Welcome to my YouTube Exhibition!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLmNdZ9elq_AhG1UKnbx4dKNMaoOCsxHkD[/youtube]

My playlist contains videos that are representative of 6 broad elements of YouTube:

 

1.      Videos

2.      Music

3.      Self-Education

4.      Ads

5.      Weirdness

6.      User Created Content

 

Videos

The first five videos are all various types of visual media that exist on YouTube. “Magical Trevor” is a whimsical animation originally published on another site, back before YouTube dominated the landscape. It also showcases the nostalgic value and cultural power YouTube videos can have for those who watch them.

On this theme, “Honeybadger” is one of the first videos I remember going viral, even spawning t-shirts before now being basically obsolete.

To me, YouTube is also a place for people to share clips of shows or movies – which is why the “Whose Line” skit is here. The site provides a forum for the web series as well, like Collegehumor’s “Hardly Working” – one of the first series with a dedicated staff behind it. Finally, my YouTube experience wouldn’t be complete without a machinima, represented here by DasBoSchitt’s well-produced “Gary’s Mod Idiot Box” series. Videos like this are mainly for shareable entertainment and leisure – one of the main reasons I go on YouTube.

 

Music

            To me, YouTube is also a great platform for musical expression. This may come from re-uploads of already produced music, like “The Legend of Zelda Ocarina of Time OST”, which I often play in the background while browsing or doing work. Music also includes remix culture, represented by Pogo’s “Jaam”, an original song created from clips of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Similarly re-appropriated is the “Literal Trailer,” which is basically a guy singing over a videogame trailer. It’s not really great music, but the tune is catchy and shows how music contributes to the popularity of a video (or, more academically, the fecundity of a meme.)

 

Self-Education

            Besides entertainment, I also use YouTube for self-education purposes. PBS’ well-researched Idea Channel is a favorite of mine, as it explores internet culture through the lens of everything from mathematics to art history. The second show I follow for self-education is Extra Credits, a well-produced series on the video game industry. Those are both weekly shows – Table Top comes on less frequently. Though it is basically somewhat famous geeks playing board games, I count it as “self-education” because it helps me keep up with one of my hobbies.

 

Ads

            YouTube advertising is as commonplace as it is aggravating. However, the site has provided a goldmine for creative marketing, especially when mixed with the weirdness of Internet culture. This Old Spice ad pleasantly surprised me when it popped up – check it out!

 

Weirdness

            If I could describe YouTube humor in one word, that word would be “bizarre.” Whether it’s creepy-bizarre like Don’t Hug Me I’m Scared or WTF-bizarre like YouTube Haiku (which pulls from everywhere), I can’t get enough of it. It permeates almost every video I watch, and has bled into the rest of my humor.

 

User-Created Content

            While my YouTube is mainly about watching other videos, it has recently become about sharing my own. This Epic Baldy Climb video gave me a chance to reconnect with friends from across the country through an easy-to-use tool. The experience of making and uploading this video has made me see the social networking/self-expressive value of YouTube, and means I will probably post more videos in the future.