Clip of the Week

This was an absolutely loaded week for videos--just the way I like it.

We'll start with music, where we've got this really cool video of a couple of guys (the Piano Guys, apparently) playing music on the shores of Hawaii, as well as this video of a bunch of robots playing the James Bond theme song. I'm honestly not really sure what's going on in that one, but I'm pretty sure it's awesome.

We've also got a few things going on in the animal kingdom--there's a koala bear running down the hall (I've always loved koalas, don't ask why), a baby sloth in a onesie, a seriously badass owl, and a seriously excited dog playing in a rainstorm of tennis balls.

And then there's sports. Lionel Messi scored five goals in a Champions League match, setting an impressive record, and Michael Beasley is an odd dude. Meanwhile, in Miami, this... is just weird. It seems that the Marlins, having changed their name from the Florida Marlins to the Miami Marlins, are now totally embracing the bizarre kitsch that defines South Beach--those hideous uniforms, the weird centerfield sculpture thing, this guy over here is calling himself Giancarlo now, Ozzie Guillen is the manager... this is a complete and total circus. Fitting, given the mentality of their braindead owner. Anyway, moving along...

This week, instead of any of those worthy videos, I'm posting a TED talk about what makes videos go viral--isn't it about time that we had a video about videos here on Clip of the Week? At any rate, this video made me laugh hysterically while also checking in as one of the most interesting videos i saw this week--it's one of the better TED talks I've seen recently, on all accounts.

The theory of what makes videos go viral is nothing Earth-shattering--it always has to do with certain cultural gatekeepers (the speaker calls them "tastemakers") who pass on videos to tons of other people at once. If your blog, video, or song gets tweeted or talked about by somebody with millions of followers, then that's pretty much all it takes to go viral. (You hear me out there, Lady Gaga?). Without further ado, here you go.