4 in the Afternoon: Strong Emotions

January 31, 2011

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.
Outside the Egyptian Embassy Worst Ice Skater Starkville-Tupelo Thriller Juju's Message to Mubarak
  1. A protester outside the Egyptian embassy in London delivered this emotional interview about the recent unrest in the streets of Egypt. One of our Most Shared videos today.
  2. Pranksters at Improv Everywhere stun onlookers with a performance by "the worst ice skater ever" in conjunction with the Ice Theatre of New York. As seen on Daily Wh.at.
  3. After overcoming a 13 point deficit with just four minutes left, Mississippi Tupelo High School's defeat of Starkville with a last minute buzzer-beater leads to chaos on the court. As seen on Pep Rally.
  4. One of our top Trending Videos is this clip of an 8-year-old Saudi girl delivering a message to President Mubarak of Egypt.
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Your Super Bowl Week Trends: 'Black and Yellow,' 'Teach Me How to Raji'

Whether or not Wiz Khalifa's "Black and Yellow" anthem was specifically targeted at the Pittsburgh Steelers, the team's Super Bowl run has definitely helped drive more views to the music video for the song, which, as we examined, spurred a number of popular imitations. A quick look at the data shows that there's definitely been a steady rise in daily views as the season has progressed.

Those large spikes you see in the past month coincide with weekend days. You can mouse-over the dots to see how big events this season affected viewership:



There are a number of music videos that have grown popular in Green Bay as well, though none of them are by artists as mainstream as Wiz Khalifa and would mostly be considered parody songs. But it seems a new dance trend might also be brewing up in Wisconsin heading into the Super Bowl thanks to a recent 4th-quarter touchdown by lineman B.J. Raji.

Creating videos for the dance -- which combine's Raji's celebration with the music from one of 2010's biggest dance-trends, the "dougie" -- seems to be gaining a little popularity among Packer fans this week. We've pulled together a playlist of those clips below, including one from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, which is one of the Most Shared/Viewed videos in Milwaukee today.



  • Want more? Stay on top of the Most Shared videos in both cities all week leading up to the big game using our Trends Dashboard here.
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Inside YouTube Search

Every morning, we comb through YouTube's search data to investigate top spiking search terms and the videos they lead to:
  • ernest borgnine - Searches are up for this famous actor following his Lifetime Achievement honor at the SAG Awards. (The ceremony itself was also among our rising searches.)

  • marvel vs capcom 3 review - There's an increase in searches today for this upcoming video game featuring Marvel superheroes and classic characters from Capcom's game franchises.

  • vibe xvi - UC Irvine hosted this dance competition over the weekend and spectator videos have hit the web.
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4 in the Morning: Creeping Kittyzilla

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.
The Creep Confrontation Prevented Kitty Midnight Madness Snowzilla
  1. Lonely Island's latest Digital Short, a sketch/song starring hip-hop artist Nicki Minaj, debuted on the weekend's Saturday Night Live and is already one of our Most Shared videos.
  2. Footage of Egyptian military in Cairo creating separation between protesters and police is among the weekend's most-viewed New & Politics videos.
  3. This funny ad put out by the Winnipeg Humane Society was one of the weekend's Most Shared clips.
  4. An extreme snow sculpture standing at over 8 feet tall and featuring a homemade flame thrower. As seen on BuzzFeed.
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4 in the Afternoon: Dance Like a Man

January 28, 2011

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.
I Wanna Dance with Somebody Gorilla Walks Like a Man Fresh Prince Intro Dexter in 60 Seconds
  1. Somehow this video, posted in September, had few views until yesterday when it began to draw attention. Likely intended to be a recording of the Time Machine Band's performance at the Winstar Casino in Dallas, it's not the musicians getting noticed. As seen on Videogum.
  2. This clip of a gorilla walking on its legs like a human at England's Port Lympne Wild Animal Park has quickly become one of the month's Most Viewed Animal clips. It's also on of our Trending Videos. (There's also a popular sequel.)
  3. This recreation of the Fresh Prince of Bell Air open was posted in October, but is just gaining some traction. As seen on BuzzFeed.
  4. This 60-second parody of the television show Dexter is being passed around among fans this week and is among our Most Shared videos.
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4 in the Morning: Volcano Robots in Space

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.
Volcano Erupts in Japan Robot Audition Paper Planes in Space Cab on Fire
  1. Eruptions of volcano Mount Shinmoedake have been captured by Japanese users, who are uploading the dramatic footage to YouTube. As seen on Gawker.
  2. This dancer may be nonchalant about his moves, but his performance in this clip has been drawing attention. As seen on VVVs.
  3. In a Samsung inspired experiment, a group of tech heads launch a pack of paper planes in outer space. As seen on Reddit.
  4. A taxi cab is captured engulfed in flames by a New Yorker driving by in a car just after the latest blizzard. As seen on Daily Wh.at.
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Your Words to President Obama

January 27, 2011

Today, YouTube sat down with President Obama for an interview featuring questions submitted by users from around the world. In the six days that voting was open, YouTube received 139,632 questions from 193,066 people who cast 1.38 million votes.

The questions were distributed among seven different categories: Education, Health Care, Foreign Policy, Jobs/Economy, Immigration, Energy/Environment, and Other. We took the top voted five thousand questions and divided them up into their respective categories to see what the most commonly used words were in the questions we received. We then created images from those words using Wordle.

We wanted to get an idea of how our users chose to express their concerns and questions to the President of the United States on each of these important issues. Here's what we found:

(Click images to open full-size.)

Education


Jobs & the Economy


Energy & the Environment


Foreign Policy & National Defense


Immigration


Health Care


Other


Below, you can watch the interview and see which questions made it:
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4 in the Afternoon: Double Dream Rain

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.
Ellen Double Dream Hands Kenya Challenge Wii Fit Fail Metal Chocolate Rain
  1. Ellen's staff surprise her with a performance from viral star John Jacobson and his now famous Double Dream Hands dance move. One of our Most Shared videos.
  2. In another of our Most Shared videos, the Supply Education Group non-profit challenges one of YouTube's most popular users to come teach a class to students in Kenya.
  3. A game of Wii ski jump goes horribly wrong for this TV owner. (The dog is reportedly fine.) As seen on BuzzFeed.
  4. A YouTube classic gets a heavy metal update. As seen on High Definite.
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Lots of Films, Real and Fake

With the Sundance film festival drawing national spotlight and the YouTube "Life in a Day" documentary premiering tonight, there's a lot happening on YouTube right now for movie fans.

While in the past week over 1,500 "sundance"-related videos were posted, the Utah festival is not the only film-related trend we've observed. A different film festival, one being sponsored by Virgin Radio, has also been drawing some attention with contestants uploading creative fan-centric work all restricted to a 60 second runtime.

The Fake Film Festival will come to a close soon in Vancouver, but we've seen over a hundred fan remakes of classic films appear on the site. A few of the particularly impressive shorts were picked up by pop culture blogs and some even made our Most Shared list. We've pulled together a playlist of some of the more popular entries:



(Use the arrows to navigate between videos or watch them all here.)
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Inside YouTube Search

Every morning, we comb through YouTube's search data to investigate top spiking search terms and the videos they lead to:
  • psp2 - Sony just revealed its "Next Generation Console," which is in the PSP line of devices. Gaming fans are searching for details this morning.

  • emma henry - This singer, who's posted her performances on YouTube, is drawing interest today following her appearance on American Idol.

  • jerome bell - Same goes for this contestant/YouTube user.
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4 in the Morning: Floods, Plants, Anthems

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.
Saudi Flooding Silent National Anthem Plant Recovers A New Approach
  1. Emergency rescue efforts were mounted in Saudi Arabia Wednesday as the city of Jeddah was hit with major flooding.
  2. This silent performance by a group of school children is among the Most Shared videos in India right now.
  3. Is it a real? This time-lapse clip of a plant reviving itself after a watering is among our Trending Videos
  4. This funny PSA takes a look at the privacy of your Facebook life... from the other direction. As seen on Daily Wh.at.
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4 in the Afternoon: Old Spice Train (with me)

January 26, 2011

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.
David Guetta (with me) Old Spice Guy Returns Kanye Cello Open Door on Fast Train
  1. Look who's back to the top of our Most Shared list: one of 2010's Most Shared YouTube users, Keenan Cahill. His new lip sync with producer and DJ David Guetta has drawn over two million views in two days.
  2. It seems like everyone's favorite toweled spokesperson is back for a new Old Spice campaign. As seen on BuzzFeed.
  3. The Portland Cello Project covers Kanye West's "All of the Lights" in a live performance. As seen on High Definite.
  4. A concerned YouTube user posted this video of a MetroNorth train in New York flying through Harlem on a very cold day with the door open. As seen on Gawker.
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Protests in Egypt Captured in Dramatic, On-the-Scene Videos

Massive gatherings of anti-government protesters swelled Tuesday in Africa's largest city as Egyptians took to the streets of Cairo and other major Egyptian cities for what's being called "the largest demonstration in Egypt in a generation," a great deal of which was captured by bystanders documenting the events on cell phones and cameras and posting them to YouTube.

The most iconic of the videos, which we featured yesterday, has drawn over half a million views so far. The largest gatherings captured were in Tahrir square, which is a focus of some of the more dramatic video. In the playlist below, which is composed of some of the most popular clips as well as those curated by The NYTimes' Lede and Storyful, you can see the crowd grow in large numbers and reportedly be broken up with the use of gas canisters:



(Use the arrows to navigate between videos or watch them all here.)

We will be monitoring for new footage to update from Wednesday's events...
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Inside YouTube Search

Every morning, we comb through YouTube's search data to investigate top spiking search terms and the videos they lead to:
  • state of the union 2011 - One of this morning's top rising searches is for video of last evening's State of the Union address by President Obama. (It's available here.)

  • brandy bathroom singing - Some older clips of singer Brandy belting out classics in her bathroom seem to be on the rise again this morning.

  • michele bachmann state of the union - Rep. Michele Bachmann's "Tea Party Response" to the State of the Union is also seeing a rise in searches this morning.
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4 in the Morning: Burning Beatbox Billionaires

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.
The Beat Box History of Hip-Hop Assembly Coming Out Jay Cutler Jersey Burning I Wanna Be an Engineer
  1. French performer Eklips pulls together nearly 30 years of hip-hop history in this incredible four minute performance. (Warning: A few swears in there, naturally.) As seen on The Daily Wh.at..
  2. High school student Kayla Kearney delivered a speech earlier this month at an assembly in which she came out to her classmates. The clip of her remarks is among our Trending Videos.
  3. Bears fans can be brutal as evidenced by this Trending Video that's also one of the Most Viewed in the city of Chicago. (QB Jay Cutler received criticism for his early exit in the loss against the Packers Sunday.)
  4. A music video for the wannabe billionaire-geeks out there. As seen on Reddit.
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12 Months of Searching for Obama

January 25, 2011

President Obama's State of the Union address will be livestreamed on YouTube tonight, and, if history is any indication, there is a good chance we will see searches for the President spike again this week, particularly considering YouTube is conducting an interview with the President on Thursday.

The largest spike in search interest for the President occurred right around the 2010 State of the Union, so we decided to look back at how searches for the word "Obama" have risen and declined in the 12 months since that peak.

While there is steady interest throughout the year, most of the sharp rises -- as you can see marked in the chart below -- all seem to coincide with major political and national events during the time frame, beginning with the signing of health care reform into law and spiking again this month around the time of the President's speech in Tucson, Arizona.



(Mouse over the points for more detail)

  • If you, yourself, would like to ask the President a question this week, you don't have to search for it. You can just go here.
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4 in the Afternoon: Egypt, Chicago, Sydney

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.
Egyptian Protesters Face Water Cannon Lauren reacts to NFC Championship iPad Teenage Dream Sydney Harbor by Staples
  1. This dramatic clip from the protests in Egypt reportedly has some people pointing out the visual similarities to the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. As seen on Storyful.
  2. Lauren, 4, had apparently not cared about football until the NFC championship game, when it seems she overinvested herself. Her reaction is among the day's Most Shared videos.
  3. A YouTube musician recreates the Katy Perry single using only iPad apps, including one called "Cat Piano" for the voice. As seen on Gizmodo.
  4. Staples Australia recreates Sydney Harbor completely out of office supplies. As seen on BuzzFeed.
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Icy Temperatures Mean Cold Weather Magic

Temperatures have dropped across the Northern Hemisphere and we've begun to see a rise in popularity for a specific kind of cold weather video.

The most common videos are the variety showing cold weather residents tossing cups of boiling water into the and watching them "magically" evaporate. We've seen them from Saskatchewan, Minnesota, Toronto, Pennsylvania, and Ontario. This one, which was filmed in -30F temperatures in Canada's Northwest Territories and posted earlier this month, has been heavily shared and was viewed nearly three million times:



We also spotted this one, with a YouTube user substituting coffee for water.

It turns out that searches for "icy" videos this past week were relatively the highest they've ever been, and even some older videos have been drawing interest. For example, one video of some bubbles freezing from two years ago suddenly went from a few hundred views to over 150,000.

The Mount Washington Observatory posted their own "frozen bubble" video this week:



So are you over the winter yet? If our data is any indication, you likely already are.
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Inside YouTube Search

Every morning, we comb through YouTube's search data to investigate top spiking search terms and the videos they lead to:
  • oscar nominations 2011 - One of the top rising searches this morning is for footage of today's announcement of the 2011 Academy Award nominations.

  • la noire demo - Searches are on the rise for clips of this video game, due to be released in May. Other yet to be released games that are being searched this morning: Crysis 2 and Bulletstorm.

  • car frozen in place - CBS News put together this story of a car in Manhattan that completely froze over with ice, and it's drawing some searches.
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4 in the Morning: Bad Butter Dad

Twice each day we scan our YouTube metrics as well as websites on the cutting edge of internet culture to discover the most buzzed about videos.
Bad Project Lurpak Kitchen Odyssey Dad Dancing Courage to Stand
  1. Science students created this Lady Gaga parody for the "Molecular and Human Genetics Retreat 2011 at Baylor College of Medicine." Now it's among our Most Shared videos.
  2. It takes some pretty epic visuals for a butter commercial to make into our list of Trending Videos.
  3. A dad uses motion-controlled video games for his daily work out. A son captures it on film to share with all. As seen on Reddit.
  4. Former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has released this spot that's like a political ad crossed with a Michael Bay trailer. As seen on Gawker.
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