Deconstructing YouTube: One Man's Attempt To Go Viral
Every Saturday, we like to feature an article from one of our favorite websites or comedians. It gives us a chance to shine the spotlight on some funny folks that we like and, more importantly, let's us sleep off our hangovers all day Saturday. This week, we bring you Cody Johnston. He's written for our old magazine, he's made some videos for us and now here he is trying to destroy YouTube. Or maybe become YouTube. It's not too clear.
The trends abounding within YouTube's narcissistic walls are plentiful. A good nut shot or reporter accidentally saying "fuck" will always be able to make its rounds across the cyberweb. But what of the little guy? The poor subscriberless schlub who just wants to become the next big YouTube star, like the bafflingly popular Fred Figglehorn, or the understandably popular adorable Asian child singing Hey Jude? There is still hope for you, schlub, because I am about to prove that by simply producing some of the most popular YouTube memes, YouToo can become an Internet superstar. Come with me as I lead you on a video journey to fame and fortune (or at least a mention on Attack Of The Show or some shit).
#6.
Time to Introduce My Awesome New Internet Persona, Derf
The worst thing that has ever existed and will ever exist on the Internet is a "character" by the name of Fred Figglehorn. Not only is he the most subscribed "comedian" on YouTube, but he is also... God, the most subscribed comedian on YouTube? Maybe I should just make a video of me shooting myself in the fucking head. I won't, but I should. Instead, I'll make up my own character, because nothing says "comedy" like a funny voice and no jokes. MadTV, here I come!
#5.
The Mario Brothers Theme
If you're over the age of five and under the age of 40, chances are you've played Super Mario Bros. on NES. If you're also not deaf, chances are you've gotten the theme song stuck in your head at least once a day for your entire life. Thank God for the Internet, because that means you can hear any person who owns an instrument play their version of the song. Like this guy playing the theme on a Theremin, which is one of the most difficult instruments to play while at the same time being the most ridiculous instrument ever played. Impressive? Yes. Pointless? Yes. I feel like I could do better.
#4.
STOP LEAVING MEAN COMMENTS!!!
Did you know that if you post a video on YouTube, literally anyone with a computer and Internet connection can see it? Sadly, not everyone does. If you post a video on YouTube, PEOPLE WILL SEE IT. And you know what? Not everyone will like it. In fact, a lot of people will hate it because that's what people do. They hate. And guess what else? In true Internet fashion, they will let you know how much they hate it, probably with the worst grammar imaginable. Nut up, YouTubers. It's the fucking Internet. I should probably take my own advice, though, because apparently I'm a fucking pussy and I need you to STOP LEAVING MEAN COMMENTS!!!
That was the first time I've listened to that f*****g Miley song. I wanted to stop so badly. Why you trap, Cody? Why?
ReplyCody redeems himself.
ReplyThis article (and the videos imbeded in it) was funny. I had trolled on some of Cody's videos before because I did not enjoy them. I am not ashamed of that but I will now say that he is a valuable human being.
ReplyThat cat in the video is so cute! Also, Cody is f*****g hot
Replyand yet he is so modest about it... the complete opposite of soren
This definitely prepares me for when I make my foray into singing. I'll have my fans and I'll have my haters... I'll just listen to the people who actually have some constructive criticism and do my best to ignore the "LOL UR A FAT s**t b***h LOL" nonsense I get with the videos I have made of my birds. That I don't even appear in.
ReplyCan't really articulate how awesome this really was. I'm one of those weirdos who loves videos of cats doing silly shenanigans. =3
Replyworst part is the derf video is f**kin hilarious
ReplyThe last one was the best, the beer and smoke perfected it.
ReplyIt was weirdly arousing, I know.
What a sexy, pot smoking, hairy man!I wish you to live with me in my cave under the sea, and pass your hilarity genes to my children, which shall be begotten in the sea horse kind of way, which sucks for you, because I don't know how well that baby weight would sit with you...
ReplySeriously, though, this s**t was hilarious, and I never did realize that it DOES sound like Lady Madonnna. My mind is BLOWN.
The cat in the video, who is just sitting there while a deranged lunatic laughs at him, thinks THAT dude is insane and wonders why HE isn't on youtube..lol
Reply"Don't forget to subscribe, for more videos. Of this f**kin' guy."
ReplyPretty accurate survey of YouTube. I want the last fifteen minutes of my life back, but I think that was the point.
Reply"OMG!!! MY CAT IS HILARIOUS!!!!!!" might be the most poignant and timely meta-joke ever made about the entire culture of self-published video. I am now logging in to Facebook to share the YouTube link, along with my own glowing commentary that this is indeed the funniest cat video ever, a must-see, for the sole purpose of getting to read the comments left by my 100+ "friends", most of whom won't "get it" and one or two who will just comment "OMG LOLZ!" without watching the video at all.
ReplyBonus After-Article Entertainment.
I have been working my way backwards through all of Cody's articles and, IMHO, his newer stuff is just as good as this. Don't hate the playa, ladies. Hate the game.
I went with "Funniest. Cat. Video. Ever." All those periods indicate that I mean business. Let's watch...
Oh, i hate him all right. But that's just cause I know that he'd get all the ladies (and probably some of the guys, too).
is number 4 fer reel?
ReplyIt totally is. One of the videos that comes up after Cody's is this girl who just gabs and gabs for three minutes about 'nasty comments'.
Cody, why did you stop doing this awesome Andy Kaufman s**t?
ReplyFUCK YOU, DERF!
ReplyI miss this cody, he was so much better at this time, as opposed to the present
ReplyThe Miley Cyrus thing was brilliant... very Andy Kaufmann...
ReplyHoly crap, this was Cody?!
ReplyLoved it, all of it, one of the first Cracked articles to make me laugh that hard in a while. The Miley Cyrus lip synching was definitely the funniest though. lyk totes awesum.
Reply