The Day the YouTubes Died

2009-04-16 · song · Hank · 4:01 · watch on YouTube

Topic: Internet & YouTube · mode: Comedy & performance · tags: song or performance, timely hook, guest or collab, community lore

Hank sings an 'American Pie' parody, co-written with Alan Lastufka, mourning that YouTube's corporate redesign may cost the little guys, then thanks the chorus and viewers because 'YouTube is not what Google does. YouTube is what we do.'

What is said

The parts of the video and what is said in each (★ — how much it matters to the video).

00:00:00 — Parody song 'The Day the YouTubes Died' about the YouTube redesign, with a YouTube chorus

• ★★ In song, Hank remembers hoping friendly editors would feature him on the front page, a dream that may now be dead as YouTube tries to please the corporate mass. (playful, hedged) — 00:00:01 · YouTube, recommender system
• ★★★ The chorus says maybe YouTube can become like Hulu and avoid its demise, but if it costs the little guys, Hank might say his goodbyes. (playful, hedged) — 00:01:10 · YouTube
• ★★ The song recalls community YouTube pastimes, the Five Facts thing and the Google Verb meme, a first comment and Captcha codes, which Hank will miss behind a 'content wall'. (playful) — 00:01:32 · Google Verb, YouTube tag, YouTube, Google, First post
• ★★ The song says Hank will still have his subscriptions, wanting Kevjumba, Smosh and Buck over 'high-budget junk'. (playful) — 00:02:06

00:03:14 — Behind the scenes: chords taped to the camera, eye reflection, singing other parody lyrics

• ★ Hank says the song was hilariously difficult: he taped the chords to his camera and so didn't notice a reflection in his eye, and he kept singing other parody lyrics. (playful) — 00:03:14

00:03:38 — Thanks to the chorus and Alan; 'YouTube is what we do'; haircut

• ★★ Hank thanks the people in the little YouTube chorus and Alan (fallofautumndistro) for writing most of the song. — 00:03:39 · Alan Lastufka, YouTube

• ★★★ Hank thanks viewers most of all, because YouTube is not what Google does but what the community does, including in the comments. — 00:03:45 · YouTube, Google

  “YouTube is not what Google does. YouTube is what we do,”

• ★ Hank says he got a haircut and asks what viewers think. — 00:03:58

Humor (dominant)

• The 'American Pie' lament retitled for the rumoured YouTube redesign. — 00:01:00

  “♪ the YouTubes died. ♪”

• The chorus's hope for YouTube's survival. — 00:01:10

  “♪ Maybe YouTube can be Hulu and avoid its demise, ♪”

• Hank keeps slipping into other parody lyrics of the same song while recording. — 00:03:34

  “Yes, there can be too many parodies for one song.”

• Hank thanks viewers for what they are doing 'down there' in the comments. — 00:03:52

  “I'm sure you know what I mean...by down there.”

Threads in this video

• callback · Hank's 'Google Verb' meme: google your name plus a verb (2009) — Hank's parody song recalls participating in the Google Verb meme as one of the fun YouTube pastimes. (00:01:34)
• restate · Do platforms treat creators and viewers fairly? — Hank sings that YouTube may avoid its demise by becoming like Hulu, but if it comes at the cost of the little guys he might say goodbye; he closes that YouTube is what the community does, not Google. (00:01:10)

Mentioned

People: KevJumba

Works: American Pie (“A long, long time ago,”)

Organizations: Google · Hulu · YouTube

Groups: Smosh

Terms: Google Verb

Concepts: recommender system

Memes: YouTube tag

Taking part: Charlie McDonnell

Only in the description or credits: Alan Lastufka

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