/ 23 April 2010

Six great YouTube moments

The videos that rocked our desktops

Star Wars Kid

In 2002, a Canadian high-school student filmed himself in a basement, twirling a stick as if it were a lightsaber. The tape was discovered by schoolmates, who YouTubed it. Unhappy at his newfound fame, the Kid sued his chums, but it got him references on everything from South Park to Arrested Development.

OK Go, Here It Goes Again
The US band’s performance of a dance routine on treadmills was an instant viral hit. A single shot, captured in an impressive 17 takes, this award-winning video is used as an example of successful online marketing. The idea has also recently been borrowed for a Berocca advert.

Dirty Dancing wedding
Other people’s wedding videos are normally dull, but Julia Boggio and James Derbyshire’s was a bit different. Their jaw-dropping first dance was shared not only with their wedding guests, but the rest of the world too. Cue an Oprah invitation for the newlyweds, where Patrick Swayze was on hand to pay a compliment.

Tina Fey does Sarah Palin
The 2008 US election was quickly redefined as the first YouTube election. Obamagirl deserves a mention for her ditsy pop videos, but by far the most entertaining clip was Tina Fey’s impersonation of Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live, which spread quicker than you could say, “I can see Russia from my house.”

Susan Boyle, I Dreamed a Dream
When Susan Boyle’s 2009 Britain’s Got Talent audition was uploaded, the church volunteer and aspiring singer was propelled to stardom overnight. Diversity may have triumphed on British television, but they can’t say they were the most-watched YouTube video of last year.

The killing of Neda Agha-Soltan
Her death on a Tehran street during the 2009 Iranian uprising was captured on a cellphone and broadcast to millions around the world. Barack Obama commented: “I think that anybody who sees it knows that there’s something fundamentally unjust about it.” – guardian.co.uk