[img id=”77126″ align=”alignleft”] 1. will.i.am — “Yes We Can”
Most videos on YouTube achieve fame because of their humor, but occasionally a more serious video merits distinction. In “Yes We Can,” footage of President-elect Barack Obama giving a speech is spliced with footage of various celebrities as they sing along with Obama. What makes the video so powerful is that everything about it—from the black and white film to the acoustic guitar accompaniment—is muted so that the speech can be the star. Regardless of its partisan motive, the video demonstrates that YouTube can successfully be used to reach people about more serious topics.
2. RhettandLink — “The Economic Bailout Song”
The economic bailout, although not this year’s finest moment, certainly led to a lot of comedic commentary. One such piece is RhettandLink’s “The Economic Bailout Song: AIG, Lehman Brothers, Freddie Mac.” In the video, Internet comedians Rhett and Link cleverly sing about the bailout and how it will affect their lives. The footage itself is very simple, allowing the viewer to concentrate on the comedians’ words and facial expressions. The song is available for free download.
3. blackandwhitecake — “Quantum of Solace — Proposed Theme Song”
One highly anticipated event this year was the release of the latest James Bond movie, which in turn led to the release of another, less anticipated video: “Quantum of Solace — Proposed Theme Song,” posted by blackandwhitecake. According to the credits, Joe Cornish is responsible for meshing together various Bond clips from the recent film, as well as one or two from the Pierce Brosnan days and the Bourne series. The images flow together nicely, and Cornish uses, as well as edits, the movie’s title graphics seamlessly. The best part, however, is the song, which accurately describes the film in a rather blunt, but clever way, and really does sound like a Bond theme.
4. Kcrudy — “cory worthington house party”
In 2008, the Australian current news show A Current Affair (ACA) aired a story about a party thrown by 16-year-old Corey Worthington while his parents were out of town. Kcrudy’s post, “cory worthington house party” shows the ACA interviewing Worthington, whose parents faced a possible fine of $20,000. Worthington uses the interview as an opportunity to begin advertising as a party-planner, which later proves to be a shrewd business move. People should watch this video not just for the humor, but also for the way it portrays today’s youth as inconsiderate, self-promoting capitalists.
5. speakmymind01 — “Unearthed Rod Blagojevich Flashback”
The Blagojevich scandal has become a signature moment of 2008 and continues to seep into 2009. “SHOCKING AUDIO Unearthed Rod Blagojevich Flashback 2006 ‘I’ll Never Take Bribes, It Would Be illegal,’” posted by speakmymind01, reveals that Blagojevich was not too keen on governmental philosophy while in college, and also that he promised his mother he would never take bribes because “it would be illegal, and I would never do anything to dishonor the memory of my father.”
