International Law

Best videos of 2008

Continuing my end-of-year wrap ...

What follows are the top ten videos I've embedded either here on Freedom to Differ or on Freedom to Dither this year.  This list is very subjective - these videos are not necessarily the most viewed or most commented on, nor are they necessarily the funniest or the most original, but they are my ten favourite videos from 2008.  However, before I list the the top ten, here are posts that contained the runners-up ...

Serious videos and videos that make a point - An Anthropological Introduction to YouTube (another fascinating video from Michael Wesch); From Little Things, Big Things Grow (GetUp's song for reconciliation); Music 2.0 (a video from music futurist Gerd Leonhard explaining what music 2.0 is and how the music industry should change to adapt to 'web 2.0' principles); Some EU politicians support file sharing (the Greens EFA party of the European Parliament publicly expressed their support for file sharing on the internet).

Political - Candidates on Colbert (Clinton, Obama and Edwards all on the same show); Some election themed videos (one funny, one a bit more serious); US election videos (my five favourite viral videos from the US election); A post on the US election (Slate V makes fun of CNN's election night holograms); Keith Olbermann's "homoerotic" obsession with Bill O'Reilly (Red Eye's Greg Gutfeld gets angry); Palin on Saturday Night Live (at least Sarah Palin was a good enough sport to appear on Saturday Night Live); It's just a flesh wound! (inspired use of Monty Python's Holy Grail to highlight Hillary Clinton's struggling campaign); A duet (a Juno-style duet between Clinton and Obama); Changes (Hugh Atkin's first big US political video).

Advertisements - Lenovo parodies MacBook Air ad (a send-up of the MacBook Air in favor of Lenovo's own X300); Levi's viral hit (an effective viral marketing strategy from Levi Strauss); My favourite Super Bowl ad (a great ad from Coca Cola); I don't get it (I was very confused by the advertising strategy of the Commonwealth Bank).

Funny - I want more porn (a ballad about porn, spam and pop-up windows); Four videos (a random collection of videos I found funny); JibJab 2008 Year in Review (no list is complete without one or two JibJab videos); Twitter's downfall (another very funny adaptation of the Hitler video); But That's Not My Point... (a funnt rant written, directed and starring Auggie Smith and Patrick Sauer); TubeDeeDo (a funny music video from the The Kings of Myspace); My Name is URL (a cute video parodying My Name is Earl); Happy Easter (this is one violent Easter Bunny); Corey Delaney's other party (another Hugh Atkin video); The Internet Party (what happens when Google leaves town for the weekend).

Web series - If you don't include Dr Horrible's Sing-along Blog, the best web series of the year was The Guild. 

And here is the top ten ...

10. The World Isn't Clear Cut - Perhaps it was because I was a high school and university debater, but I was very taken when this promotional video for the Griffith Organised Debating Society (GODS) aired on Q&A during the year.  (See my original post here.)

9. John McCain gets Barack Roll'd - My favourite US political video from Australian Hugh Atkin.  (See my original post here.)

8. Prop 8 The Musical - An all star video making fun of California's Proposition 8 that banned gay marriage. (See my original post here).

7. Goldfish funeral - a great ad for Channel Bee with a very funny twist you don't see coming.  (See my original post here.)

6. Facebook in reality - Imagining what the world be like if Facebook played out in real life.  (See my original post here.)

5. It's Just Gone - In South Park the internet disappears.  (See my original post here.)

4. JibJab's Time for Some Campaignin' - Although not as good as JibJab's brilliant This Land from four years ago, it was still  the best political video of 2008.  (See my original post here.)

3. Yes We Can - The viral sensation of 2008 that captured the mood of America - and indeed the world.  (See my original post here.)

2. The Censored Count - Everytime I see this video I can't help but laugh out loud.  (See my original post here.)

1. Sarah Silverman is fucking Matt Damon - Without a doubt the funniest viral video of the year.  (See my original post here.)

You should also check out Jimmy Kimmel's response here.

Full post as published by Freedom to Differ on December 31, 2008 (boomark / email).