5 Insane Realities When Your Video Goes Viral

So, there you go: Writing and BASE-jumping just don't mix.

If you thought the "Cooks" theme was addicting, just imagine having the themes from Family Ties, Growing Pains, Alice, and Herman's Head all competing for your attention. Then, there was casting, and, despite only having two weeks, they were very picky. A sitcom character's image is carefully cultivated -- they have to be generic but memorable, attractive but wholesome. And that's just when you're casting a half-dozen main characters, let alone dozens and dozens of parodies who had to fit very particular niches.

"The casting was awesome, but a big headache -- we ended up having to get several casting agents and an extras' casting agent, just to make sure we got what we needed. It took some time to find, like, the muscular fireman. There would be a couple rounds of 'these guys aren't that muscular!' and so forth. We're in Georgia, so there were people driving in from Alabama and Florida because they had the right look that we needed."

You hear that, handsome muscular men? There are acting opportunities out there for you! But, it wasn't just the specific roles -- Casper worked with one casting agency to make sure the extras had the right smiles. As anyone who's ever freaked himself or herself out in the mirror can tell you, there's a fine line between a smile that says, "I'm a wholesome father of three loving children" and one that reads, "I secretly installed a webcam in your toilet." Casper just had to compare them at a professional level.

They used that time to cram a ridiculous number of jokes into the background. If you're a fan, then you've probably heard of most of them by now, because you can always count on the Internet to dissect popular things with the cold, clinical precision of an evil scientist. The sitcom references have been spelled out, the Easter Eggs have been listed, the killer has been spotted hiding in countless places, and, of course, we all know that inspiration was partially drawn from the 1960 French New Wave film A Bout De Cuisiniers.

But, despite the Internet pouring over every inch of it like an ex's Facebook page, there's at least one hidden joke that Casper thinks hasn't been caught yet. "I think there are some words embedded in the killer's credits, if you freeze-frame it. I don't think anyone's caught that."

That's already an impressive amount of commitment to a short that was only going to air at an hour generally reserved for stumbling home drunk from the club. But, there's even more. The music, for example: "The music was very hard, shifting those genres took a long time. A lot of that year was figuring out the music and making it feel like a sitcom theme."

Casper wrote the lyrics, while musicians Shawn Coleman and Michael Kohler did the music. Both called it the hardest project they had ever worked on. Now, this is just a guess, but we suspect that had something to do with the fact that they listened to various iterations of the song an estimated one thousand times. It's in your head right now, just reading this, and you've only heard it a few times. It will surely follow them to their graves.

Casper's success didn't come out of nowhere -- he had written for Squidbillies, Harvey Birdman, Attorney At Law, Aqua Teen Hunger Force, and Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell, and he had also written a book. But, going viral catapults you to a whole new level of attention, and that was a weird mix of exciting, flattering, and surreal:

"It was a crazy, adrenaline-filled experience. Hopefully this doesn't sound arrogant, but most people I admire as writers, directors, or actors have seen it, and that's a crazy feeling. And some of them have tweeted about it. And that's also a crazy feeling. Adult Swim is popular, but it's still kind of a cult thing. It was pretty thrilling and nerve-wracking."

If you're used to working in relative obscurity, suddenly seeing your name everywhere and conducting dozens of interviews with tangentially related comedy sites can mess with your head. It's stressful, but fun.

"I'm not the healthiest guy, but I do a little bit of exercise. During that period, I did, like, triple the amount on the elliptical, because I just had so much adrenaline. I had to burn it off -- I'd see a tweet of, like, James Gunn liking it, and then my mind starts to go, 'Oh, maybe I'll get to direct Guardians Of The Galaxy 3!' Rihanna was a fan -- make sure you get that."

Think about how you relax after work. Chances are you hit Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, or some other media where you can take your mind off your life's problems by watching other people complain about theirs. But, how do take your mind off your work when your work is plastered across the Internet? Casper couldn't escape it for days.

Then, it started working its way into pop culture. There was a Game Of Thrones parody, an Orphan Black parody, and a Sesame Street parody. Bleacher Report did a parody based on the NBA Draft, and CNN did a parody featuring presidential candidates. If you're familiar with Adult Swim, you'll know that's like having your mom accidentally overhear you telling a filthy joke to your friends, then discovering that she's been telling it to all her friends at bridge club.

"I was impressed [by the CNN parody]. There was some real thought and time that went into that.

I downloaded them all. I have them archived. It's very flattering. It was weird, because I think we're used to Adult Swim getting written up in the AV Club, or Vice. That's kind of our insane family. Then, when it gets written up in the Wall Street Journal and Us Weekly, that's like all corners of American culture there. That was shocking."

When the alt-kids of Vice and the stuffed shirts at the Wall Street Journal both want to give you a high-five, you know you've made it.

Viral videos are a total enigma. For every massive hit, there are a million terrible parodies of pop songs that never make it. But, when you do finally hit big, the pressure is on to make an even more successful follow-up:

"[Viral videos are] pretty much still mysterious and [impossible to tame]. I might have a 5 percent better idea, but it's still 90 percent luck. I do think I know a little bit better, but not much. I do feel pressure [to follow up on it], but I already enjoyed what I was doing beforehand. I just try not to think about it. There is some pressure, but there's nothing healthy that comes from it, so I just try to let it pass. It's sort of how it must feel when a band has a hit single and then they're doing their second album."

Here's hoping Casper's career is a little more Radiohead, and a little less Baha Men.

Casper Kelly is the co-creator of Your Pretty Face Is Going To Hell. Season Two airs Sunday nights at 12:15 a.m. ET/PT on Adult Swim. You can check out a clip here, and then check his website. Mark has a website, too.

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