So, instead, I decided to list the videos with some annotation and comment. It’s based on the way The Guardian presented the UK’s top videos list (all stats here were current as of this evening and reflect global totals). Clicking the name will take you directly to the video, or you can click on the Google link above to watch all ten in a playlist.
Here’s the list:
1. FROZEN - Let It Go Sing-along | Official Disney: 252,054,830 views, 33,672 Comments, 663,430 Likes, 88,477 Dislikes. There’s no doubt this was a very big hit on YouTube. I haven’t seen the movie yet, and watching this video was the first time I’d heard the entire song. Of course, there’s also the comedy take on it I posted back in June, “Frozen Support Group”.
2. Bars & Melody - Simon Cowell's Golden Buzzer act | Britain's Got Talent 2014: 57,623,766 views, Comments disabled, 405,687 Likes, 10,863 Dislikes. I saw this when it was first posted back in May, and was going to post it then. But that was during my NZ Music Month series, and it just got lost. I thought it was absolutely amazing, though I seemed to have something in my eyes at the time. The significance is that Simon Cowell pushed the Golden Buzzer and pushed them directly through.
3. Mutant Giant Spider Dog (SA Wardega): 117,120,429 Views, 42,322 Comments, 597,269 Likes, 33,992 Dislikes. I saw this shared all over my social media when it was posted back in September. I was tempted to watch it then, and now that I have, well, I think it goes on a bit too long.
4. Play Doh Ice cream cupcakes playset playdough by Unboxingsurpriseegg: 263,398,724 Views (!), 12,897 Comments, 185,714 Likes, 123,814 Dislikes. Honestly, I have NO idea why this video is so popular. It goes on for 53 minutes, but I gave up not even two minutes in. Maybe there’s something else in those 53 minutes? I’m not going to watch to find out.
5. Look Up: 48,344,215 Views, 47,071 Comments, 448,580 Likes, 14,353 Dislikes. Ironically, I didn’t see this shared on social media. But this also means I have no idea why it was so popular. Maybe more people look up than the video suggests? Points for telling people to stop watching his video, though.
6. Wheels On The Bus | Plus Lots More Nursery Rhymes | 54 Minutes Compilation from LittleBabyBum!: 208,381,396 Views, 390 Comments, 135,530 Likes, 102,732 Dislikes. Um… Popular among people with little kids? Nostalgic people looking for their lost childhood? Stoners? I have absolutely no idea—all through the town.
7. GoPro: Man Fights Off Great White Shark In Sydney Harbour: 27,944,311 Views, 17,285 Comments, 69,205 Likes, 17,017 Dislikes. The video description sums it up: “Close Call with a Great White Shark in Sydney Harbour! Filmed on a GoPro at Manly jump rock.” Hm, “Holy shit,” indeed.
8. Old Spice Man Song: 2,079,148 Views, 105 Comments, 1,748 Likes, 108 Dislikes. This is an officially-promoted “Australian response to the US Old Spice Viral commercial, Mom Song”, which I thought was funny. This one, however, I appreciate somewhat less. However, I did notice when Old Spice appeared on our supermarket’s shelves, and I thought about my grandfather (he wore it).
9. Lip Sync Battle with Emma Stone: 37,730,408 Views, 12,271 Comments, 283,709 Likes, 5,121 Dislikes. This is a segment from the Tonight Show, which recently began airing in New Zealand (first time in the 19+ years I’ve lived in this country). Not really into watching lip sync contests, but they’re not bad. Still, drag queens could teach them some tricks…
10. FIRST KISS: 95,213,563 Views, 53,020 Comments, 444,177 Likes, 49,951 Dislikes. I never really understood the point of this video. This is also, predicably, a video where no one should read the comments due to the typical YouTube homophobia. A few days after this was posted, I blogged about “FIRST KISS (Gay Version from New Zealand)”. I don’t know that it makes any more sense than the original, but the participants are real people, not actors or models like in the original version, so there’s that.
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There you have it: The top viral videos that people were watching in New Zealand and Australia this year. Having watched at least part of all of them, I honestly don’t get why some of them were so popular. Oh well, Arthur’s Law and all that.
2 comments:
the problem with seeing FROZEN now is that it can never be as good as you've heard. I saw it in the theater a year ago and it was great, but now it's now part of the cultural fabric...
I haven't seen Frozen and somehow have remained blissfully ignorant of what it's even about. In fact the only thing I know about it is that song, and not even the context for that. I'm sure it would be different if I had kids, or even young nieces/nephews, but, as it is, I have no expectations. I suppose at's and good thing.
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