Goodbye, Blingee. You were sweet, sexy, gangsta, and %100 crazy.
August 17, 2015 7:30 AM Subscribe
After more than 130 million Blingees made, the time has come for Blingee to ride off into the sunset. Into the sparkly, glittery, ridiculous, bizarre, amazing, soooo last decade, MySpace-era, not always tasteful, frequently juvenile,
dancing-Snoop-Dogg-tacular sunset. If you really need to glitter up all your photos, there are a couple alternatives. (Note: all links have flashing/glittering animated GIFs that people with visual sensitivies might want to avoid.)
Well drat. I had a lot of fun playing with Blingee during the last presidential election season. Boo.
posted by trunk muffins at 7:46 AM on August 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by trunk muffins at 7:46 AM on August 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
Too bad; they're probably just a couple years away from being a retro craze.
posted by aaronetc at 8:00 AM on August 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by aaronetc at 8:00 AM on August 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
How did I miss Blingees? More to the point, how can I make sure this happens again?
posted by Devonian at 8:54 AM on August 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Devonian at 8:54 AM on August 17, 2015 [2 favorites]
The passionate desperation in the comments on the closure announcement, with lots of CAPS and emoticons and exclamation points and question marks and incredibly personal stories of what Blingee has meant to them that the cynic in me wants to mock but they're just so damn sincere ,not only seems like the right response to this announcement but the only possible one.
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:56 AM on August 17, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:56 AM on August 17, 2015 [4 favorites]
The basic functionality of the site (superimpose gif on another gif) is pretty simple with common libraries. I wonder if anyone's tried to mirror Blingee's assets and create a clone of Blingee?
Of course, that's probably a licensing nightmare.
posted by mccarty.tim at 9:00 AM on August 17, 2015
Of course, that's probably a licensing nightmare.
posted by mccarty.tim at 9:00 AM on August 17, 2015
Welp, better deploy my favorite Blingee of all time right this second.
posted by palomar at 9:59 AM on August 17, 2015 [20 favorites]
posted by palomar at 9:59 AM on August 17, 2015 [20 favorites]
Welp, better deploy my favorite Blingee of all time right this second.
That ... is a magical thing.
posted by mykescipark at 10:34 AM on August 17, 2015 [6 favorites]
That ... is a magical thing.
posted by mykescipark at 10:34 AM on August 17, 2015 [6 favorites]
I am irrationally sad about this! I joined Blingee, according to the registration email I still have for some reason, on June 30, 2007, to make a joke image for a friend. I never used the site again... but every year since, they have sent me a preposterous ecard to wish me a happy birthday.
http://blingee.com/ecard/birthday/2728591
I grew strangely attached to these. Like, this nonsense site that nobody including me had ever taken seriously is nicer to me on my birthday than Amazon, Google, or any of the other dozens of places I've registered and that have my birthday on file. And the card is ugly as sin but it has a KITTEN on it and... you know, I just love them for trying. Bye Blingee! My birthdays will be sadder without you.
posted by Amberlyza at 10:42 AM on August 17, 2015 [14 favorites]
http://blingee.com/ecard/birthday/2728591
I grew strangely attached to these. Like, this nonsense site that nobody including me had ever taken seriously is nicer to me on my birthday than Amazon, Google, or any of the other dozens of places I've registered and that have my birthday on file. And the card is ugly as sin but it has a KITTEN on it and... you know, I just love them for trying. Bye Blingee! My birthdays will be sadder without you.
posted by Amberlyza at 10:42 AM on August 17, 2015 [14 favorites]
☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ . ☆ﾟ.*･｡ﾟ
posted by pibeandres at 10:47 AM on August 17, 2015 [18 favorites]
posted by pibeandres at 10:47 AM on August 17, 2015 [18 favorites]
I have long felt that there should be an Internet Museum featuring this kind of stuff. Like the old sites that were Here's me and my computer, in the basement. Get off my digital lawn before it closes down.
posted by theora55 at 10:52 AM on August 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by theora55 at 10:52 AM on August 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
somehow a plain old . won't do it, but pibeandres basically beat me to the punch.
posted by randomkeystrike at 10:53 AM on August 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by randomkeystrike at 10:53 AM on August 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
It's a goddamn crime that Instagram is worth several billion dollars, but Blingee has to close up shop. A goddamn crime. Where are your priorities, everyone? Why would you need some played-out old filters when you have SPARKLY FABULOUSNESS?
posted by naju at 12:59 PM on August 17, 2015 [6 favorites]
posted by naju at 12:59 PM on August 17, 2015 [6 favorites]
I chanced upon this one the other day (while looking for this) and it immediately became my second favorite bees gif.
posted by maryr at 4:27 PM on August 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by maryr at 4:27 PM on August 17, 2015 [3 favorites]
The problematic class and/or race issues surrounding the ease with which certain relatively privileged members of certain online populations ironically appropriated the Blingee phenom should be worth, like, a free MA dissertation or something.
Or, barring that, a Buzzfeed internship.
posted by Xavier Xavier at 5:19 PM on August 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Or, barring that, a Buzzfeed internship.
posted by Xavier Xavier at 5:19 PM on August 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
To be fair, that comment was my MA dissertation.
posted by Xavier Xavier at 5:20 PM on August 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Xavier Xavier at 5:20 PM on August 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Sorry! Meant to post blingee/buzzkill.jpeg. My bad. *SPARKLES*
posted by Xavier Xavier at 5:24 PM on August 17, 2015
posted by Xavier Xavier at 5:24 PM on August 17, 2015
I suggested to the Internet Archive on Twitter that they archive all 130 million images. This seems like an important (seriously) piece of Internet history that's going away. Anyone know a way to help ensure this happens?
posted by limeonaire at 5:38 PM on August 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by limeonaire at 5:38 PM on August 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
Again. Why is this still here? Ugh. Worst part of the worst part of "lefty" white folks on the internet appropriating and (implicitly?) mocking others. Just gross.
posted by Xavier Xavier at 5:45 PM on August 17, 2015
posted by Xavier Xavier at 5:45 PM on August 17, 2015
It's like 2005 called and wants its racism back.
posted by Xavier Xavier at 6:00 PM on August 17, 2015
posted by Xavier Xavier at 6:00 PM on August 17, 2015
XX, I think we all get your point by now. And I gotta disagree that Blingee is racist. Maybe you missed out on who was using it when it was all over MySpace back when, or who made it grow. But it wasn't lefty white folks. That many of them would appropriate it for ironic racism is true and sad, but it seems a bit of an overstatement to throw that accusation at the entire site.
posted by Aya Hirano on the Astral Plane at 6:27 PM on August 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Aya Hirano on the Astral Plane at 6:27 PM on August 17, 2015 [1 favorite]
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
seriously, this blows.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:53 PM on August 17, 2015
seriously, this blows.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 6:53 PM on August 17, 2015
It doesn't get any better than this (made by yours truly in 2012).
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:03 PM on August 17, 2015
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:03 PM on August 17, 2015
:(
Sure you could see it as classicist appropriation (and probably some of it is), but I'm positive a lot of people who thought they were making GIFS 'ironically' really do love sparkly glitter text and dancing babies. This is terrible news....
posted by subdee at 7:24 PM on August 17, 2015
Sure you could see it as classicist appropriation (and probably some of it is), but I'm positive a lot of people who thought they were making GIFS 'ironically' really do love sparkly glitter text and dancing babies. This is terrible news....
posted by subdee at 7:24 PM on August 17, 2015
Whatever gets you through the night. ~SPARKLES~
(Nope. Still problematic.)
posted by Xavier Xavier at 8:40 PM on August 17, 2015
(Nope. Still problematic.)
posted by Xavier Xavier at 8:40 PM on August 17, 2015
Mod note: Several comments deleted. Xavier Xavier, you've stated your objection here, please cool it.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 9:15 PM on August 17, 2015
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 9:15 PM on August 17, 2015
I have long felt that there should be an Internet Museum featuring this kind of stuff. Like the old sites that were Here's me and my computer, in the basement. Get off my digital lawn before it closes down.
I really wish certain sites like this would just get boxed up and put up somewhere fully functional. Internet archive sort of preserves the look, but not the functionality of sites like this. Honestly that geocities backup project should have gotten real funding and been expanded to do that.
There's quite a bit of stuff like this that will exist only in memories, screenshots, and a few silly generated/saved pictures in even a couple years. There's basically no preservation of what the actual experience of using 2005 myspace was like, either.
Too bad; they're probably just a couple years away from being a retro craze.
Just today i was having a long discussion with a friend about how close we are to early 2000s stuff being "cool" again. We've already gone through several waves of ironic, ironic in a different way, and finally earnest(especially in small scale hip online fashion, etc) presentation of 90s stuff as cool.
Myspace-and-ipod-mini is next. I give it maybe 4 years at the absolute outside, and maybe even 2-3. I've already noticed legit photographers with a big online presence starting to use early(like 2mp) digital cameras instead of film, and vaguely start to embrace that style.
posted by emptythought at 2:30 AM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
I really wish certain sites like this would just get boxed up and put up somewhere fully functional. Internet archive sort of preserves the look, but not the functionality of sites like this. Honestly that geocities backup project should have gotten real funding and been expanded to do that.
There's quite a bit of stuff like this that will exist only in memories, screenshots, and a few silly generated/saved pictures in even a couple years. There's basically no preservation of what the actual experience of using 2005 myspace was like, either.
Too bad; they're probably just a couple years away from being a retro craze.
Just today i was having a long discussion with a friend about how close we are to early 2000s stuff being "cool" again. We've already gone through several waves of ironic, ironic in a different way, and finally earnest(especially in small scale hip online fashion, etc) presentation of 90s stuff as cool.
Myspace-and-ipod-mini is next. I give it maybe 4 years at the absolute outside, and maybe even 2-3. I've already noticed legit photographers with a big online presence starting to use early(like 2mp) digital cameras instead of film, and vaguely start to embrace that style.
posted by emptythought at 2:30 AM on August 18, 2015 [1 favorite]
Wonkette used to make wonderful use of Blingee.
posted by Superfrankenstein at 1:39 PM on August 18, 2015
posted by Superfrankenstein at 1:39 PM on August 18, 2015
Blingee is saved!! *GLITTER* *FIREWORKS* *PUPPY*
posted by Superfrankenstein at 9:53 AM on August 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Superfrankenstein at 9:53 AM on August 19, 2015 [4 favorites]
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