This new political ad from Priorities USA Action, an Obama-affiliated Super PAC, may be the most brutal ad yet from the 2012 presidential election. Called “Understands,” the ad features the story of Joe Soptic, who claims he lost his job after Bain Capital, the financial services company for which Mitt Romney once served as CEO, shut down a plant where he worked. Soptic lost his health insurance along with his job, meaning he couldn’t pay for his wife’s treatment when she was diagnosed with cancer. Soptic’s wife died as he stood by, helpless. The seemingly implied message of the ad: Mitt Romney indirectly killed Soptic’s wife. Yikes. That implication aside, the factual foundation of the ad is built on tenuous ground. As the Washington Post pointed out on Tuesday, Mitt Romney had left Bain Capital before Soptic’s plant closed. A representative of Priorities USA Action also told the Washington Post that “this is another in a series of ads that demonstrates how long it took for communities and individuals to recover from the closing of these businesses.” Is this ad on target, or does it go too far? Share your thoughts in the comments. YouTube’s 10 Most-Shared Ads in July 1. DC Shoes: Ken Block’s Gymkhana Five: Ultimate Urban Playground, San Francisco The most-shared ad of July is a riveting, white-knuckle adrenaline ride through the streets of San Francisco. Watching Ken Block rip and shred through turns is a pure delight for speed junkies and gearheads. Anyone who winces at car crashes in movies – this is not for you. But good luck looking away. 2. Sesame Street: Share It Maybe We all knew this was coming right? It makes perfect sense that the Cookie Monster would spoof Carly Rae Jepsen’s song “Call Me Maybe” and turn it into a plea for you to share your cookies with him. We just have one suggestion. In the words of the immortal Randy Jackson, “I’m not sure about your tone dawg. It seems just a little bit off to me. Otherwise, I’m totally diggin’ it!” 3. Abercrombie Models Sing “Call Me Maybe” While Shirtless Supposedly this is a video created by the controversial store’s models and employees themselves. From the description: “To celebrate the song’s Summer popularity, A&F asked its hottest guys from its Flagship stores all around the world to have fun with the song — film it on their phones and to do whatever came naturally… This is what the guys sent back!” Regardless of who created it, it’s being shared like crazy. It’s got virtually the same recipe as the number two video so it makes complete sense to us. 4. Som Sabadell Flash Mob Flash Mobs still light up the charts on share counts. Banco Sabadell chose to celebrate its 130-year anniversary by arranging one of their own with some truly talented musicians and singers. The little girl conducting from the lightpost is one of the best visual moments, but it seems like a lot of the people […]
The BBC reported a Jordanian politician threatened an opponent with a gun on live TV. No shots were fired and no one was hurt. Before pulling out the gun, the man threw a shoe at the other candidate. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/07/07/jordanian-politicial-brandishes-gun/
When standard dominoes don’t provide adequate entertainment, get a bit creative. In a short YouTube video from F Stop Lounge, Fujifilm Australia Digital Training Specialist Warwick Williams and his daughter arranged 200 colorful digital cameras into one perfect line of dominoes. Watch the clip above to watch the the cringe-induced topple. BONUS: 12 GIFs With Unexpected Endings to Surprise Your Senses Unexpected GIFs Image: Tumblr Image: Imgur, Piezy Image: Imgur, Sir_Octopus_Dangle Image: Imgur, ayd1n Image: Imgur, Imgur Image: Imgur, clevknife Image: Imgur, StickleyMan Image: Imgur, Imgur Image: Imgur, ThePeanutBuddha Image: Imgur, Imgur Image: Imgur, ThePeanutBuddha Image: Imgur, Imgur Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/09/10/camera-domino-line/
Sometimes it’s better just to let a video do the talking — or, in this case, the rapping. So, because nothing we write could ever compare to this bit of Internet epic-ness, please just click play above. The mashup of Jay-Z’s hit song “99 Problems” with snippets of Barack Obama audio was uploaded to YouTube on Friday and created by one Diran Lyons. Warning: NSFW lyrics. Viral Photo Gallery 7 Fake Hurricane Sandy Photos You’re Sharing on Social Media Fake Hurricane Sandy photos flew around Twitter and Facebook on Monday, as users shared jaw-dropping images. Unfortunately, the race to post the most striking pics has most folks skipping the all-important fact check. We’ve gathered up five “Hurricane Sandy” photographs that have spread on the social web, but weren’t actually taken during the massive storm. Obama and Romney Are Your New Dress Up Dolls Still not sure who to vote for? Or maybe you’re dead-set on a candidate, and simply waiting for Election Day next week. Regardless of who you’re voting for on Nov. 6, both of these presidential candidates could use some change — of outfits, that is. The websites Change4Obama and Change4Romney will keep voters entertained until the election. Both sites, created by social discovery site SocialPlex, allow users to dress up Barack Obama or Mitt Romney as various characters. You can mix and match features like hair, eyes, nose and outfits. Your Favorite Logos Reimagined for the Zombie Apocalypse [PICS] There seems to be a craze for reimagining top logos and since this is Halloween, why not rethink them for a zombie apocalypse, right? Assuming that event were to come to pass, here’s what your neighborhood Starbucks and the gas station down the street might look like, as envisioned by artist Ben Fellowes. For more of these horrifying logos, check out his site. New York City Subway Needs a ‘System Restore’ [PIC] Yes, crashed Windows OS, we know the New York City subway system was unable to restart after Hurricane Sandy. And, yes, we would love to run a system restore. After Sandy ravaged the East Coast Monday evening, the subway system in New York City was left crippled. Not immune to inclement weather, the Windows-based display above the 77th Street subway stop seemed to have hit a snag as well. ‘The Walking Dead’ Gets ‘Dear Photograph’ Treatment [PICS] Dear Photograph, a popular nostalgia blog showcasing photos within photos, gave its visitors a terrifying surprise Wednesday: The Walking Dead-inspired posts. Dear Photograph creator Taylor Jones told Mashable he teamed up with FOX International Channels on the Halloween Day images, which folks at The Walking Dead created for their international ad campaign. Each of the two blog posts showcases a zombie and a post-zombie-apocalypse caption. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/09/28/epic-mashup-of-jay-z-and-obama-says-prez-has-99-problems-but-mitt-aint-one-video/
Important people need a kick of caffeine to tackle the morning, just like the rest of us less superior peons. Illustrator Steven Weinberg offers a look at the java habits of powerful people (and Muppets and dinosaurs) with a quirky series titled “Important People Drinking Coffee.” Pack the cream and sugar, then head to Weinberg’s website to take a sip of the full series. Image courtesy of Steven Weinberg Image courtesy of Steven Weinberg Image courtesy of Steven Weinberg Image courtesy of Steven Weinberg Image courtesy of Steven Weinberg BONUS: 20 Entertaining YouTube Videos Under 20 Seconds 20 Videos Under 20 Seconds 1. Can You Say Banana? Apples and banahoahahshas. 2. Cuban Spider Cuban Pete is king of the rumba beat. 3. Running Toy Poodle Just needed a little exercise. 4. Hokey Pokey Dog Hokey Pokey on repeat. 5. Yay! Kermit Arm Flail Typical Muppet reaction. 6. Gangnam Han Solo Style Gangnam Style + Star Wars = 11 Seconds of Awesome 7. Crawling Cat Pugs are pretty scary. 8. The Screaming Sheep AHHHHHHH! 9. Sneezing Baby Panda Gesundheit. 10. Soccer Ball + Face = Ouch No description needed. 11. Cat Fight Fur will fly. 12. Four Legs at a Time Hoppity hop pug. 13. We’re Trucking! Trucking, trucking…whaaa? 14. 5 Little Welsh Corgi Pembroke Puppies Sometimes all you need is a few seconds of puppies. 15. Cheerleader Fail. High kicks. 16. Afraid of Technology This is why people are afraid of technology. 17. How To Pronounce Hamburger Now you know how to say hamburger. 18. “I So Pale” Failed to watch for the red light. 19. Shortest Attention Span Ever Well, that was fun. 20. PSYwalker Luke tries to resist the Dark PSYde. Read more: http://mashable.com/2013/01/22/important-people-drinking-coffee-2/
You may never see iconic American chef Julia Child the same way after watching this YouTube remix. PBS Digital Studios celebrated Child’s 100th birthday with a video montage that turns her cooking lessons into a stylized song a la T-Pain. Remixed by John D. Boswell, a.k.a. melodysheep, the remix shows Child giving autotuned instructions for prepping meals. The video, which is third in a series of PBS icons remixed, includes gems such as, “As long as the dough is relaxed, it’s ready to roll — ready to roll.” Child, who died in 2004, was a noted cookbook author and host of The French Chef on PBS. The public broadcaster previously remixed footage of art instructor Bob Ross, as well as children’s television show host Mister Rogers. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/08/15/remix-julia-child/
America is down to the final hours before hitting the polls to decide the winner of the 2012 presidential election. By now, you likely know who you’re voting for, but this little guy is hoping to sway the electoral college vote with cuteness. “Little Mitt,” filmed by Portal A, features a sassy, pint-sized version of GOP candidate Mitt Romney. When told how great he looks, Little Mitt says, “Of course I do, I’m Mitt frickin’ Romney.” Watch Little Mitt shake hands with trick-or-treaters and neighborhood residents in the video above. The small politician even outdoes the real Romney in flag pins. BONUS: Elect to Laugh With 10 Mitt Romney Tumblr Pages 10 Mitt Romney Tumblrs 1. Mitt Romney Wearing Jeans Politicians always look a little awkward out of suits. Mitt Romney Wearing Jeans collects photos of the GOP candidate in denim instead of Dockers. 2. Little Face Mitt Big head, little face. Photoshop magic creates hilarity one teeny-tiny Mitt mug at a time. 3. Mitt Venn and Now The folks at Upworthy think the Romney campaign could use a little help putting together Venn diagrams. 4. Cats on Mitt Romney Self-explanatory. 5. Mitt Romney Ruining Perfectly Good Gifs Mitt’s giggling face ruins the Internet’s best GIFs. 6. Mitt and Rob Comedian Rob Delaney sends funny tweets to Mitt Romney, and Delaney’s buddy @pants illustrates the one-sided tweet-versations. 7. Amercia Is With Mitt In May, a typo in Mitt’s app — “Amercia” instead of America — sparked plenty of jokes at the former governor’s expense. Amercia Is With Mitt lasted less than a week, but it’s now a piece of blooper history. 8. Mitt and Lucille Photos of Mitt Romney + Quotes from Lucille Bluth from Arrested Development = Mitt and Lucille 9. Mitt Does Shakespeare More Tumblr math: Photos of Mitt Romney + Quotes from William Shakespeare = Mitt Does Shakespeare 10. Mitt Romney Confusing Children All that politician baby-kissing is sure to produce a funny photo or two. Or an entire Tumblr’s worth. BONUS: Mitt Romey’s Official Tumblr Page That’s right; Mitt Romney has an official Tumblr page. The page includes campaign updates, videos and supporter stories. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/11/05/little-mitt-romney/
10 Cutest Videos of 2012 1. Pandas Play on a Slide, Cuteness Ensues These sliding pandas went viral during Chengdu Panda Awareness Week. Meanwhile, our hearts melted in a gooey pile of black and white love. 2. This Adorable ‘Lip-Dub’ Marriage Proposal Is Worth Watching Now What wedding proposal is complete without Broadway dancers, a lip-dubbed version of “Marry Me” and a backwards driving car? This video gets our nod for most creative proposal of 2012. Yes, we’ll marry you. 3. Curiosity Rover Lands on Mars: Watch NASA Mission Control Go Crazy The Curiosity rover was one of the biggest celebs of 2012. While it’s only on Mars for two years, this video of Mission Control going bonkers after its successful landing will be in our hearts forever. Don’t kid yourself, we know you were crying more than that dude with the mohawk. 4. If Life Gives You Lemons, Give Them to This Beagle This beagle eats a lemon. There’s not much more to it. And yes, you will make that lemon-sucking-cringe face the entire time. 5. World’s Coolest Dad Sends Toy Train to Space Sorry dads, this guy just knocked you all out of the running for World’s Coolest Dad. He not only sent his son’s favorite toy into the stratosphere, he made an awesome video and was able to return the toy train using GPS. Don’t worry, the rest of you dads, there’s always 2013. 6. Sad French Kitty Wins ‘Best Cat Video on the Internet’ He’s French, he’s sad, he’s a cat. Watch and be amazed. Then head to the cat store for your own. 7. Presidential Campaign Makes 4-Year-Old Cry Abby, you captured the feelings of an entire nation in so few words. Abby for President 2016. 8. Caine’s Arcade: Cardboard Creation Inspires $90,000 Scholarship This nine-year-old boy just out-entrepreneur-ed the rest of America. He used cardboard to build an entire arcade — complete with business plans — and then became an instant viral hit as the star of this documentary. His story is so sweet, he should run for president in 2016 with Abby. 9. Baby the Bulldog Adopts Wild Boar Piglets Baby piglets, bulldogs and lots of love in our favorite adopted pet story of the year. 10. Aly Raisman’s Parents Mr. and Mrs. Raisman, you undeniably take home the gold medal for most supportive, anxious parents during a gymnastics competition. Ever. Way to stick that landing. BONUS: U.S. Marine Surprises His Beagle Dog The year 2012 marks the 237th anniversary of the Marines, so in honor of the troops, here’s a dog welcoming home his dad. It’s okay if you laugh and cry at the same time. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/11/14/cutest-videos-2012/
Once you see how the sausage is made, they say, you probably won’t want to eat it. A photographer named Peter Augustus created a photo series that shows popular food dishes next to their raw animal counterparts. It’s … eye-opening, to say the least. Elliott gives his take on it in the newest episode of Mashable Minute. Last week, we strongly persuaded you to not have sex with a shark. Check it out: Read more: http://mashable.com/2014/09/08/mashable-minute-food-porn/
DC Shoes and Ken Block are back with another gripping stunt reel: Gymkhana FIVE: Ultimate Urban Playground; San Francisco. Last year, Gymkhana FOUR was one of the most-shared ads in 2011. Can this one top it? Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/07/09/gymkhana-returns/
