2008 Woodie Awards
Surveying splendors of Youtube
Jordan Barber
Issue date: 3/9/07 Section: A&E
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Youtube has been well publicized for its transformative effects on information. People from across the globe can post and view films, transcending political and cultural boundaries. No longer are large media corporations in control of what we view: Youtube and other "Web 2.0" sites such as Wikipedia and Myspace put the power of information directly into the user's hands.
For the internet savvy, Youtube has also created a new type of entertainment. Youtube has brought the advent of short amateur videos, something we never had easy access to before.
Traditionally when we view film, we are accustomed to long movies asking us to invest a great deal of time. Youtube has an abundance of short, often ridiculous videos posted by anyone with a camera. These videos do not take up very much time and are the new cutting edge in cultural humor. They focus on the younger generation: the absurd, the nonsensical, the usual WTF-ery that belongs to the internet buff. Youtube is helping transform visual media by producing a new type of film humor itself, that which pokes fun at rapidly changing worldwide culture through silly amateur videos made by anyone with an internet connection.
Amateur films reign on Youtube, although most are of poor quality and not worth watching. Some are so ridiculous that they bear viewing, just like a spectacle on the street. Take
"Crazy Screaming Lady," for instance. The plot is innocent: a couple of teenage boys are filming in a parking lot when an insanely angry woman comes up to them and demands they stop filming. She parades about for around four minutes, yelling and convinced that these boys have been around for months filming and spying.
"Crazy Screaming Lady" is funny for a couple of reasons, but mainly because it takes an ordinary experience and propels it into the incredible. Even though this film was not acted or prepared, the reaction of the adult is so extravagant and absurd that we have to laugh at it. Like most Youtube videos, this film is particularly funny for younger people. While the lady screams at the top of her lungs, the kids calmly remind her that they are in a public area. The generation gap here plays well: the adult is acting preposterous and paranoid, compared to the mellow and reasonable kids.
For the internet savvy, Youtube has also created a new type of entertainment. Youtube has brought the advent of short amateur videos, something we never had easy access to before.
Traditionally when we view film, we are accustomed to long movies asking us to invest a great deal of time. Youtube has an abundance of short, often ridiculous videos posted by anyone with a camera. These videos do not take up very much time and are the new cutting edge in cultural humor. They focus on the younger generation: the absurd, the nonsensical, the usual WTF-ery that belongs to the internet buff. Youtube is helping transform visual media by producing a new type of film humor itself, that which pokes fun at rapidly changing worldwide culture through silly amateur videos made by anyone with an internet connection.
Amateur films reign on Youtube, although most are of poor quality and not worth watching. Some are so ridiculous that they bear viewing, just like a spectacle on the street. Take
"Crazy Screaming Lady," for instance. The plot is innocent: a couple of teenage boys are filming in a parking lot when an insanely angry woman comes up to them and demands they stop filming. She parades about for around four minutes, yelling and convinced that these boys have been around for months filming and spying.
"Crazy Screaming Lady" is funny for a couple of reasons, but mainly because it takes an ordinary experience and propels it into the incredible. Even though this film was not acted or prepared, the reaction of the adult is so extravagant and absurd that we have to laugh at it. Like most Youtube videos, this film is particularly funny for younger people. While the lady screams at the top of her lungs, the kids calmly remind her that they are in a public area. The generation gap here plays well: the adult is acting preposterous and paranoid, compared to the mellow and reasonable kids.
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