series, but I just can't resist it! It's like crack, from the very first bellowing "Heyyyy, Charlieeee! Wake up!" It's a good thing Charlie the Unicorn keeps getting sucked (sometimes literally) into the kooky schemes of the impish, whimsical, flowery-voiced pink and purple unicorns, because if he didn't continue to buy into their schemes, we wouldn't be blessed with such wonderful quotes as "We're on a bridge, Charlie!", "The Door can see into your sooooouuuulllll!", "Charlie, look out for the bleh bleh bleh!" and my personal favorite: "It's a Leopleurodon, Charlie! A magical Leopleurodon!" God bless crude humor; sometimes you just have to let yourself go and laugh yourself silly.
NOTE:if you really enjoy Charlie's adventures, make sure to check out Llamas with Hats, after which you will never be able to hear the name 'Carl' without saying it "Caaaaarrrrrr-ullllllll!"
6. "Here It Goes Again" by OK Go
Embedding was also disabled for this video, which I rather expected, being that record companies are Nazis about music videos these days, but again, I'm sure everyone's seen this by now. For those still unaware, "Here It Goes Again" by alternative band OK Go is the Internet hit from about three years ago where the four guys are dancing on the treadmills, in one of the most creative and inspired music videos I've ever seen. You just have to admire the guys for the thought and practice they must have put into this video, and the results pay off. They made another choreographed video prior to this with "A Million Ways" and they continued to push the limits of clever video-editing after, but nothing will ever reach the sensational levels of "Here It Goes Again." I was an old fan of OK Go's, and was completely shocked to see them bust out something so unusual for their sophomore album, but pleasantly shocked, as I'm sure many will agree.
5. Expialidocious
This video's high enough for a video I was only shown three weeks ago, but I actually almost put it higher because I have a feeling it will affect me for a long time to come. The reason being? It's an homage to a favorite movie from my childhood, and the level of nostalgia it inspires is staggering. "Expialidocious" is one of about a dozen remixed song and videos by Australian DJ Pogo sampling sound bytes from old movies, in this case "Mary Poppins." The song is hauntingly addictive and watching it spliced together with the merry and mirth-filled moments from this beloved film continues to bring tears to my eyes weeks later. Pogo has made videos for "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory", "Harry Potter", "Alice in Wonderland" and more, and each one seems more amazing and inspired than the last. Unfortunately, his latest installment, "Bangarang", made using clips from "Hook" is embroiled in a copyright battle on YouTube, signalling the first time Pogo has encountered problems like this with his work. I wish him the best, and I hope the video comes back, because far from detracting from the film, Pogo's video fills you with wonder and makes you yearn for that childlike innocence the film inspires. His songs act more like free advertising for the films they represent rather than a deterrent and any production company would be lucky to have someone like him take an interest in their classics.
4. Free Hugs
This music video was first circulated back in 2006 and that's when I happened upon it on YouTube. Set to the tune of "All the Same" by unknown band Sick Puppies, the video tells the story of a guy whose mission was simple: give out free hugs. He goes out with a sign stating his offer and at first, no one responds, no one trusts him enough to get close. Sadly that's the state of our world these days--even a simple gesture offering love and hope can't be trustsed. You even begin to wonder yourself what his motives really are. It looks dire for our hero, but everything turns around at the 48-second mark, when he finally gets a response from a kindly old lady who thinks 'Why yes, I will give you a hug!' and any doubts you ever might have had about his intentions are dissolved. Subtly, the formerly black-and-white video shifts to color, dazzling you and reeling you in and the joy only rises from there as the offer of a simple act of love spreads to all those surrounding him. Friends and family in the vicinity join in, hugging our hero, hugging each other, making signs of their own. At 2:24 the video shifts again as Free Hugs are 'banned', and our hero is shooed away by guards and other persons of authority, but people aren't giving up that easy. A petition is passed around, 10,000 signatures are reached, and Free Hugs are here to stay. It's a simple and touching video for the simple act of touching. All it takes is reaching out and offering a hug, a display of affection to show you care, you support one another, and you have love to spare. To this day I can't watch this video without crying with happiness.
3. The Mysterious Ticking Noise (and other Potter Puppet Pals adventures)
Alright so maybe I cheated grouping all these videos together because they're all so great in different ways, particularly "Wizard Swears" and "Snape's Diary" but I'm including them all as one entry, with "The Mysterious Ticking Noise" as my example because it's my favorite. The Potter Puppet Pals, which come from the same comedic entertainer as "The Ultimate Showdown" Neil Cicierega, mentioned earlier, is one of my favorite acts of Internet parody. 6 Potter characters: Harry, Ron, Hermione, Dumbledore, Snape, and sometimes Voldemort, are made into adorable little puppets and make fun of themselves and each other in exaggerated form, all for our amusement. Harry is bossy, bratty and emo, Hermione is a smartpants know-it-all, Ron is naive and doltish, Voldemort is deliciously evil, Dumbledore is batshit crazy and Snape is moody and depressed, taking out all his anger on the troublesome trio. It's silly, it's random, it's often mean, but you have to admit it's occasionally accurate! And that's what makes it so damn funny. That and lines like this:
Snape: (writing in his diary) I was at the Yule Ball with Lily Evans. I asked her to dance; she asked me to die. Would that I could, Lily. Would that I could.
Harry Potter: (reading Snape's diary) My mom was awesome!
2. There She Is! Step 5
Though the title states Step 5, the video above is a link to Step 1, because watching Step 5 without watching the preceding 5 steps of this mini-movie robs you of the emotional payoff, and on the off chance anyone is reading this, I would like to direct you to the beginning first. There She Is! Is a mini series of videos by a Korean artist that I first happened upon on Newgrounds.com some years ago. Step 2 followed some months after the first and both are endlessly adorable cartoons set to catchy music. I did not realize until late 2008 that the artist created another trilogy to add on to his story which took it in entirely new directions. The story starts simple: a boy cat named Nabi and a girl bunny named Doki (in a world inhabited by cats and bunnies acting as humans do) meet and for Doki it's love at first sight. Her love is exuberant and all-encompassing but it is not reciprocated right away. Nabi is afraid to love her back, because in their world, cats and bunnies aren't supposed to be together; they are supposed to stick with their own species. But Doki is not swayed and eventually Nabi learns to open himself up to the idea of loving her. It frightens him but he nonetheless continues to fall in love. In the 3rd part they begin to date but learn that not everyone will be accepting of them. The step ends on a suspiciously violent note, with a rock thrown through a window, setting us up for the 4th Step, which is by far the darkest of them all, but continues to set us up for a happy reunion in the final step. I can't watch these videos without crying--our of happiness and sadness. It's a deceptively deep story told through a misleadingly cute medium. It would be easy to say it's simply a metaphor for interracial relationships, but if you really wanted to, you could view it as commentary on acceptance of gay relationships as well. I do, in any case. There's just so much more going on there than you'd initially think, and while it spends some time in the emotional gutter, the payoff in the final step is so uplifting, so hopeful, than I can't help but feel great about myself and hopeful about humanity after watching the series.
1. Where the Hell is Matt?
In 2003 a guy named Matt Harding quit his job and traveled around the world, eventually coming up with the idea to film himself dancing stupidly in front of various tourist attractions in the many countries he visited. Upon his return, he compiled them into several montages and posted it on YouTube. Sounds simple enough, maybe even a little uninteresting? Watching clips of someone's vacation videos? Wrong. Nothing could be more beautiful and awe-inspiring than these two videos of a man truly enjoying life and exploring the far reaches of our world. The first video became such a sensation that when Matt traveled again, he implored people to join him and so many responded. Watching the 2008 video is 4 and a half minutes of pure joy. Nobody cares that they're dancing around like idiots; they're simply enjoying themselves and the company of the traveler in their midst. These videos have brought me endless joy and I can always cheer myself up watching either one of them. I can only hope to be able to do what Matt did one day, and I'm not just talking about seeing the world, but seeing the world the way he sees it.