YouTube Stars!

This is a recurring feature of YouTubeStars. I discuss some videos that were just added to YouTube, or ones that I've just discovered. So here's the Movies of the day, part 2.

Say It's Possible
This is a video made by a talented Singer/Songwriter named Terra Naomi (her MySpace is here). Terra is doing a "virtual summer tour" from her Hollywood CA apartment. Almost every day, she uploads another music video. Her songs are good and her voice is excellent. She's been compared to Alanis Morissette. Watch this video and see why this video has over 430 Thousand views since it was added on June 16th!


If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

Gum Smacker does it all!
zippieALBA is a 20-year-old woman from Arizona who just joined YouTube 4 days ago. She's in film school and recently worked on the set of Oceans 13. Watch and listen as a caffeined-up and excited zippieALBA tells all about film school in this video.

In the video we'll present here, zippieALBA silently performs mad drawing skillz, in an entertaining mix of MadV and Silent Girl. Let's watch this attractive lady as she displays her sketching talent while chewing gum!


If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

Searching for YouTube talent and Recommendations
Another new YouTube member is sunglassbabe, real name Jennien. This 18-year-old woman from Canada just joined last week. She wants to use her videos to give recommendations of YouTube members that she has enjoyed, kind of like what we do here! Here, we present Jennien, with her pretty smile and classy pearls, in her first video:


If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

posted by KennyCrane at 6/30/2006 11:33:00 PM 1 Comments

Silent Girl, who often appears in littleloca's videos, was kind enough to do an interview with me. I sent her 2 rounds of questions by email and she promptly sent me back her answers. In my dealings with Silent Girl, I have always found her to be very kind and friendly. Thanks, Silent Girl, for this interview! Much love and respect!

>>> Read more about littleloca and Silent Girl in this post from my blog. <<<

Hi, Silent Girl! Tell us a little about yourself, please.
Well, my real name is Monique. I just graduated High School with a 4.0. I am working full time and planning on attending college in the fall.

What is your relationship with littleloca/Stevie Ryan?
Stevie and I are cousins. We are actually closer than cousins. Our mothers are sisters so the two of us were pretty much together throughout our childhood. We love each other very much. She's always been like a big sister to me.

How did you come up with the Silent Girl character?
Stevie actually came up with it. I was always the shy one. So when she put me in her video I wouldn't talk. Sometimes we'd have to do a bunch of re-takes because I would bust up and couldn't stop laughing. She's very funny and it's hard to keep a straight face sometimes.

You and littleloca are very popular on YouTube. Could you please comment on why you think you are so popular and how you feel about it?
I think LittleLoca is so popular because she is so real. Real in the sense that she is tough but smart and funny. The two of us together are popular because we've known each other so long we can play off each other very well. It's like she really does know what Silent Girl is thinking.

There is also controversy surrounding littleloca and Silent Girl. There are some haters who comment harshly. What do you think of the controversy and commenters?
Well, there's always going to be people that don't like something. The haters don't bother me as much as the people that scream racism. There is nothing racist about it. Loca portrays a smart, 4.0 student who is proud to be a virgin. How is that bad? We've found the majority of people screaming racism are white. Growing up where we did many of our friends are Hispanic. They love LittleLoca and Silent Girl. So it's frustrating when people act like they speak for the whole Hispanic community.

How have your friends and family reacted to your videos?
They absolutely love them. Even our grandmother loves them. She made an appearance in one of our videos (the Mexico trip).

Will we continue to see you in litteloca videos in the future?
Sure. I love doing them and spending time with my cousin.

Do you have any plans to make your own videos?
No, not me. Stevie is the movie star in the family. I will be by her side and support her in anything she does. I will continue to be in her Loca Videos but that's it.

What do you think of Stevie's other YouTube characters?
The RealParis videos crack me up. People can get mean over there and she handles them great. Like in the first Paris video, some stupid people wrote, "You don't have any boobs." In the second video Paris says, "If I have to be fat to have boobs then I don't want boobs." Just funny stuff like that. Her other character Ooolalaa is really different than that. She is sad and heartbroken. When I saw it the first time and she's in her bed crying, I started to get teary. Just seeing someone I love so sad like that, it really moved me. This character also has a music video that I think is really cool.

What are your plans for the future?
I plan on attending college in the fall. My first goal is to become an English teacher. Then I hope to get a degree in journalism.

Last question - What advice would you give teenage girls about life and about YouTube?
I'm still learning a lot about life. I guess my message would be never stop learning. LittleLoca' video on teenage pregnancy was really good. I thought Stevie did a great job on getting her point across with a character and in a language that young girls can relate to. I think YouTube can be a positive thing for teenage girls if they use it for the right reasons.

*******************************************

posted by KennyCrane at 6/27/2006 04:41:00 PM 5 Comments

ArtieTSMITW, real name Brandon Hardesty (his website), is a 19-year-old man who is in college majoring in film. His love of the cinema is apparent in his YouTube videos, most of which are re-enactments of scenes from well-known Hollywood movies. He plays all the roles, male and female, himself, and uses minimal but effective props. His videos have been viewed thousands of times, he has hundreds of friends, and he has received over 200 comments on his profile - most complimentary. Let's have a look at some of his films.

Re-Enactment: Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
This was Brandon's first upload, from March 15th, 2006. He plays the Grandpa Joe and Willy Wonka in this 90 second scene. This video has been viewed over 40 thousand times.


If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

Re-Enactment: As Good As It Gets
Brandon plays 2 parts again - Jack Nicholson's writer character and his constantly interrupting neighbor. He does a great job portraying Jack! This film has been seen over 18 thousand times. Also see him do Jack in The Shining.


If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

Re-Enactment: Star Trek: First Contact
This time, Brandon plays Patrick Stewart's Captain Jean-Luc Picard along with the woman he is debating. This one's been viewed over 45 thousand times. If you like this one, watch him do Hannibal and Clarice in Silence of the Lambs.


If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

You can watch what I think is one of his best re-enactments, from Monty Python and the Holy Grail, right here on this blog.

To get an idea of what Brandon is like and why he makes his videos, watch his non-video-blog film. Another video that speaks to his character is a video of a kid's show starring his Dad that he uploaded for Father's Day. At an age when many people are putting down their parents, he had the courage to honor his Dad on YouTube. I'll end by linking to a brand new video that Brandon posted to demonstrate the kinds of audio effects that are available with Apple's iMovie software. Keep on making these re-enactments, Brandon! I wish you much success in the future!

posted by KennyCrane at 6/27/2006 02:15:00 AM 0 Comments

I'll periodically post about some videos that were just added to YouTube, or ones that I've just discovered. So here's the Movies of the day, part 1.

Wuthering Heights
Darahgna a.k.a Angharad (read more, here) just released two excellent movies. I'll be commenting on both of them today. The first is her interpretation of the dance that Kate Bush performs to her first hit song, "Wuthering Heights". The song came out in early 1978 and spent 4 weeks in the number one position on the charts in the UK and several other countries, but never made it in the USA. When I first saw this video, I was impressed by the grace of Angharad's performance. I was also struck full force by the emotion of this hauntingly beautiful song. I'm from the states and this was the first time I had heard it. After I watched the clip several times, I did some research and found out about the song and dance. There are at least 5 versions of Kate Bush performing the song and dance on YouTube. Here are links to three of them (one, two, three). Thanks, Angharad, for turning me on to this song and for sharing your version of its dance. It's clearly based on the original, but you added some moves and made it your own! Let's watch:


If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

Tetris Upbeat
Angharad also uploaded a video in which she plays her version of "Tetris" on keyboards. This piece is very well contructed. Here's the comment I left on YouTube for this video:

I gave it 5 stars, awesome! Everything about this video is top notch. The "plot" builds from game to simple play to funky play. The two "silent movie" bridge scenes are adorable. The use of camera angles and special effects only add to the piece. Your lipstick and eyeliner are perfect. The way you got into the music in the last scene is an added bonus. This certainly earned 5 stars! It should be a Featured Video!


If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

Teen Sex, Pregnancy, STD's
This is the latest video from littleloca (read more, here) and she's got something important to say! Whether you agree or not, at least people will be thinking about the things that she talks about in this video. Thousands of people will see it and so far, most of the comments are positive. Have a look...what's your opinion on this?


If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

posted by KennyCrane at 6/23/2006 10:49:00 PM 0 Comments

Here are some of the videos that I've saved to my "My Favorites" page in YouTube over the last few weeks.

heartbreak
Stevie Ryan, the woman who plays littleloca (more here), has created a new character under the account Ooolalaa. She plays a "French foreign exchange student" who misses "a boy" and even cries tears for him in this video. I just found this video today and I must say it really moved me! Stevie is so cute as this character; she is shy and soft-spoken, just the opposite of littleloca. Be sure to also watch her lip-synch Roxanne by The Police in her other video!


If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

whiskas advert
Here's another super-cute video from YouTube Star cutiemish. I'm going to do a feature on her soon, but in the meantime, check out this honey-drippingly sweet faux commercial for cat food. Mishy is even dressed up like a kitty-cat. It's hard to imagine anything cuter than this, folks!


If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

Something For Everyone
There's a rising Star on YouTube and she calls herself mana122. She is a 19-year-old 5'4" brown eyed girl from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. I plan on doing a feature on her soon too! But right now, let's have a look at one of her excellent video blogs. Mana122 has a Goth look in this one but the performance is charming and intelligent!


If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

Re-Enactment: Monty Python and the Holy Grail
ArtieTSMITW is a 19-year-old man who is doing something different on YouTube. He stages re-entactments of scenes from Hollywood movies. I have chosen this video as one of my favorites because of his excellent acting and editing, and also because I have always loved this funny movie. This particular scene is an example of how comedy can sometimes make a point better than any textbook or college lecture. In 2 minutes and 35 seconds, you'll learn about the Sociological conflicts between those with and without power, and the economic and civil rights implications of living under self-rule versus being subjects of a King!


If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

That's all for now. Before I go, here's a big Thank-You to all of the people who take a chance by putting their videos up on YouTube for all the world to see!

posted by KennyCrane at 6/21/2006 02:31:00 AM 0 Comments

This is the story of a young and talented YouTube member who has a bright future ahead of her.

Darahgna (real name, Angharad) begins her YouTube profile with, "Rawr I be Angharad. I'm welsh and 15." Anyone who begins their introduction with a Roar is not about to be overlooked! Angharad lives in the Mid Glamorgan area of Wales in the UK. In addition to her video making talent, she also is able to play 3 instruments - bass guitar, viola and piano. Angharad plays the piano in several of her videos, either in the introduction or throughout the movie. She has a lot of friends that appear with her in videos such as Mad Day Out (Dancing in Cyfarthfa park to "Build Me Up Buttercup") and Rough Sex: The Movie (Brogan and Ross rendezvous for some noisy fun). Angharad and three girlfriends have formed an experimental/Emo/Comedy band called Moshing Muckas.

What makes Angharad such an attractive and entertaining YouTube videomaker? It is the endearing combination of Welsh accent, facial expressions and acting ability. Her voice is expressive. She is eloquent in her use of tone and tempo. Her doe-eyed, often smiling face is framed by her longish dark hair and bangs, cut in a style reminiscent of the 1960s. Her acting shows a range of emotions, from silly to slightly sad and serious. Lets have a look at a movie that she calls, "Cooking With Your Favourite Goth". Angharad is in the kitchen, showing us how to make that popular dessert, Bird's Angel Delight.


If you don't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

Angharad made a sequel to that delightful performance and called it, "Cooking With Your Favourite Goth Part 2". The set is the same but this time she looks the Goth part with her black lipstick and heavy black eyeliner. Some commenters had claimed that she didn't appear to be a Goth in the first episode. She explained, "I'm in my PJs of course I'm not going to be plasted in make up and wearing black nightware now? hmm? So your telling me 'goths' everywhere are sleeping in black with thick eyeliner and chains? yer...." No one questioned her Goth credentials in this second video:


If you don't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

Now that we've seen Angharad's angelic and slightly devilish characters, let's watch a movie that shows her playful and cheerful side. This video is her version of "They're Taking the Hobbits to Isengard" - "They're Taking The Hobbits To - Cyfarthfa Park?" This video shows Angharad having a fun time with the Moshing Muckas girls but it also displays her video editing talent!


If you don't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

If you liked that performance, be sure to watch Mad Day Out, filmed the same day. Angharad's last video, so far, is June 6th's "Please Help Angharad". She has been studying for her GCSE's but she took a little time off to make this charity mock-up which shows yet another side of this talented young lady.


If you don't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

Good luck on your GCSE's, Angharad! We're all looking forward to watching more of your videos!

Read more about Angharad in my LFC article.

posted by KennyCrane at 6/20/2006 12:10:00 AM 0 Comments

Littleloca (read my post on her) did a live event today on RingMyBell.tv. She took calls from her YouTube fans from 11AM to Noon, Pacific time, and I was her second caller. The entire event was shown live at this URL. When I clicked on the "Open in QT Player" button, my browser couldn't find the page, so I had to cut and paste "rtsp://72.34.229.104/rmb.sdp" into my QuickTime player. The feed was pretty clear. The audio from the callers was a little hard to hear but Loca came through just fine.

I tuned in at about 10 minutes to 2PM here on the East coast. They were setting up the desk where littleloca would be sitting. They had a nice high-back chair for her, behind a desk with two phones - an old fashioned dial phone and a rectangular phone on which she took calls. There was an analog clock on the wall behind her. Littleloca was a few minutes late because of traffic. You could hear her in the background as she arrived. She said, "Hi I'm Stevie or Littleloca..." Within minutes, she was seated and taking calls. The first caller was Phantom409. He and his wife, a medium, talked to Loca for about 10 minutes. I called in a few times during that call, but you could only get through when the line was clear. Otherwise, you got a looped message telling you to hit 1 if you're over 18. As soon as Loca got off with Phantom, I hit 1 and got connected. I was a little surprised at first because I was watching the event live and there was about a 7 second delay in the feed. I didn't see Loca pick the phone up but I knew it was her that I was talking to. After some pleasant small-talk about the weather, I asked her how she first heard about YouTube. She told me how a friend had shown it to her. She saw the video of FilthyWhore's rash and decided that she could do a lot better! I also mentioned that I saw her Barber Shop video where she did push-ups and asked how many she could do! She said she worked up to 40 and recommended exercise to all the women to be strong. She flexed her biceps to show the results of all her hard work!

Littleloca took about 8 calls in total. Other YouTube members that got through included Krysta and BenitoKicksAss. She was very nice and sweet to all the callers. She asked everyone how they were doing and where they were from and sent out much love to all the callers and their hometowns as well. Some of the topics covered were:
What she thought of Madonna on a cross in her new video.
What her plans are now that she's out of high school.
Who she thought might have hacked into her account last night.
How she communicates with Silent Girl.
In between calls, Littleloca talked about her "haters" and about her large silver hoop earrings. She stayed "in character" the whole time. "Stevie Ryan" was never spoken of.

I understand that the people at RingMyBell.tv intend to edit the video and post it somewhere. I'll link to it when they do.

Thanks, littleloca for doing this event and for taking my call! Much love and respect to you!

The video is finally up!
Here it is. That's me talking to her at the one minute mark...

posted by KennyCrane at 6/15/2006 03:03:00 PM 2 Comments

Did you know that YouTube serves over 50 million videos a day? With that many people watching, it was just a matter of time until some YouTube Stars would get signed to work on bigger projects. Here are three YouTube success stories.

MadV
MadV (real name - Thaniel) began his YouTube career on April 11th, 2006 with a clip of him "guitar-synching" to Jimmy Page's guitar solo in Led Zeppelin's "Heartbreaker". In this first and all subsequent appearances, he wears a mask worn by V from the movie "V for Vendetta". In his fourth video, he began to demonstrate his "mad skillz" as an illusionist. Somehow, MadV is able to spin a playing card in mid air, turn pages in a book without touching them, write without touching the pen, and bend a spoon by pointing at it. His most amazing illusion is when he removes his mask to reveal nothing but empty space where his head should be!

On May 9th, 2006, MadV said Goodbye with the following video. Next to it, he wrote, "It's been a great few weeks for me. What started off as a joke turned into a connection with so many people. After 4 weeks of going viral across the internet I've just signed a contract with a TV production company, and as a result, there can be no more MadV on YouTube. I just wanted to say 'goodbye' in a meaningful way...I can't thank the fans enough - all the comments, the tributes, the dedication - you guys really are awesome. I've learned a lot, and I hope some of you have too. It's been fun along the way. If I could leave just one idea - it would be this: We are all part of this world, so let's respect one another. If you gotta be sayin something, say it nice. Don't let the haters stand in your way. I didn't. True!"


If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

Brookers
For sheer entertainment, they don't come much better than Brookers. Brookers (real name - Brooke Brodack) has made 30 videos for YouTube to date and is one of its most popular members. I plan to do an entire post on her in the future. But for now, I'll report that she has been signed by Carson Daly Productions. According to Variety.com, "Via his Carson Daly Prods. banner, Daly will work with Brodack on content for TV, Internet and mobile outlets." Read more in this post on Brooke's MySpace. She has also made a MySpace post with a news video from G4TV about the deal. Watch this sometimes emotional Thank-You video entitled "Everything Changes" that Brooke uploaded on May 30th and has already been seen over 466 Thousand times.


If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

Sammy and Sasha Nelson
Sammy and Sasha Nelson are twin 14-year-old girls who sing and play guitars. According to their website, "[they] are thrilled with the early reaction their recently completed demo CD has been receiving from several well-known Los Angeles music executives. The CD recorded by the powerhouse producer team of Vince Lawrence and Josie Aiello at Slang Studios took several months of studio time to complete. The final result has been well worth the wait! The six-song compilation of rock tunes demonstrates their considerable vocal talent, as well as their guitar playing abilities. Many music professionals that have heard the CD are in agreement that each song is a potential hit! Sammy and Sasha are scheduled to be in Los Angeles in the coming weeks to meet with record companies and promote their CD. They hope to complete their debut album this fall. Check out their new songs, which can be found on their website at www.nelsontwins.net."

Now I don't know if the twins got their record deal because of the 5 videos they have on YouTube, or not. But Sammy does announce the record deal on her YouTube profile page. Their cover video of Extreme's "More Than Words" has been viewed over 42 Thousand times, and the video of their original song, "No More," shown below, has been viewed over 162 Thousand times!


If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

Who's next?
Who do you think will be the next YouTube member to move up to the big time? Who do you think is the best YouTube videomaker? Click that comment link below and let me know what YOU think!

posted by KennyCrane at 6/15/2006 02:58:00 AM 3 Comments

Littleloca has been one of the most popular YouTube members ever since she uploaded her first video on May 3rd, 2006. A few weeks after she appeared, it became known that littleloca is a character being played by Stevie Ryan.
Ms. Ryan, age 22, (her myspace) is an actress who is a close friend of Drake Bell from the Drake and Josh show on Nickelodeon. There are 2 pictures of them together halfway down on this page.

In her first video, littleloca describes herself as an 18 year old girl named Cynthia, a.k.a. Giggles, who lives at home with her family in East L.A. She tells us a little about her family, she says her parents are strict. She wears a headband or bandana and large hoop earrings. She seems to have an emo yet friendly style but we can see a tough and feisty core.


If you can't see the video above, watch it at youTube.

Littleloca has always been as controversial as she is popular. Some like her ability to amuse while displaying various sides of her personality. Littleloca has mentioned her family and religion, and has done social commentary in her contrast of the rich and poor sides of L.A. She also is not afraid to say what she thinks about other YouTube members, and often has several funny comebacks in each video. Not everyone sees the humor in her remarks. Some think that she goes too far in her remarks on individuals and groups. Littleloca gets loads of comments on her videos and many contain strong language. She uses adult language in many of her videos as well.

A frequent guest on Littleloca's videos is her friend Silent Girl. Silent girl is played by Monique, and 18 year old girl who has said that she is Stevie's cousin. In the following clip, Silent Girl makes her debut. Look at the adorable facial expressions she makes as she reacts to what Littleloca is saying. At one point, she cracks up when Littleloca comments on the supposed cupcake stuck in theicongirl10's throat.


If you can't see the video above, watch it at youTube.

In this next video. Littleloca takes us for a ride around L.A. She ends up getting out of the car and walking toward Nickelodeon studios where she runs into Drake Bell while she is filming. She attempts to "interview" him as he tries to get some lunch. She is persistent but Drake remains friendly, although he does seem to have had enough of her at times!


If you can't see the video above, watch it at youTube.

I'll end this entry with a video of Littleloca's trip to Mexico. She went there with her family to visit her grandparents. She shows us some sights in Mexico and tells us a beautiful story about Sand Dollars.


If you can't see the video above, watch it at youTube.

As Stevie continues to develop the Littleloca character, we'll visit with her again and give you all an update!

Read more about Littleloca in my LFC article and in this thread at YouTubeTalk.

Update 6/15/06
Stevie Ryan (littleloca) did an interview that was just posted at Bullfighter's Cafe. It gives a lot of insight into Stevie and what she is hoping to do with her littleloca character. Read it now!

Littleloca takes calls on Ring My Bell TV - TODAY - 11AM Pacific, 2PM Eastern time.
(The RingMyBell event was a big success and I got to talk with littleloca! Read all about it!)

posted by KennyCrane at 6/13/2006 12:08:00 AM 2 Comments

Once upon a time, there was a 21 year old college "kid" who lived in Ohio. He was very sensitive and often felt sad and misunderstood. He began to make video blogs about his feelings and uploaded them to YouTube, using the name EmoKid21Ohio. He spoke with sighs and sad overtones and looked very depressed. In his 4th video (shown below), Matt (his real name) read a sad poem that touched him; it really meant a lot to him. Matt uploaded 17 videos (plus one special one) and became one of the most talked about members of YouTube.


If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.


One day, a 21 year old girl named emogirl21 watched EmoKid21Ohio's videos on YouTube and decided to make videos too. She made 6 videos (plus one special one) that told of her sadness and emotional reactions to things that happened to her. She wore dark eyeliner and often had her dark hair covering much of her face. She sometimes responded to Matt's clips (as in the video below). She was glad that she had found someone who felt like she did. Matt was also glad to find someone who felt like he did. Many people watched their videos and many commented. Some praised them but they also attracted quite a few "haters". The comments about their videos were often rude and contained profane language.

After her last, special video, emogirl21 disappeared and has not been seen since then. EmoKid21Ohio disappeared around the same time and has not been found either.


If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

P.S. To find out what happened to these emo kids, read the 4th paragraph of my article.
Or, you can watch each member's special last video...

Breaking News - 6/13/06
Is EmoKid21Ohio back? There's a new video on his page. Is EmoKid21Ohio also Matthew25 ? Will the EmoKid21Ohio character be making a comeback??? Stay tuned!

posted by KennyCrane at 6/10/2006 12:27:00 AM 0 Comments

I'd like to begin this guide to the YouTube Stars by showing you two clips from two different female YouTube members. After all, ladies go first!

Something old
The first time I came to YouTube was about 6 or 8 months ago. I followed a link from another site; it may have been a news organization's online report, I'm not sure. But I do remember watching the video I linked to, for the first time. It is the "Hey Clip" and it was made by Tasha (her MySpace page is here), a 21 year old woman living in Israel, and her friend Dishka. These two ladies decided to lipsynch, dance and play guitar to the song "Hey", by The Pixies, an alt-rock band from the late 80s. The ladies are attractive, but the charm of the performance is in their confident yet playful delivery. The editing is very good. Scenes are of just the right length and some are amusing.

This video is very popular on YouTube, and has been since Tasha first posted it in September, 2005. It has been viewed over 5 MILLION times and has received over 4800 comments! Tasha is still popular on YouTube and has uploaded a total of 13 videos. Please visit Tasha's YouTube profile and watch some of her other work as well.


If you can't see it above, watch it at YouTube.

Something new
I recently became aware of YouTube member cutiemish after KayleeRocks recommended her in this post on the YouTubeTalk website. So far, I've viewed 2 of her clips, both delightful! Mishy (her MySpace is here) is 17 and is a Chinese girl living in the UK. She has made 20 videos for YouTube so far. Some are lipsychs to pop tunes and she tells us what's on her mind in others. Her British accent, oriental features and youthful good looks combine to make a pleasant viewing experience! Watch as she poses and sings along to Jill Sobule's "Supermodel"!

This video was just uploaded on May 28th and it already has over 150 thousand views and over 450 comments! Her follow-up video blog, "just another message", already has over 200 thousand views and over 1150 comments - and she just posted it on June 1st. I'd say Mishy is officially a YouTube star!


If you can't see it above, watch it at YouTube.

posted by KennyCrane at 6/08/2006 02:57:00 PM 0 Comments

Why watch YouTube?
Watch YouTube because of what you'll see. You'll see humanity. You'll see yourself. Think about your own personality and behavior as I describe what's on YouTube. You'll see People showing off, people who are lonely, people having fun with their friends, people defending themselves against critics, people performing for others, people commenting on other people, people crying, people laughing, ... people living!

Why do so many people watch YouTube?
People watch for different reasons. Some come for a laugh, some come for a break from work, some come to see what others are doing to get ideas for their own videos, some come to see who is popular. People just naturally like to watch other people. For years, people have gone to the park or the mall or the beach, to see and be seen. Now that technology lets us upload videos, people can see and be seen in a new way. YouTube streams millions of videos each day. You'll love some and dislike others. I'll try to point out some of the better clips in this blog.

Why YouTube and not some other video sites?
YouTube is the most popular video site. It has the best videos and the most popular personalities. It has the largest collection of videos and more are uploaded every day. You can watch the videos easily. You don't need to download a video player. You can watch on a slow connection; just click the Pause button and let the video download. Once the gray progress bar reaches the end of its travels, click Play and enjoy the show!

Is YouTube safe for children to visit or post to?
Parents would always monitor the internet use of their children. Parents should decide which sites their children are allowed to visit and/or post to. The YouTube Terms of Use state that YouTube is not intended for children under 13 (see clause 9). Parents of children under 18 should monitor what their children post on YouTube. Parents should be aware of the dangers of any type of posting on the internet. Please read YouTube's Safety Tips. Also, please read NBC's "To Catch a Predator" website. If you are an adult with any thoughts of deviant behavior with a minor, please seek professional help.

Why read this blog?
I will be discussing the most popular, and in my opinion, some of the best videos on YouTube. It may save you some time if you come here first. There's a lot of dull, inane and even rude clips on YouTube; I'll try to help you avoid those. You might learn of a YouTube member here, and you may become a fan of theirs after watching a recommended video. You might laugh yourself silly and have a huge grin on your face for hours after watching a funny video mentioned here. You might be touched, you might learn something, you might be repulsed or angered, you might even discover something about yourself.

What will the posts be about?
I will be commenting on YouTube videos and members, both old and new. I'll go back and forth between old favorites and new undiscovered gems. Most posts will contain at least one video, embedded in the post, and with a link to the video on YouTube. I'll also be doing interviews of YouTube members so that you can learn more about them!

How can I improve YouTube?
Go make a video! Plan out the scenes, rehearse the performance, edit the scenes, add transitions and titles, and upload it to YouTube! Or, adlib on the spot in front of your cellphone camera. Make something that you think is good, something entertaining or educating, and post it for the world to see. A Note On Comments: I think that it would be helpful to elevate the feedback comments to a more positive level. People can make their feelings known without resorting to personal attacks, crude language and vulgar remarks. Go to YouTube and see what's there. But when it comes to commenting, be nice and be mature about it!

Is there a YouTube Message Board or Forum?
Yes! There is a website called YouTubeTalk.com where you can discuss YouTube members and videos. You must be a member to post; it's free to register. I have a Child Board there, called "Kenny's Column". Stop by and say hello!

Where should I start?
If you told me you were only going to watch one video, I'd tell you to watch "The Evolution of Dance" by motivational speaker, comedian and YouTube member, Judson Laipply. In this hilarious 6-minute video that has already been viewed over 20 MILLION times, Jud demonstrates many dance moves that have come and gone over the last 40 years. This particular video IS SAFE for family viewing and is guaranteed to make you LAUGH!!!



Click the Play button (right pointing triangle) to watch the video. If you don't see the video above, click here to watch it on YouTube.

Judson has been in the news lately! He's been reported on in newspapers and on CNN. He was on ABC's "Inside Edition" last night (June 6). Here is a link to a story about him in USAToday.

posted by KennyCrane at 6/07/2006 04:47:00 PM 8 Comments

I'll be discussing the best and most popular YouTube video bloggers and their videos. Visit here often to see what's new on YouTube. I'll be posting reports and new videos almost daily.

Here's some of the YouTube members that we'll be following:

littleloca
Brookers
MadV
FilthyWhore
CraZiiBex
Darahgna
ArtieTSMITW
cutiemish
and others.

Never heard of YouTube?
Here's an ad for an article I recently wrote for the LookingForClues website. Please read this article! It will tell you all you need to know about YouTube.

Watch THIS!
This is the hottest thing on the Internet! YouTube.com is making video Stars out of ordinary cyberspace citizens. The people you'll meet in this article have probably always had talent, but now they can show off to the entire world! See our article on YouTube Stars and learn about the hottest online trend. Links to videos are included!

posted by KennyCrane at 6/07/2006 03:41:00 AM 1 Comments