On of the greatest things that has ever happened to YouTube is the parody. Parodies usually take something that is popular is modern culture and poke fun at it. I have come to realize the things that are usually most popular are in some way ridiculous. Let’s look at the modern infomercials, I can get mesmerized in watching those because who wouldn’t want a little tool like the Slap Chop that dices all the food that you need to cut up in a matter of seconds! How cool is that! But then I think about it and it strikes me that I can easily just cut up my vegetables and it will take an extra two minutes…. So why do I have the urge to spend $19.99 (plus shipping and handling which probably doubles the cost)? I can’t really answer that question yet but I can tell you that the brilliant uploaders of YouTube have taken these (mostly) useless inventions and turned them into hilarious Internet sensations.
I don’t know about other people but at first when I watch these videos I feel a little offended because secretly (I guess not so secretly anymore) I think my life would be much easier with all of these new gadgets. But, I cannot resist them because they are so funny. I want to talk about the Snuggie parody first. Everyone knows that when the Snuggie came out there was a moment of “What loser would ever buy that piece of crap?” but then everyone realized how freaking cool it was and then couldn’t wait to buy their own. The WTF Blanket is one of the most popular parody videos on YouTube and the Snuggie is the subject of its ridicule. Poor Snuggie. The WFT Blanket is so appealing to the viewer because it points out everything that is absolutely ridiculous about the Snuggie. I think that no matter how proud someone is there is always a little room to laugh at oneself and that comes into play in this video for everyone who has ever thought about buying (or actually bought) a Snuggie. One of the first lines of the video is “Do you struggle when trying to put [a blanket] on?” comments like this are so ridiculous that the viewer cannot help but laugh. The key element that makes these videos so funny is that they give the consumer a practical view of what they are now drooling over. Another parody that does this effectively is that of the MacBook Air, a computer that is so thin, it can fit into a manilla envelope. The parody by robbechizza sums it up by pulling out a piece of paper instead of the laptop and stating, “A piece of paper, this as hell and also not $3,000.” Hilarious.
These videos have become viral because they take products that are relevant and usually in high demand and make the consumer feel like an idiot for actually considering spending money on them.
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