The Harvard Viral Review: Because you spend so much time on YouTube anyway…
By Daniel Villafana
Letter from the Editor
Dear Readers,
The Harvard Viral Review was founded to aid students in their procrastination. Statistics I have just made up show that 40% of all-nighters are a direct result of viral streaming. We have all put off an assignment because YouTube is only a click away. If precious time is to be inevitably wasted, it is our goal at HVR to help you do it in a productive way.
Viral streaming has also become a popular way of socializing. HRV takes a public stand against Final Clubs. We feel it is possible to decrease Final Club popularity by referring students to quality online entertainment. Every time a group of students stay home on a Saturday night and gather around a computer screen, it warms our hearts and motivates us to continue to write these otherwise useless reviews.
Love,
Daniel
P.S. Last November in search of Two Girls One Cup I came across Two Girls One Ballot. That viral inspired me to go out and vote for our new president. Internet videos are a powerful thing.
John McCain and His Vegetable Friends
Obama’s good looks are really first class; he defeated a superhero in a race to the country’s presidency. John McCain a superhero? Yes. Much in the same way that Aquaman can speak to marine animals, John McCain can speak with vegetables. Agriman! This animated viral is the quickest and perhaps cheapest way to experience a bad trip, if for some reason you would ever want to. The replay value is –(High), that is to say you will replay it several times but not for your enjoyment. You will also find that this video is very useful in getting people to leave your room.
The Front Fell Off
This debate between John Clarke and Bryan Dawe will make you break a cold sweat after two minutes of rib-clutching laughter. No worries, though; it is a satire. The skit is a parody of an interview about an oil tanker accident in which the “front fell off.” Quick summary: 20,000 tons of crude oil spilled into the ocean, but no harm was done because the wreck was quickly towed outside of the environment. Now that green is the new crimson, comedy like this is becoming increasingly popular. This viral is a friendly reminder that people who do not believe in global warming and can tell you with a straight face are CRAZY. The replay value is mild, like a dab of Tabasco deluded with lemon.
The Sheppard Tone
This viral is sound only. What seems to be a tone continually getting lower is in fact a repetition of the same series of pitches. If this technical mumbo-jumbo does not make any sense, here it is in layman’s terms: OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.
Final word, this video is trippin’ balls.
Kittens, Inspired by Kittens
If you need to judge a person’s character, sit them down in front of this viral. If you do not hear an “AAWWWW” out of that person’s mouth within ten seconds after pressing play, you know that you are in the presence of evil. Seriously, if there is a heaven, it consists of an infinite playback of Kittens, Inspired by Kittens. Every time I watch this video I forget that Sinclair’s The Jungle was ever written. Replay value: download it as a .wmv and make it your desktop background.
A Bit of Fry and Laurie – “Mystery Song”
Doesn’t watching a Steven Fry and Hugh Laurie skit make you feel so sophisticated? Laugh with your legs crossed, try it and see, it’s so cool, quite a mystery. Take your laptop, sit under a tree, press play and listen: instant ecstasy.
Hugh Laurie has written a beautiful love song. The piano plays a soothing melody while Laurie’s voice hits notes that many thought were unique to the range of Kermit the Frog. The song unfolds the mystery of Laurie’s love. It starts off very innocently; Laurie is concerned that his lover may live in a different country. Listeners cannot help but cheer him on as he examines his heart under a magnifying glass. In the latter half of the song, however, we discover that in fact his love has died…fifteen years ago, this coming January. Then the tears come, they did for me. If you are not familiar with Fry and Laurie, consider this your gateway drug. Once you watch it and fall in love, watch their Hey Jude and Tricky Linguistics.
GI Joe PSA Ice
Watch this viral. DON’T WATCH THIS VIRAL. This is a parody of the GI Joe cartoon series. Clips are cut from episodes and then dubbed over. I am often told that this is a video only teenage boys will enjoy, and although I am against gender profiling, this is one case where it is true. It is difficult to pinpoint what exactly is funny, but rest assured that it is. If GI Joe tickles your pickle, watch a few of the other clips. If you fail to see the humor then you are a penis pump, pshh. Replay value = 1/0