Remember a decade ago when you used to get so much more work done than you do today? Then along came YouTube and your productivity sharply dropped. In February 2015, YouTube turns ten years old, and what better way to celebrate the last decade than to remember all those time-wasting viral videos.
So, The Daily Conversation has put together a YouTube supercut to remind us of those epic moments we watched on our computers. Some moments were world-changing, while others were just plain fun. Check it out.
What is your favorite YouTube viral video? Leave your two cents in the comments.
The “viral video of the week” features everyone’s childhood friend, Fred Rogers. Symphony of Science’s mash up artist John Boswell put together a remix from Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood to create a far-out song featuring the refrain, “Did you ever grow anything in the garden of your mind.” The video is an official production of PBS Digital Studios.
Even if you already thought Mr. Rogers had a psychedelic side, check out the video below.
The YouTube website promises that this video is the first of PBS icon remixes that will be released.
What PBS icon would you like to see remixed? Leave your two cents in the comments.
One of the highlights of NBC’s America’s Got Talent show this season so far was this week’s appearance by Andrew De Leon in the Austin, Texas auditions. As De Leon explains below, he has been treated as a bit of an outcast for his Goth looks and had never before sang in front of anyone. When he first opens his mouth to sing, the sound is so unexpected that you do not know whether it is going to be terrible or not. But then you realize that the guy can sing. Check out the video below (after a short commercial).
If you are wondering what he is singing, it is “O mio babbino caro” (“Oh My Beloved Father”) a soprano aria from the opera Gianni Schicchi (1918) by Giacomo Puccini. You may read a short description of the context of the aria on NPR’s website, which also has an audio performance by opera singer Amada Squitieri.
As for De Leon’s performance, it is always a nice surprise when someone does something unexpected. As you can see in the video, judges Howie Mandel, Howard Stern and Sharon Osbourne all voted for De Leon to stay in the competition, so we will be seeing him again.
June 27, 2012 Update: After De Leon stumbled a bit from nerves in Las Vegas, the judges voted to eliminate him from the competition. I think the judges blew it. What do you think?
August 22, 2012 Update: He’s back! Howie Mandel brought De Leon back for the Wild Card show, where the judges brought back contestants for a second chance. De Leon delivered, and America voted for him to continue in the competition.
What did you think of Andrew De Leon’s performance? Leave your two cents in the comments.
