In the past five years of the Internet's existence, has their been a more welcome addition than good ol' YouTube?
We don't know of any Web site that rivals the 'Tube's ability to rocket the average person to infamous mini-celebrity status.
From "Chocolate Rain" to "My New Haircut" to "The Legend of Old Gregg," YouTube has brought the weird, the hilarious and the what-the-hell-did-I-just-watch to the forefront of the online world. As the YouTube craze began to spread by word of mouth a few years ago, society's fat cats and big spenders began to take notice.
With the "Obama girl" receiving more than 10 million hits, how could YouTube's growing political presence be ignored?
Obviously, the next logical step was to broadcast the first presidential debate on the Web site.
Three years ago, who would've predicted the role YouTube would play in a presidential election? We certainly wouldn't have.
Typically, we only use the 'Tube to check out old "Saturday Night Live" clips or to search the unedited versions of Jack Link's "Messin' with Sasquatch" commercials.
Now, while we take a break from watching three arrogant hikers put a sleeping Bigfoot's hand in a bowl of hot water, we can catch up on the latest zingers cooked up by Sen. John McCain's and Sen. Barack Obama's respective campaigns. It's the best of both worlds (the maturity we pretend to have and the maturity we actually have).
Aside from being a revolutionary tool that provides its users a forum to air their views in video format, YouTube has delved into the realm of the socially relevant and even helps inform the masses. Not bad for something we originally found while looking for an SNL rap about "The Chronicles of Narnia."
