Check out the 60-second peek (which was just enough to make The Monitor really want to play the song on repeat for three hours) right here:
Speaking of viral videos, news broke last week that SuperDeluxe will be no more, with the site's content folding into brother site (and TV experience) Adult Swim. We're sorry to see the comedy video site go, and we certainly hope that gems like this "Mastering the Internet" video (and "Bathing With Bierko") will still have a place to shine:
When The Heart of the City Tour hit MSG on Friday night, Jay-Z and Mary J. Blige fans came to The Garden very excited for the big show ... and they were not afraid to show it.
Meet the very talented audience that stepped out to enjoy a night of music ... and share the songs in their hearts:
Were you there? Tell us all about it! Missed the show? You have two more chances to rock with Jay and Mary J. — tonight and tomorrow at The Garden.
There is nothing that The Monitor loves more than something that is so cute that it hurts. Seriously, aren't these dogs forcing you to take pain medication?
As big fans of things that are so very adorable we present this unbelievably darling (and perfectly brief) clip by The Buddy System. It's called "Clap Paws," it features smiley animated stars and butterflies that dance along to the song in the most delightful way, it has just the right amount of edge and it makes our belly ache with its stupendous cuteness.
Hero is a little boy from Korea who really likes the Beatles. When he was three, and still in diapers, Hero stood on a couch and recorded a series of Beatles covers which were posted on YouTube. "Self-motivation is what differentiates Hero from other child musicians like Michael Jackson who was forced to practice as a child," according to Hero's YouTube profile, which notes that he's learned all 27 songs on The Beatles' 1 on his own.
You've probably seen his pretty accurate (right down to the "Better, better, BETTER, AAAAHHHHH!") and completely adorable take on "Hey Jude," which has become a huge viral hit in recent days, almost a year after it went live. But just in case you've missed it, here is that "Hey Jude" again, followed by our four favorite other Hero performances ... which are better than about half of the "American Idol" contestants'take on the Beatles.
By this time next week, pretty much every show that's going to come back this season will have returned. That's a lot of long-awaited TV. Since we're so super excited that we can't think of much else, The Monitor presents TV Week.
Between the the network sites (and the non-networksites) there isn't a thing that you can't catch up with online. Right? Um, not exactly. The Monitor presents three things we haven't been able to watch on demand. (And, no, we're not getting over it.)
"Fast Times" the 1986 TV series
Does this pale in a pathetic comparison to the movie? Probably, but I'd like to see it now to judge for myself. Plus you know people want to see more Patrick Dempsey.
"Freaks and Geeks" original "Noshing and Moshing" end montage.
Why must I bust out an old eBay-ed VHS tape every time I
Hey, we
love Dean Martin, but imagine "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" over it's a whole new show.
"VD gets around" PSA No, not this one. Not even close.
"Clancy T. Bachleratt and Jackie Snad Sing Songs about Spaceships, Toddlers,
Model T. Cars & Jars of Beer." This might just be the most ridiculous "SNL" skit ever, but it gets no love on NBC.com or Hulu. Why oh why?
Do you watch most of your TV online or none at all? Is there something that you just can't find? Have you solved one of these TV mysteries? Tell us about it?
Are you excited for "Forgetting Sarah Marshall"? What if I told you it's the funniest movie I've seen in ages? Would you get excited then? Probably not, right?
That's OK, I'm prepared to present evidence.
Here's five great reasons* to see "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" *better than "I said so"
Fans hit Radio City Music Hall last week to catch a sold-out show by comedian Katt Williams, and they were ready for a good night out.
Meet the people who were amped for a raw and real performance by Williams — and guaranteed that the big night would produce big laughs from the performer that one man called "the new Richard Pryor." And that's no joke.
Though the past two Saturdays have kicked Sunday's butt when it comes to nice weather, Sundays-only Brooklyn Flea hasn't had trouble getting buyers to flock to its Fort Greene outdoor sale in the two weeks that it's been rolling.
Gawker Stalker mentions of Parker Posey aren't too exciting. There was a time when The Monitor couldn't go a week without running into her. What makes Friday's Stalker post exceptional is the benefit-of-the-doubt/to-each-her-own commentary on Posey's eye-makeup choices. "It looked like she'd been crying, but I think that's just how she wears her mascara."
Live from New York it's ... "The Mellow Show", this week's "SNL" sketch about really laid back musicians (Jack Johnson, Dave Matthews, John Mayer) that totally overlooks Jason Castro? We're very disappointed.
Most intriguing subway poster spotted this morning: An ad for Street Games 2008, a April 26 event at Harlem's Jackie Robinson Park that promises to show you the right way to play stick ball, Skully and Red Light, Green Light once and for all.
I've seen a lot of crazy stuff in New York, but I've never seen a clown. This isn't to say that I've haven't had the honor of watching a clown in action at a birthday party or the circus. It's a clown's ecosystem, after all. It's where clowns are meant to live — parties, the circus, Halloween or in the movies.
But technically, I've never really seen a clown wandering the streets of Manhattan and I wanted to change that. I wanted to know if it's possible for several million people to remain so indifferent that not even a clown could change the ebb and flow of New York.
I've seen a man selling books dressed as Superman. I've even seen people riding the subway in just their underwear. Did I care? No. Did others really care? Not particularly, unless you made them late for work. And I'm dismissing the Naked Cowboy in this experiment because he's a) famous and b) hangs around Times Square all day. This is not part of the formula for ebbing and flowing as a New Yorker.
So would anyone really care if a clown wandered the streets of New York in search of at least one laugh? Here's Part I of my version of Tyra Banksdressing up in a fat suit, except I'm dressed as — you guessed it — a clown:
Food Court Musical, the latest mission from Improv Everywhere, is a huge viral video hit, and we like it. But for those of us who have never been to a Los Angeles mall, it might not be so far off from what we'd expect to see there. Doesn't everyone walk around singing everything in Hollywood? (No? Oh.) More impressive are some of the recent stunts that Improv Everywhere has pulled off in New York. Because if you can make New Yorkers look twice, you're a winner.
The Frozen Grand Central project was a big one, and boy does it look cool. But The Monitor is a sucker for this relatively simple Starbucks prank. What happens when someone puts an ancient desktop where you expect a laptop to be (like on your lap)? People look, people are a bit confused, people smile, but in true NYC fashion, no one's too bothered and everyone's really quite nice.
"Chocolate Rain" singer Tay Zonday is a champion! Yay! Obama Girl and Chris Crocker are losers. Aww.
At midnight, we learned the winners of the second annual YouTube Awards, 12 prizes — in categories ranging from politics to adorable (if only more award shows had an "adorable" category!) — presented to the top user-created videos of the year as determined by YouTube user votes.
Without further ado, The Monitor presents the 2007 You Tube Video Award Winners:
Can't believe "Leave Britney Alone" is only a year old? Want to explain the many ways in which "How to Solve A Rubik's Cube (Part One)" has enhanced your life? Tell us about it.
Today's PSAs are very focused on making sure kids know that smoking and using drugs are terrible. Important issues, no doubt, but there are some finer points to being a healthy human and a good neighbor.
The Monitor looks back at our top five favorite public service announcements from a simpler time. We hope you learn your lesson.
1. Don't mistake pills for candy:
2. Stop wasting water:
3. Brush your teeth:
4. Never confuse a subway train with a garbage can:
5. Sometimes you should clean up other people's messes:
What's the greatest lesson you've learned from a one-minute TV spot? Share the wealth!
In honor of St. Patrick's Day, The Monitor shares with you an unforgettable "Muppet Show" performance of the iconic Irish tune "Danny Boy," by the incomprehensible Animal, Beaker and Swedish Chef. (It may be your only chance to hear the pipes calling if you plan to spend the day at Foley's).
In the days leading up to St. Patrick's Day, The Monitor will be
honoring pop culture's most venerable figures with Patron Saints Week.
Saint Bono ... now there's a title that doesn't sound completely out of place. With all of his work to feed the hungry, stop the spread of disease and bring arena rock to the masses, it's only right that the Irish singer would be considered for canonization -- he's even reportedly got his eye on a West 11th Street palazzo that wouldn't look out of place in the background of a stained-glass window.
Still not convinced? Have your own candidates for canonization? Tell us about it. And hit up How To Roll to get ready for the other side of St. Patrick's Day ... yes, the drinking.
While some of these videos may seem to be completely unrelated attempts to capitalize on a hot viral movement ("Hi! I am Bianca. Do you wana see me doing strip?," we're looking at you), we see something more in other clips that appear to be out of place on first watch.
Here's our top five answers to the video responses that may have left you asking, "Huh?"
1.
Hidden meaning: This is clearly a video representation of the opinion that celebrity endorsements are pointless.
2.
Hidden meaning: Foreign policy is child's play. (Alternate: Children need up-to-date maps that don't feature the Soviet Union.)
3.
Hidden meaning: Glowing aliens, scary dolphins, people hiding in closets, unanswered questions. We live in troubled times, and there are no easy solutions. Duh.
4.
Hidden meaning: Giants vs. Patriots? Bet on the underdog. (Alternate: Don't sing "Hallelujah" too soon.)
5.
Hidden meaning: False ending and Florida. Hmm. Is this a plea for a Florida Democratic Presidential primary do-over?
Have alternate interpretations to share? Posted a video response of your own? Tell us about it!
Richard Roeper, Jeffrey Lyons, Gene Shalit, even the Scene Stealers. If you want to watch someone review a movie, there are plenty of critics happy to help you out, but you're going to get pretty much the same thing wherever you look: Man talking to camera about a movie that he's either bowled over by or, more often than not, too smart to like.
Looking for a different perspective? Here are five movie reviews captured on video that explore some lesser-heard voices:
"Star Wars" According to a 3-Year-Old:
Reel Geezers Review "No Country For Old Men":
Tab-E-Tabs and Sam-E-Sams Review "Rebel Without Front Claws":
It's Tuesday, which brings new music and DVDs to stores. The day after a holiday is rarely a hot one for new releases, but there is one heavy-hitter out: Kidz Bop 13. Mark The Monitor's words, no other new release will top it on the Billboard albums chart. We're sure of it because, for whatever reason, cleaned-up versions of popular songs performed by a sound-alike and boosted by a chorus of little kids is a big seller.
We could point out the questionable tracklist of the latest installment (Do you want your kid singing about being suicidal — Oh, OK, they sub "in denial," nice one — or dropping the "a" from the word "apologize"?), but we'll let "Kidz Bop" speak for itself. See if you can spot the parody (Full disclosure: Outside of this context, it's pretty hard. I admit to being totally fooled.)
"Crazy"
"Move Along"
"Baby Got Back"
"Since U Been Gone"
"Chicken Noodle Soup"
Have a favorite Kidz Bop song? Want to share your own parody? Tell us!
There appears to be some sort of YouTube subculture of people who taunt their pets with robots — everything from plush dog-shaped remote-control things to super-intelligent animatronic beings that will probably kill us and take over the world.
While The Monitor does not condone tripping out one's animal companion for home entertainment, we do like to see a flesh-and-blood hero prevail over these metal menaces. Here are our five favorite viral videos pitting dog against machine:
1. Puppy vs. Robot: The Epic Battle
2. I Don't Know What You Are, But I Don't Like You
With only four weeks to go before "Semi Pro" is released — and Will Ferrell takes the Radio City Music Hall stage to host a night of comedy — more teases for the film are hitting the web. The clip for "Love Me Sexy," a tasty bit of 1970s seduction performed by Ferrell's character Jackie Moon, leads our latest list of the top five most clickworthy viral videos:
1. Jackie Moon's "Love Me Sexy"
2. Puppies are cute. Video bloggers are ugly. (NSFW)
3. Prince Akeem predicts the Giants win over Packers 20 years early.
4. Amy Wine-art
5. A message from The Perez Hilton Foundation (NSFW)
