Measuring our lives out with SLYTs

December 21, 2011 8:08 AM

Videogum presents a retrospective of the best viral videos of 2011. See also: montages for 2010, 2009, and 2008
posted by rollick (47 comments total)

That yogurt baby freaks me. In a bad way, mind you.
posted by tr33hggr at 8:34 AM on December 21, 2011

Nyan Cat is number two?

Nonsense. This list is nonsense.
posted by koeselitz at 8:43 AM on December 21, 2011

It should be number one.
posted by koeselitz at 8:43 AM on December 21, 2011

Oh, come on! My falling off a trampoline made of flour while holding a slow loris that looks like a boat show blooper still has time to go viral before 2011 is over! What a rip!
posted by orme at 8:43 AM on December 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

when you put them all together like this it makes our century look very strange indeed.
posted by The Whelk at 8:44 AM on December 21, 2011 [2 favorites]

Krumping lessons should be mandatory for the under tens.
posted by jack_mo at 8:47 AM on December 21, 2011

when you put them all together like this it makes our century look very strange indeed.

I would dearly love to see the top viral videos from Ancient Rome.
posted by DU at 8:47 AM on December 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

1) Gladiator baby
2) Sword in groin
3) Laughing slave
4) Phonecian yells at bridge
posted by DU at 8:48 AM on December 21, 2011 [11 favorites]

Nyan Cat is number two?

I don't think the order is meaningful, like a bunch at the beginning just get a 1-second clip, and then they get longer later.
posted by smackfu at 8:49 AM on December 21, 2011

5) "Surprise" lion.
posted by The Whelk at 8:51 AM on December 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

when you put them all together like this it makes our century look very strange indeed.
No, it just makes other centuries look less-thoroughly documented.
posted by Wolfdog at 8:52 AM on December 21, 2011 [3 favorites]

I haven't seen 90% of those before. Oh well, I feel well informed now.
posted by Ms. Moonlight at 8:53 AM on December 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

6) Orator Possessed By Demons *VERY FUNNY*
posted by The Whelk at 8:54 AM on December 21, 2011

I actually enjoy viral videos. What is the best way to keep up with the fun ones during the year? Is there something I can subscribe to? The YouTube most played list used to be useful but now is dominated by sports clips, foreign stuff, and weekly videos from people who are massively subscribed to.
posted by smackfu at 8:54 AM on December 21, 2011

I would dearly love to see the top viral videos from Ancient Rome.

6) Tom Cruise expounds on the joys of the Mithras Cult in embarrassing leaked video.
posted by Think_Long at 8:55 AM on December 21, 2011 [2 favorites]

Also, it strikes me that you could make a pretty tricky "song by The Fall or viral video title" quiz.
posted by jack_mo at 9:00 AM on December 21, 2011

Good job, Tommy from Norway, for getting in just under the wire.
posted by mhum at 9:01 AM on December 21, 2011

7) Bystander using cell phone cam accidentally captures Brutus stabbing Julius Caesar.
posted by Short Attention Sp at 9:02 AM on December 21, 2011

8) Flash Mob dancing to lyre-players rendition of "Iovis" at the Temple Of The Divine Huntress.
posted by The Whelk at 9:05 AM on December 21, 2011

Annoyingly, they linked to the ripped off version of the sword dance video, instead of the origional. They both have the same amount of views new, but the ripped off copy was the one that blew up.

Also, we'll never know many views the original Friday song would have gotten, since it was pulled down off Ark Music factory and put on Rebecca Black's page.
posted by delmoi at 9:07 AM on December 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

God I just realized I spend way to much time on the internet.
posted by delmoi at 9:08 AM on December 21, 2011

9) OFFICIAL HQ BEST BACCHANALIA TOGA SLIPS OF 35 CE
posted by The White Hat at 9:14 AM on December 21, 2011

Quite grating, but could be worse. YouTube's Official Year-End Clip Show HOSTED by Rebecca Blecch, has 3X more 'dislikes' than 'likes'.
posted by oneswellfoop at 9:14 AM on December 21, 2011

You just wrote "Rebecca Blecch'".
posted by smackfu at 9:15 AM on December 21, 2011 [2 favorites]

Also, we'll never know many views the original Friday song would have gotten

History will shame us.
posted by dhartung at 9:16 AM on December 21, 2011

10) Man planks atop Trajan's column!
posted by Think_Long at 9:16 AM on December 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

10) CRAZY SMOKING MOUNTAIN WTF -Pompeii vacation-
posted by The Whelk at 9:17 AM on December 21, 2011

nothing beats the best of lists at Damn You, Foreign Scribe
posted by The Whelk at 9:18 AM on December 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

Go "Yankin" (NSFW) or go home.
posted by hermitosis at 9:20 AM on December 21, 2011

XI) Sexy vomitorium slips and nip slips!
posted by yellowbinder at 9:27 AM on December 21, 2011 [1 favorite]

I laughed at the goth guys dancing to Vogue until I thought about all the raves and goth clubs I went to in the 90's and realized yeah, I dance pretty much exactly like them to this day. Party on!
posted by Windigo at 9:28 AM on December 21, 2011

XII) PROOF THAT THE EMPEROR IS A BARBARIAN WHO WORSHIPS SOL INVICTUS PLEASE WATCH!!!
posted by The Whelk at 9:32 AM on December 21, 2011

XIII) MUST SEE: Patricians sip Phoenician wine and look down at Occupy Forum protesters #IC%

can't believe it took us until 11 to use Roman numerals
posted by Think_Long at 9:40 AM on December 21, 2011

Following the link about the industrial vogue and finding the original was to EBM (at least I think that's what that style is called, which led me to even better than stupid madonna...)

INDUSTRIAL NYAN DANCING!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=IDm-UUWJGaA#t=16s
posted by symbioid at 10:01 AM on December 21, 2011

XIV: HOW-TO TURN AN ORDINARY TOGA INTO A BEDSHEET IN III EASY STEPS!
posted by yellowbinder at 10:02 AM on December 21, 2011

also - huh - i guess i never realized the crossover between psy/goa and ebm before, but... i see/hear it now.
posted by symbioid at 10:10 AM on December 21, 2011

XVI: Embarrassing Roman numeral failures
posted by mintcake! at 10:11 AM on December 21, 2011

XV - the new music video from OK Va. They always do great stuff!
posted by Curious Artificer at 10:12 AM on December 21, 2011

Or maybe it's "OK Vade." Romani ite domum. Romani ite domum.
posted by Curious Artificer at 10:29 AM on December 21, 2011

I hadn't seen the Chicken Fiddler Lady. She is fantastic.
posted by six-or-six-thirty at 10:29 AM on December 21, 2011

I didn't recognize most of these. Also, that PS3 commercial with all the video game characters hanging out in a bar? I don't know who a few of THEM are either! Dammit I'm not ready to be old yet!
posted by Uther Bentrazor at 11:01 AM on December 21, 2011

My two favorites of the year (maybe they aren't considered "viral"?) were I am your Grandma and School of French Kissing for Dogs
posted by stifford at 11:26 AM on December 21, 2011

Cultural historians are gonna have a blast with this stuff in a hundred years.
posted by killdevil at 11:31 AM on December 21, 2011

Rebecca Black was this year? Holy God, I thought 2011 dragged.
posted by Decani at 12:27 PM on December 21, 2011

(Does anyone know why I can't get the video to load on my computer? I know it's probably some plugin but I can't figure out which one.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:34 PM on December 21, 2011

I laughed at the goth guys dancing to Vogue until I thought about all the raves and goth clubs I went to in the 90's and realized yeah, I dance pretty much exactly like them to this day. Party on!

Rebecca Black was this year? Holy God, I thought 2011 dragged.

Well, there's no contradiction... it's still 2011.
posted by delmoi at 11:57 PM on December 22, 2011

crap I was going to tie that comment about goth guys doing the vogue and the comments about ancient Rome together, but i accidentally hit submit.
posted by delmoi at 11:58 PM on December 22, 2011