What?!

As my final Youtube blog has arrived at long last, I feel the need to leave whoever it is that reads these things with something substantial and significant. So instead of trying to impart some sort of knowledge or teach some sort of moral lesson, I will simply tell you about the Youtube video that has had the biggest influence on my life, with the exception of, perhaps, only Bro Rape. The video that I speak of was created by The Whitest Kids U' Know, and is quoted very frequently by my friends and me. It is entitled Abe Lincoln, and it tells the true story about what happened at the Ford Theater on that fateful night.

The video opens with a contemporary version of "Hamlet" that is filled with bloodthirsty vampires being performed on stage. Othello soon falls prey to a vampire, causing Hamlet to pledge to "Rid this castle of the vampire scourge that has taken this fair city." However, while Hamlet's back is turned, Othello, now a vampire, gets up and creeps closer to Hamlet. Not to let the brave protagonist get bitten, good old Abraham Lincoln speaks up from his balcony seat. "Oh, no. Hamlet turn around. He turned into a vampire! He's gonna bite you! Oh shit! Hamlet! I can't watch this. Hey everybody, I can't watch this." John Wilkes Booth, seated on the lower level near the stage, takes offense to the president's ruining "Hamlet."

From the following argument between President Lincoln and Booth, my friends and I have derived many useful and fun phrases to use in everyday conversation. Here they are:

• Which one of y'all dead mother fuckers said that shit?
• Was it you string bean? Ya skinny ass lookin mother fucker?
• Turn around and say it again!
• Now you fucked up. Now you fucked up. Now you fucked up. You have fucked up now.
• Ya fat ass piece of shit. Ya tub of lard lookin mother fucker.
• I don't know why you lookin up here at me bitch. Play's on stage.
• Listen to the woman John. Calm down, just calm down.

All of these phrases were uttered by the late President Lincoln. And, after all of that, John Wilkes Booth just snapped and decided that the only course of action was for him to beat the president to death with a hammer. In the butt. If you can believe the wild story put forth by the Whitest Kids U' Know, Lincoln was actually hammered in the butt so much, that he died from being hammered in the butt. Apparently, historians decided that the truth was too embarrassing, so they made up a cover story to protect our young nation. Whether or not this is an accurate account of the events that unfolded that night, it is a very entertaining video that I would recommend just as highly as any.

Most people probably don't think of C-SPAN as being a very funny television program, since it's known mostly for its discussions concerning public and political goings on. However, during the segment of the show where they take calls from viewers, things can get very funny indeed. This is because, for some reason, certain people feel an urge to call in and make completely inappropriate comments on national television. Usually, these comments refer to some part of the human anatomy, and they almost always involve cursing, and things like that always make for a great laugh.

It just so happens that someone out there has been kind enough to take the best and funniest of these calls and compile them into one Youtube video that's about eight minutes long. I first heard about this video a few years ago from a friend of mine who is like a goldmine of good Youtube videos. Good videos, mind you. Not great ones. However, I think this is one of his best finds to date. Probably due to the fact that these lines are not scripted and it's really funny to see a guest on C-SPAN get incredibly embarrassed when a caller reveals that they have been wondering what the guest, possibly pictured above, looks like naked. Just kidding, that's not him, but it's the only picture of someone on C-SPAN that I could find.

Another inevitable outcome of these prank phone calls that adds to the hilarity of the whole incident is the C-SPAN people getting real pissed off. Apparently one of the requirements to be an anchor on C-SPAN is a complete lack of a sense of humor. The anchors almost always try to make a smart comment insinuating how immature the prank caller is, desperate not to let him get away unscathed. However, they usually don't do too good of a job. The callers frequently cause the anchors to appear rattled and confused, making an unbiased outsider wonder how they ever got a job anchoring a news program.

My personal favorite prank caller has only one dream in life: to say fuck on tv. Once he calls in, he asks, "Am I on the air?" "Yes," says the anchor. Then he says, "Fuck," and hangs up. I think that particular comment stands out in its simplicity. The caller doesn't try to do too much, he just goes for a classic move that is sure to cause havoc by unleashing one of the most taboo words in the English language. The exceedingly clever anchor only makes it better by pausing to think of a particularly witty response before coming out with a weak "thanks." However, there are many other classics in this clip, including the guy who is in deep debt and needs to get a "penile implant," and the guy doesn't think that the war with the robots is such a good idea. I'm not going to tell you that this is one of the greatest Youtube videos of all time, but if you have a few minutes to burn, it wouldn't hurt to check it out.

Tourette's Guy? More Like Tourette's Lie.

All of the Youtube videos that I have talked about so far have been ones of which I am personally a big fan. However, today I will depart from this pattern. There is one video that has been hyped by my friends that did not come close to delivering the expected laughs when I actually got to see it. That video is Tourette's Guy.

A few of my friends claim that the video is so good that belief in Tourette's Guy, pictured at left, has become one of the basic tenets of their religion. I don't see why that would ever happen. The videos on Youtube that I find to be funny are ones in which the characters are either acting funny or being funny. That is to say, it's clear whether they are being themselves or just putting on a show. For instance, in Unforgivable, Hodge Stansson is obviously putting on a show. This fact shines through when he and/or the cameraman interrupts the filming because they're laughing too hard. On the other end of the spectrum, Corey Worthington is all too plainly being himself. If anyone tried to act that obnoxious and arrogant, I don't think it would be funny at all. But since it comes so naturally to him it is quite amusing.

This is where I have a problem with Tourette's Guy. During my first viewing, I thought this was a man who legitimately had Tourette's Syndrome. It isn't too rare of an occurrance for a person to dismiss it as a possibility, and for most of the video there is no evidence to suggest that Tourette's guy is, indeed, acting. I was convinced that he honestly was suffering from Tourette's.
However, at the end of the video, he slips up. He laughed at himself for the first time. It was then that I started getting mad. How could he fool me like that? I trusted and believed in him, only to learn that he was a big, fat fake. Just like Santa Claus.

At first, I was pissed off. I didn't know what to think. Deep down, I still wanted to believe that was really how Tourett's Guy was, and he wasn't just acting. However, everyone I talked to about it said that they knew he didn't really have Tourette's the whole time. Apparently I was the only one who fell for it. I was so angry that I held a grudge against Tourette's guy for a long time for fooling me. In fact, I held a grudge until writing this blog forced me to take one more look at him.

As it turns out, I wasn't really mad at Tourette's Guy. I was mad at myself for being fooled. Watching the video knowing that he was just an actor made it a hell of a lot funnier. Maybe because it brings a huge moral issue into play by having him pretend to suffer from a condition that many other people are truly forced to live with on a daily basis. Maybe I was just able to accept it for its face value and not try to read into it too deeply. Whatever the case, Tourette's Guy has found a place in my collection of favorite Youtube videos, though it's not quite yet on the level where I'm thinking of incorporating it into my religion.

What Comes Before Part B?

Seeing as though we're all college students, I would think it's a safe assumption to conclude that all of us have been to a party. A few of these might have even been especially big and wild, with fifty or even one hundred people attending. However, unless you count Franklin Street, I doubt any of us have ever been to a party as big and wild as the one in this Youtube video featuring Australian teen Corey Worthington, or Corey Delaney, depending on which source you want to believe.

After his parents went out of town, he decided to have a house party with some of his "mates," and things got just a little out of hand. Before long, 500 people showed up and proceeded to trash his neighborhood as well as police cars that arrived on the scene. In the end, Corey ended up being faced with a $20,000 fine to cover the damages caused by his party.

All of this commotion led to Corey's fifteen minutes of fame as he was later interviewed on a news channel about his party, which is where the actual video comes from. I think I need to set the stage a bit before I describe this verbal exchange. Corey is wearing oversized yellow glasses, a bright multi-colored baseball cap, and unbuttoned camouflage jacket showing his nipple ring, and he has shaggy, bleached blond hair: exactly as pictured above. The anchorwoman, who seems very offended about Corey's lack of remorse, repeatedly questions him about his thought process leading up to the party. When this doesn't satisfy her, she insists that Corey take off his sunglasses and apologize to everyone who he wronged. He refuses to take off his glasses, claiming that they are famous. Why, you might ask? Well, all of us soon learn the answer because the anchorwoman asks that very question. "Because everyone likes them," he explains.

Desperate to score some sort of moral point against this unruly teen, the anchorwoman asks Corey what he would say to other kids who are thinking of having a party while their parents are away. His response? "Get me to do it for you. Best party so far, that's what everybody's been saying." However, she just can't let it go. Before ending the interview, she suggests to Corey that he should go and take a good, hard look at himself. Not to be put down by this woman even once, Corey reveals that he already has."I have," he says. "Everyone has. They love it."

All-Access

While I have certainly touched on it in previous blogs, I have not yet delved too deeply into one of Youtube's most redeeming qualities: the fact that it is available for use by everyone. Yes, that's right - anyone who signs up with Youtube can immediately begin uploading their own videos to be seen by the world. While this does bring many privacy issues into play, they can easily be dealt with because Youtube allows you to block users as well as manage your own profile settings to dictate how much information you share. This is very helpful when some creeper is sending you videos and you are tired of being bothered.

Because anyone can upload anything, you sometimes have to wade through a big lake of crap to find a good, funny video, but it's always worth it. Take one of my favorite diamonds in the rough for instance. I don't remember how I stumbled upon "Fire Melon," but it is now one of my favorites that I pull out whenever I'm sitting around the campfire with friends sharing Youtube videos. Some really smart guy hollows out a melon, fills it with gasoline, lights it on fire, and hits it with a baseball bat. My favorite part is right before he does it, his friend asks him if he's ready, to which he replies "Damn skippy I'm ready!" Right after he does it, he is engulfed in a fire ball and he runs away cursing and kicking off his burning shoes. Without Youtube and its ability to make video sharing available for everyone, people like this might actually focus their attention on lame, boring stuff like school work and not have nearly as much fun in their lives. I mean, catching yourself on fire is only so much fun until you can share it with 69,028 people on Youtube.

Just sitting here at my computer, I have discovered so many great videos that you can watch and enjoy for nearly every occasion. This one video, entitled "REAL Ghost Footage," shows a mysterious light for about fifteen seconds, and then some dude pops up in front of the video camera with a ghost mask on, a lot like the one pictured at right. It really scared me the first time I watched it, and it is sure to do the same to your roommate if you show it to him or her this close to Halloween. After I got my fix of ghosts and scares, I moved on to other stupid acts that were more reminiscent of "Fire Melon." You would be surprised to see how many different ways of making a bomb you can learn from Youtube. So far, I have seen them made with "The Works" toilet cleaner and aluminum foil, Mentos and Coke, or just by hitting a can of WD-40 that's been in a bonfire.

Regardless of what you're in the mood to watch, chances are you will be able to find it on Youtube without too much hassle. Along with plenty of other stuff that you weren't really looking for but is kind of cool anyway.

Unforgivable

Something has been terribly wrong with this blog for a long, long time. Since I began it, in fact. The problem is, I have been constantly writing about Youtube videos but, until today, I have forgotten to pay respects to what is probably the greatest of them all. If you haven't already guessed from the title, I will give you a few hints. It's a series, it's filmed in the woods, it's widely imitated, and it involves a really angry black guy named Hodge Stansson, pictured at right. Of course, it's none other than "Unforgivable."

In the first video of the series, Stansson comes on strong with what will become his most memorable line from all of the "Unforgivable" videos. When the girl he's at the mall with asks what he wants to eat, he responds, "Get me a chicken sandwich and some waffle fries ... fo' free!" This is indicative of Stansson's attitude throughout all of the stories that he recounts via Youtube. He comes off as a hard-core, gangster, womanizer. Nearly every story he tells has something to do with his interactions with the opposite sex, which often turn very graphic. For this reason, I won't go into detail about those parts of the videos.

Also in the first video of the series, Stansson delivers what is probably my favorite "Unforgivable" quote of all time. Upon learning that his date has two brothers, he rants, "Bitch, you better not have no siblings. That's a mistake!" This line, just like all of his others, is delivered in a voice that is very original. Hodge Stansson has a deep, scratchy voice that he uses during all of these videos. It is obvious that a great deal of people find it to be catchy and funny, because when you search "Unforgivable" on Youtube there are well over 7,000 results.

At this point, I think it would be appropriate to explain a little bit about why Stansson felt the urge to create these videos. It turns out, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs was sponsoring a commercial-making contest for his new cologne fragrance, "Unforgivable." Hodge Stansson, a student at Valencia Community College in Florida, according to online sources, decided he could do a good job at making a video in keeping with the "Unforgivable" theme. While I think the combined 30+ million people that have viewed his videos on Youtube would agree that he had incredible success with this project, unfortunately, Combs and the other executives at his Sean John label did not. None of Stansson's videos ever made it into a commercial for "Unforgivable" cologne. However, he has created a cult following on Youtube and gotten some great exposure for his talent in the area of film and art. If only he could find a slightly less vulgar outlet for his vast talents, Stansson could soon be very successful indeed.

Bo Fo' Sho'

I feel as if I was deprived my whole life before I came to college. But not because of the extra freedom, new friends, or late-night parties. I feel deprived because, before I got to Chapel Hill, I had never heard of Bo Burnham. Who is this wonderful guy, you might ask? Some sports superstar, a famous celebrity, or maybe a powerful leader? No way. He is a college student a lot like you and me. Except for one thing: he's a lot funnier.

While Bo might look like a nerd or a geek, he actually seems pretty cool. Or at least you get that impression when you listen to his comedic songs. And I must add, one of my friends claims to have met him, and apparently girls are all over him back in Massachusetts or wherever he's from. Anyway, he mainly does raps while playing piano or songs while playing guitar. And if you try not to laugh while listening to these songs, you will fail miserably.

Bo's first big hit, "Bo Fo' Sho'" is the reason most people first found out about him. In it, he describes himself as "a born Bostonian/Aryan librarian of the word Smithsonian," and it seems to fit him well. He masterfully weaves rhymes together and creates jokes that are quite complex, and, at some times, extremely crude and vulgar. This is why I wouldn't recommend this type of humor to anyone who doesn't enjoy "Superbad" type movies. With lyrics like "though I'm sexually straight, you're bound to find/I'm mentally gay because I'll blow your mind," some people are bound to be offended.

Another real winner from Burnham, and my all-time favorite, is "I'm Bo, Yo," and I guess it must be most other people's favorite as well, since it has more views than any of his other videos. In the chorus, Bo is tooting his own horn, so to speak, saying "I'm the greatest rapper ever/and I'll weather your weather/whether you think I'm clever or not./Think you're better? You're not/don't need a sweater I'm hot." While you might think those rhymes don't sound too vulgar and maybe Bo is capable of being funny withot being gross and inappropriate, you're wrong. He quickly squashes any thoughts of that nature with some hilariously offensive remarks- "I spit fire like I just blew a demon./My shit's so hot I'll leave your toilet bowl steamin'." and "I don't know if all boy scouts are gay./But they can probably tie the knot in, like, fifty different ways." If you don't take offense to any of that because you aren't a demon or a boy scout, don't feel unappreciated. I have omitted the most offensive of his lines. You will have to watch the video for yourself to hear those.

I am not, by any means, saying that I agree with Burnham's lyrics that can often be borderline racist and blatantly sexist. All I'm saying is that he is really funny.

The Versatile Youtube

While my blog might give you the idea that Youtube is only useful for entertainment and laughs, that would be a terrible misconception. It can also serve as a valuable source for catching up on news and other important information. You can find anything from highlights from the UConn game this past weekend to CNN reports on the current financial crisis . As a matter of fact, I recently started watching the first presidential debate since I missed it when it aired a little over a week ago. Friday night just isn't a good time to sit down and watch a debate, so obviously I had to prioritize. This is where Youtube comes in. I suddenly found myself freed from the rigid restrictions of cable programming to do as I pleased with my time. And now, a few hours before the second debate, I finally have some time to see the first one.

My first impression from seeing the two candidates on television facing off for the first time was that Obama seemed more confident and eloquent than McCain did. While neither candidate has scored significant points on any major issues as far as I can tell (I'm only about 15 minutes into the debate), the way that each appears on camera is still very influential to the way they are perceived by viewers. I don't think it would be entirely inappropriate to draw a parallel between these debates and the first televised debates between Kennedy and Nixon. This is because, just like in 1960, the viewers could easily have their votes swayed toward the candidate who is more attractive and appears more at ease and authoritative at the podium. While this may be a small part of the relevant information a voter should consider before voting, it should definitely not be the deciding factor.

Unfortunately, I think many voters will not stop to consider other, more important aspects. For example, I doubt many people have taken the time to get on each candidate's website to read about their views on some of the more important issues. While it's true that a debate should reveal each candidate's stance on issues that are discussed, it might not always happen. I know I haven't gotten too far into the video yet, but the moderator, Jim Lehrer, has not succeeded in getting Obama and McCain to actually get into an argument so far. He actually stopped Obama in mid-sentence and told him to speak to McCain rather than the audience. For the first fifteen minutes, at least, the two candidates didn't do much debating, but mainly just agreed with one another.

In this sort of debate, which is nothing like the picture at right, voters are likely to focus mainly on appearances rather than the issues. I think this would be a big mistake. Who you choose for president is a very important decision, and not one you should make without first learning where each candidate stands on the economy, health care, national defense, etc. Once elected, our new president will have to do much more than look good in front of the camera. He will have to lead the effort to fix our economy, find a way to remedy the situation in Iraq, and undertake many other projects to correct the various maladies that our country is faced with. I won't tell you who is right for the job until I have done a bit more research on each candidate's website, however. All I want is for others to do the same.

Duke Tailgate

So far, I have focused on fairly well-known videos in my blog, but something happened this weekend that must be noted. I went to tailgate at Duke's home football game. I'm not sure who they played, but it honestly didn't matter. It is seriously the craziest thing that I have ever seen. And if you attack me for being a traitor or not having school spirit, you obviously never been lucky enough to go to a Duke tailgate yourself.

I'm going to apologize in advance for the poor quality of this video, but its erratic nature is actually well-suited for the occasion. That's because, in this unremarkable parking lot near Wallace Wade stadium, a world exists like none you've ever seen before. To give you an idea of what it's like, let me first describe the dress code: anything you want. Preferably something that you wouldn't mind getting ruined. Here are a few girls in typical tailgate garb on the walk over to the parking lot. You can tell that spandex and bright colors, including tie-dye, are favorites, but it wasn't uncommon to see people wearing leotards, tiger stripes, leopard print jump suits, or Halloween
costumes.

Bathing suits are highly recommended for guys, as well as a tolerance for showering in Busch light, because at some point you will have it poured on your head. If you're not into bathing suits, jerseys and basketball shorts also seemed to be popular. I saw all types of jerseys, from Duke football, to NBA teams, to little league recreation teams.

Unfortunately, I can't find any pictures of this event on the internet, so I am forced to supply my own. For this reason, I'm going to go ahead and share one that I'm actually in. You can't see my flowery bathing suit, but I guarantee to you that it's there. However, you can tell that everyone is a little damp, even though it wasn't raining. Unless, of course, you count the kind of precipitation that contains alcohol.

I highly recommend viewing the video because these pictures just don't do the tailgate justice. Even though it lacked a few of the traditional elements associated with tailgating, it wasn't any less spectacular. For instance, I didn't see a hot dog or hamburger all day, but surprisingly, no one seemed to care. And even more highly than I recommend watching the video, I recommend actually going and partaking in this phenomenon for yourself. Don't be like the girl in Cluck-U and say "yeah but it can't compare to our tailgates." You will only be laughed at by anyone who has been to one at Duke.

My New Haircut

"Not now chief, I'm in the fucking zone!" This line comes from "My New Haircut," which is one of my favorite Youtube videos, and possibly the most widely recognized of them all. As I am writing this, it has racked up 18,411,573 views on Youtube to date. Very impressive indeed.

Why has it become so well known? First of all because it is hilarious, and second of all because it makes fun of a fairly small group of people, so it's ok to laugh at them without feeling bad. And, although I don't think I've ever met a "guido," the egotistical Italians with too much hair gel portrayed in "My New Haircut," it would seem that their behaviors are greatly exaggerated to squeeze out as many laughs as possible. This also makes it more acceptable to laugh at these people because you can tell yourself "they can't really be like that."

At least as they appear in "My New Haircut," guidos are young and fit males who spike their newly cut hair and wear big, flashy sunglasses. Their shirts are unbuttoned to show off their chests, with collars popped because, to quote the video, "I'm the fucking man and everyone should know it." They believe they are superior to females, and that any members of the opposite sex who don't like their haircuts are "fucking skanks." Furthermore, they are superior to other members of the same sex, and they don't hesitate to start fights with anyone who looks at them the wrong way. Perhaps this is because they spend countless hours in the gym and they consume plenty of protein, muscle milk, human growth hormone, and power bars, not to mention steroids. As for steroids, they "eat that shit for breakfast, lunch and dinner." Finally, they can consume superhuman amounts of alcohol, mainly heineken and jagerbombs. Jagerbombs, in particular, seem to be their favorite, as they are purported to "shower in that shit."

But what is the point of all this? Why would anyone take their time and effort to put something as ridiculous as "My New Haircut" on the internet? I'm not sure, but I will attempt to give my best explanation. There is a certain branch of economics that is concerned with decision making - why people do what they do. These people, Utilitarians, would have you believe that people always act to maximize their utility - the satisfaction they derive from any activity. In this way, whatever you choose to do is that which yields you the most utility at any given time.

The question still remains, however. Why do people derive utility from posting pointless videos? Why aren't they having fun or doing something productive? The answer is, they are having fun and being productive. People enjoy making others laugh, and when over 18 million people have viewed your video, it's got to be pretty damn funny. So maybe that's why Youtube exists: to make people happy, and to make them laugh. Not only those who are entertained by these online videos, but also those who post them. I know that might seem a little far fetched, but it makes me happy to think of it that way. So to anyone who wants to argue with my proposed reason for the existence of Youtube, all I can say is "not now chief, I'm in the fucking zone."

Roofie Roulette

I hang out with a fairly diverse group of friends, but one thing that ties us together, whether we're runners, frat guys, southern boys, or debate kids, is that our major source of humor is gay jokes. Not that we pick on gay people by any means. Actually, I forgot to mention that my group of friends also includes a few who are openly gay. What I mean is that we pretend to be gay and then laugh about it.

One of my friends in particular is an all star at a game called gay chicken. If you do anything gay to him, he always does something back even gayer. The first one to get gayed out and step down loses. My favorite antic of his is when he holds hands with guys in public. This usually doesn't last long because most people don't have as high a gay threshold as he does, but it always has me cracking up. Especially when it's on a crowded street. Franklin for example.

There is this video on youtube that I really identify with because I have a suspicion that it was created by someone who is very like my friends. This video is called The Worst Drinking Game Ever. It begins with a bunch of guys sitting around playing drinking games. Then one of them suggests a new game called "roofie roulette." He then goes on to explain how the game is played: "I take out one of these little babies, like so. I drop it in a beer and we close our eyes, right? We shuffle the beers all over the fucking table so we don't know whose is whose. We drink ... loser passes out."

Surprisingly, the other guys seem to love this idea and they commence to playing. However, the game suddenly takes a turn for the worst. And worst in a gay way. The one who proposed the game also says that the losers who pass out should be raped because with roofies, rape is implied. The other guys dont like the idea at first, but for some reason, they go along with it. The video ends with only two guys left. The guy who suggested the game passes out and just as his friend is about to relieve him of his pants, he miraculously wakes up, along with the other two guys. As it turns out, it was all just a joke to see if the last guy would actually do it. And he was about to before everyone else sprang back to life, so that proves that hes a fag. Even though the other guys raped men.

While I do find this video to be hilarious, I don't want anyone to get the idea that me or my friends would actually try something this extreme, just for laughs. Or any other reason for that matter.

I Love Runners

This is my attempt to replicate Karl's style. Enjoy.

Running is a great thing. If you have been walking around campus, or any area where there is a high concentration of young adults, you have surely seen runners out getting exercise. Many of you may think these people are crazy for choosing to run, but, believe it or not, there are many great reasons to start running. I will explain exactly why I think everyone should be a runner.

• First of all, have you seen runners? They're fucking hot. Runners tend to be in great shape and have amazing legs, abs, everything. If you run, you will usually be a healthy person and it will show in your appearance. I don't think I could ever date a non-runner because it just wouldn't be the same.
• Need another reason to run? When you run, you can eat whatever you want. No more watching what you eat or going on worthless diets. Ice cream, pizza, burgers, and anything else will not cause you to gain an inch on your waistline because of the massive amounts of calories you burn while running. But isn't eating bad foods unhealthy? It doesn't matter. As long as you look like you're healthy, who cares if you're malnourished. I eat terrible when it comes to fruits and vegetables, but you would never know by looking at me. And to anyone who would say they are healthier or in better shape than me because I have unhealthy eating habits, I challenge you to a race. As long as it's over half a mile, I will win, effectively proving that I am in better shape.
• But running is boring and no fun, right? Wrong. Some of the greatest and funniest people are runners, and the best way to meet them is to run with them. Cross country practice often turns into a three hour affair because when so many awesome people get together they just can't stop having fun. You find things to do that aren't even remotely related to running, like making bombs with aluminum foil and toilet cleaner or throwing chairs off the top of stadiums. If you decide to take up running, be prepared for the best time you've ever had.
• What is the number one reason to be a runner? The shorts. Runners wear the shortest shorts possible, and it is fucking glorious. Brooks. Asics. Nike. They all make wonderful sorts that are very short indeed. You feel so sweet wearing these things and they show off your legs that are so muscular and toned from running all those miles. You feel great, you get tons of attention from members of the opposite sex, you don't get too hot, and old men laugh at you. Are those all great reasons to wear running shorts? Yes they are.

If you choose not to run, that's fine, but it's a choice you need to urgently reconsider because of all of the wonderful benefits that come with the running lifestyle. So I have two words for all of the non-runners who still aren't convinced: start now!

Youtube and its Promotion of Bros and Bro Culture

As we have seen a tremendous rise in internet technology over the past decade or so, people have interacted more and more by means of computers. One of the internet's most wonderful gifts that has come out of this shift is, in my opinion, the well-known website youtube.com. It is not uncommon for a person to post a video they have made on youtube so that they may share it with their friends, as well as anyone else who might stumble across it. By this method, I have come to view several of my own friends portrayed in various embarrassing, comedic, or even glorifying ways in youtube videos. While I myself do not (to my knowledge) appear in any of these videos, I can tell you that I'm a huge fan, and I'm not alone.

It would seem that everyone has seen a few youtube videos, and there are a few that everyone has seen, but only a small percentage of these could actually be called life changing. I don't mean in a way that is spiritually or philosophically revolutionary. That fare is pretty slim on youtube, unless you're of the sort that can identify with Hal Lindsey. I mean life changing in the sense that you see something that you incorporate into your lifestyle or take with you once you've logged off or shut down. For my group of friends in high school, the video that became a part of our everyday routine was Bro Rape.

"Bros" were what we aspired to be, and the bro rape video provided a concrete example of what bros were all about- "An eighteen to twenty-four year old male who wears birkenstock sandals, watches family guy, plays ultimate frisbee, and wears an upside-down visor or a baseball cap with a pre-frayed brim." Below is a picture of your typical bro.




They play game cube, drink natty ice, and listen to Jack Johnson, Incubus, and especially Dave Mathews. They seemed like the epitome of college students who were having the time of their lives while hanging out with their bros, and as we were all going to college in less than a year, so attempts to emulate these bros were numerous.

Before long, however, we saw the faults of bro-ing out all the time and we realized a need to just be ourselves. We abandoned our imitations of these wearers of abercrombie water polo shirts and entered college with a more individual sense of identity than we possessed when we were trying to just be bros.