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 […]
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/
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/
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/
Benny and Rafi Fine of the Fine Bros.Image: YouTube YouTube creators the Fine Bros. aren’t sweating the 66th Primetime Emmys, despite that they’re on the nomination ballots, which are due back Friday. Too busy cranking out three videos a week to think about much else. But if the makers of popular shows like Kids React sneak in, they’ll make history. SEE ALSO: The Path From YouTube to Movie Star Just Got Wider That’s because no native YouTube creator has ever garnered an Emmy nod — and by “native” creator I’m talking purely YouTube-first series, not associated with pre-existing brands or TV shows. Digital nominations have sprang from the TV ecosystem, but one’s come straight from the YouTube mob. They’ve been eligible for a few years now. Been throwing their hats in the ring, too — it’s not a terribly high bar. And just in case you think no punk with a GoPro is ever winning an Emmy, remember that cable TV wasn’t invited until 1988, and it took six years for that uncivilized rabble to bring one home. You’ll never guess which network broke the barrier. (Hint: its name includes the letters H, B and O.) Streamed shows first became eligible for certain categories in 2008, and it took only five years for Netflix to finally crack TV’s 64-year hold with three wins for House of Cards last year (directing, casting and cinematography). A smattering of web series have gotten nominations going back to 2011, but all were riding some other brand’s coattails, and none have won. Last year, for instance, Machinima’s web series Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn competed for Best Main Title Design; all of its rivals also had name recognition, including The Newsroom, Elementary, Vikings, American Horror Story: Asylum and Da Vinci’s Demons. Other past web-only series short-form nominees with pedigree have included Jay Leno’s Garage (2011); Bravo’s Top Chef: Last Chance Kitchen (2012); and The Office: The Farewells (2013). Surely, the YouTube-native nominee is coming. It will happen, and when it does, it will touch off a cascade. Could this be the year? Mmmmaybe. The category to watch is Outstanding Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program, whose 28 contenders include four native YouTube creators: Arscheerio Paul, Epic Rap Battles of History, Glove and Boots and Guy Dubai: International Gay Spy. The other is Outstanding Short-Format Nonfiction Program, which has just one: The Fine Bros. Benny Fine — one half of the Fine Bros. — isn’t exactly planning to be up at 5:30 a.m. when the nominees are announced July 10. Not when he’s competing against established brands like NBC’s Beyond The Blacklist, Food Network’s Chopped After Hours and ABC’s Nashville: On the Record. But he’s upbeat about submitting, as he should be. “The advantage to a thing like this is showing what new media is becoming,” Fine told Mashable. “Things are just starting to shift. We used to be just two guys, but we’re a production company now (with some 15 employees) … and a nomination would bring us […]
Just as we’d nearly recovered from Nicki Minaj’s buns-centric “Anaconda” video, Ellen Degeneres’ butt managed to reel us back in. Never one to shy away from dancing, the talk show host tested out some new moves in a Nicki-approved homage to the butt-popping video. And as a bonus gift to us all, she donned a pair of acid wash cutoff jorts. Because if you’re going to act the part, you’d better dress the part, too. Video: YouTube, TheEllenShow Here’s a TED Talk about sounding smart in a TED Talk Is Beyoncé actually an alien? ‘Jurassic Parks and Rec’ is the mashup Chris Pratt fans need This gas station bathroom is nicer than your first apartment Read more: http://mashable.com/2014/09/11/ellen-anaconda-video/
Kevin Rose on the Old Digg, the New Digg and Google Kevin Rose’s Biggest Regret About Digg Kevin Rose answered questions in an AMA (ask me anything) on Reddit, responding to some queries on YouTube. Here he talks about what happened with the troubled launch of Digg v4 in 2010, seen as the biggest mistake in the company’s history. Kevin Rose’s Thoughts on the New Digg Kevin Rose on Google Kevin Rose on Future Diggnation Episodes Kevin Rose on His Businessweek Cover Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/08/02/digg-kevin-rose-reddit/
You made it through another long off season, football fans. The NFL season officially kicked off last night, so go ahead and breathe a sigh of relief. ‘Tis the season for productivity-starved Sundays, obsessing over fantasy teams and absurd amounts of buffalo wings. SB Nation made a video just for you, person who thinks there is nothing better than freezing your tail off outside in the snow in order to watch grown men repeatedly bash into each other. BONUS: This is every NFL fan in 90 seconds: Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/09/06/nfl-hope-video/
Stanley Kubrick’s classic film 2001: A Space Odyssey set the bar for science-fiction films and is still influencing movie makers. But, what would the film look like if it was made today? Mashup master ChugsTheMonkey has remixed the film for fan site Film School Rejects as a Hollywood summer blockbuster. The two-minute trailer is filled with a heavy soundtrack and quick cuts — a big change from the slow moving and deliberate pacing of the original. Gone, too, is the famous Zarathustra soundtrack. The trailer does keep Kubric’s iconic flying femur scene. You can check out the trailer below. YouTube fans have chimed in with their approval of the trailer, but what do you think? Give us your impression in the comments. Read more: http://mashable.com/2012/07/27/a-space-odyssey-remix/
