Featured Video: Vacuum Kitty

Guaranteed to be the greatest 38 seconds of your day.

Featured Video: One Woman A Capella Disney Medley (Part 2!) by Heather Traska

You might recall that one of my all-time favorite videos on YouTube is Heather Traska’s “One Woman A Capella Disney Medley.” It’s quite possibly the most intricate and well put together video I’ve ever seen.

And guess what? She just released her second one! It features a lot more villains, including a quick cameo of her as Hades. If you know anything about me, you’ll know my love for Disney’s Hercules has no bounds.

Check out part two right here!

 
Which was your favorite part?

Featured Video: Never Ending Sneezing Bear

Wednesday’s post was a bit heavy, and in the wake of everything, I think we all need a dose of cuteness, don’t you?

I literally can’t stop watching this video. And I can’t stop laughing. HE’S SO ADORABLE.

Featured Video: ‘Whose Line is it Anyway?’ Inside Joke – Tapioca

Ever since the news that Whose Line would be coming back to our TV screens (praise!), I’ve had a driving need to rewatch this show. Luckily, you can find almost every episode on YouTube! Not only that, but there’s a whole host of accounts that put together great videos of your favorite games or your favorite hosts or even the best inside jokes.

This one is about tapioca of all things. My favorite part is when Ryan can’t even talk he’s laughing so hard.

Enjoy!

 

Featured Video: ‘To This Day’ by Shane Koyczan

My initial plan for today was to give you guys a run down on what I thought of The Host. However, that plan was quickly laid to rest when I found out we’re embargoed, even after being told something different at the event.

Bummer.

So, instead, I’ve got another featured video for you guys. I usually try not to do them back-to-back like this, but this one is so beautiful and powerful I couldn’t pass it up. I came across it thanks to the ever-fabulous Kait Nolan, who posted it on Friday.

This resonates with me, not as someone who got bullied, but as someone who was often neglected in school. I was always one step out of sync with everyone else, and although it usually didn’t bother me, I can’t say that I never wished, for once, that one of the popular kids would invite me to sit with them at lunch.

I’m much more confident today than I was back then, and that simply came from accepting I was different. From being proud that I wasn’t the same as everyone else. That I had higher aspirations and an outlook that meant I never quite saw things the same way as my peers.

I hope this poem and video helps other people realize they are who they are, and the sooner they accept that, the better off they’ll be.

Please share it with someone you think will appreciate it.

Featured Video: Girl plays three instruments at once (and puts us all to shame in the process)

What I wouldn’t give to play ONE of these instruments HALF as well as she does.

Do you ever feel like some people are just too talented for their own good?

Featured Video: Spray Paint Street Art

I’m just going to let the video speak for itself:

 

As someone who struggles to make a decent stick figure, this blows my mind. HOW DOES HE DO THAT? A better question would be: how does he do that with a couple of cans of spray paint, an old lid, and some magazine pages?

Astonishing.

I’ve seen a few of these in action, and they’re captivating to watch. Have you seen any done live?

Featured Video: Alice’s Restaurant

It’s a little late (when am I ever on time with anything??), but I just had to share this song.

It’s a Thanksgiving tradition between me and my dad, and we can’t go a Thanksgiving without listening to it. I’m not sure how widely known the song is (I showed it to my boss who I felt SURE would have heard it before and hadn’t), so I figured I’d pass it along.

Also, my week is swamped, and I need an easy post to go up.

“Alice’s Restaurant” by Arlo Guthrie

(Warning: Yes, the song is nearly 20 minutes long.)

 

So, what do you think? Have you heard it before? If not, did you find it funny or just really, really long?

Featured Video: The Grumpy Guide to Art

A friend of mine from college (a fellow art history major) passed this video along to me and I just had to share it with you guys.

You know I’m an advocate for taking subjects that are normally very boring and turning them around so that they’re interesting. Art history can definitely be one of those stuffy topics that people usually steer clear from.

What’s great about the video below is that it teaches you how to sound like you know a lot about art. You can put in a minimal amount of effort and still sound like an art snob! How cool is that?

The video is about 30 minutes long, but it’s pretty funny. It’ll also give you some basics about Pre-Raphaelites and Surrealists, not to mention some modern works as well.

 
Did you make it through the whole thing? What did you think? Do you have a favorite line? (Mine is the one about the three nymphs, LOL.)

Rising Stars: Epic Rap Battles of History

In this series, I like to tell you about an artist or group that has caught my attention. They’re not mainstream, but they have the potential to become pretty well-known given their extraordinary level of talent. I blogged about Karmin before they hit it big, and now they’re signed with L.A. Reid and have had smash hits on the radio.

I don’t have a particularly good ear for music that is well crafted or inventive. I just know what I like. I can’t promise that any of these artists will ever make it off YouTube, but I can say that I think they should. This is just my way of spreading the word about how amazing they are.

You guys seemed pretty impressed when I posted about George Watsky, the famed “Pale Kid Raps Fast” artist. Well, I’ve got another one for you. This is a web series called Epic Rap Battles of History. They take two fictional or historical figures and pit them against each other in a rap battle. Viewers get to decide who wins and who will be featured in the next one.

The guys who put this together (their internet personas are Nice Peter and EpicLLOYD) have a slew of talented people they can call on to dress up as these famous figures. They often play the parts themselves, but when a different person is better suited, they hand the reins over with no problems. (It just so happens that George Watsky has appeared in their videos twice, as well!)

It sounds silly and farfetched (and it IS), but these are well constructed raps that are intelligently written. They take facts and phrases from these people’s lives, give the characters larger than life personalities, and pit them against each other. Not to mention all the videos are hilarious.

(It’s come to my attention that I have, uh, a very specific sense of humor. These videos are completely ridiculous and a little rude, to put it lightly. The actors swear and make fun of the people they’re playing, just FYI.)

One of the best examples to see how they incorporate language and facts about these people into a rap can be seen in this video Shakespeare versus Dr. Seuss.

 
Crazy, right!? Some of them are a little more farfetched than others (Genghis Khan versus the Easter Bunny, anyone?), but they’re all so well written that you can’t help but just sit at your computer and laugh.

Another favorite one of mine is Barack Obama versus Mitt Romney, which is hilarious no matter which candidate you supported.

 
The thing I really enjoy about ERB is that they had a random idea and went with it. They didn’t let fear or money hold them back. In fact, their first rap battle was funded on just $50. They have more money now, but the principles are still the same. They do it because they love it, and that shows.

It’s a strange comparison, I know, but I draw inspiration from these guys. Their talent and passion is obvious and that has translated into their success. (And I mean SUCCESS – most of their videos have 30+ million views.) I can only hope that one day my passion will do the same for me.

You can check out season 1 and season 2, as well as behind-the-scenes for season 1 and season 2.

Website

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YouTube

So, tell me honestly – what do you guys think? Am I just really weird, or do you find these as funny as I do?