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Saturday, May 25th, 2013

The viral video party virus

Culture
April 13, 2011 by Daniel Gerichter

Illustration by Julia Morra

2002 – It was a chilly December evening. The night’s euphoria was a mix recently completed exams, imbibed spirits and anticipation of the upcoming holidays. Ours was a group who’d been close since grade school. We’d been together since childhood and were now becoming adults together. With hectic schedules, it was also getting more difficult for us all to arrange being in the same room at the same time.

I remember the music that played, what I drank, and who sat where. I remember the room lit by candles and Christmas lights. Conversation started in individual pockets, and expanded to include everyone. It shifted back and forth, occasionally turning into impromptu games of listing off activities nobody intended to actually do. A great party means never staring at your watch. You are aware of its impending end, but the good times keep rolling.

At some point, someone noticed the computer was on.

“Hey, have you guys heard of ebaum’s world?”

Within a half hour, people had exhausted their knowledge of ridiculous online videos. The room had been filled with a new, awkward silence.  Since then, Youtube has given us more of these sorts of videos than we know what to do with. The periods of group video-watching have gotten longer, and are the Achilles heel of great parties everywhere.

Imagine this sobering (and totally scientific) stat: 1 in 3 good times die as a result of YouTube consumption. Catching up with old friends? Wait! There’s a video of a cat that thinks it’s people! Celebrating some sort of milestone? Someone has transcribed a Bhangra video incorrectly – but to hilarious ends! Fight as you may, every party now comes standard with harbinger of this madness, thanks to Youtube: unapologetic murderer of innocent parties.

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