parody

Google's 'Parisian Love' sparks crime fiction spoofs

All across America, people blew their noses over their nachos during the third quarter of the Super Bowl.

Google's foray into broadcast brand communication, "Parisian Love," a moving story of international angst and amour, moved some, perhaps, to consider finding meaning overseas.

It also moved some to consider that perhaps this extremely cheap-to-make movie should enjoy a little gentle mimicry and mockery. Actually, in some cases, the mockery wasn't all that gentle.

Some of it was even created before the Google ad, which originally ran on YouTube in November, entered football territory.

However, here are two … Read more

The logic behind the consumer device economy

The Onion nicely parodies the often irrational (but highly predictable) drivers behind the constant treadmill of electronic gizmo introductions and the unrelenting consumer interest in each new launch:

With the holiday shopping season officially under way, millions of consumers proceeded to their nearest commercial centers this week in hopes of acquiring the latest, and therefore most desirable, personal device.

The device, which is never named, retails for $395.

"Its higher price indicates to me that it is superior, and that not everyone will be able to afford it, which only makes me want to possess it more," said … Read more

The 404 380: Where these wind screens won't stand, man

Could the Internet be any filthier than it is right now? Today's show highlights some of the more disturbing stories that we haven't been able to get to over the past few weeks, but not before complaining about the dirty microphone screens pressing up against our mouths on a daily basis. Wilson seems to like it!

We scavenge the depths of the dirty Internet to bring you a couple interesting, albeit dirty, stories, like this one about a teen in New Zealand who stumbled upon some "artistic" photos of his mother, and instead of gouging his eyes out with the nearest sharp object, he auctioned them off on the Internet!

Ugh, the story gets even more messed up though, and you'll never guess what his Mother does when she finds out what her son's been up to at her expense. Hint: he doesn't get in trouble.

That story actually segues well into the next one, where we finally ask the question, "Is the Internet destroying porn as we know it?"

The answer is a mix of yes and no, as CNET blogger Chris Matyszczyk (how do you pronounce that?!) helps us figure out why 90-minute adult movies are quickly getting fazed out in lieu of 335-second clips on sites like YouPorn and XTube. On the other hand (no pun intended), there are plenty of examples of money getting poured into big budget pornographic films, some with a budget of over 1 million dollars. Although we have no personal opinions on the matter, since none of us have actually seen said video genre, we reference very informative articles we've read on the Internet.

Stay tuned to the second half of today's episode to see how you can instantly obtain 5,000 Twitter followers and listen to a hilarious Calls from the Public with a special appearance by none other than the much-missed Sally Henderson!

EPISODE 380 Download today's podcast Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

WiiWare and Virtual Console releases for this week

This week brings our favorite online flash cartoon to the Wii along with two classic TurboGrafx 16 games.

WiiWare

Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People, Episode 1: Homestar Ruiner (Telltale Games, 1,000 Wii points): After countless years as one of the Internet's most beloved flash cartoons, the Homestar Runner gang invades the Wii in an episodic game. Episode 1 is available now while the other titles will be released every month. Virtual Console

Break In (1989, TurboGrafx 16, 700 Wii points): This billiard simulator lets you enjoy six different types of pool. Play with up to … Read more

Animal Collective vs. Stevie Wonder

Getting legal clearance for samples and covers can be a real problem. For samples, if the copyright owner of the sampled song discovers you've used it without permission, they can sue to receive a portion of the proceeds--even if the sample's unrecognizable. Even getting permission doesn't always save you, as the Beastie Boys discovered. An article in a recent issue of SSA explores the issue in detail and concurs with Beck's assessement in 2005 that the legal issues with sampling will basically kill the practice in mainstream commercial music.

Covers generally require permission from the publisher, … Read more

Parody or prescient? 'Here Comes Another Bubble'

The Richter Scales, self-described "Gentlemen Songsters" from the Bay Area, nail the insanities of digital life in their music video "Here Comes Another Bubble."… Read more

MySpace vs. Facebook (the video)

Following Facebook's launch of its application platform last week, we decided it was high time to explore the delicate balance that exists between it and social-networking juggernaut MySpace. And what better way to compare and contrast than a Get a Mac parody video? Sure, at this point it's about as passe as those Mastercard commercials, but somehow seeing our own Tim Moynihan dressed up like he got in fisticuffs with a lost-and-found bin makes it all worthwhile.

For more background on the things mentioned in this video read these stories:

Facebook opens up: The Feed's the thing … Read more

The Fake Steve Jobs is...

...really, really funny.

A high-profile search for the identity of the blogger behind The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs is under way, with Valleywag and Business Week leading the charge. The site is full of satirical posts from Steve's point of view--or, at least, one who would be Steve--on just about anything. Fake Steve, a "benevolent dictator" according to his Blogger profile, plays "Dear Diary" with such topics as the iPhone development process, U2 lead singer "Bono's driving skills", or deeper thoughts like "Jesus didn't go to college either" (… Read more

Time Trumpet weirds me out

Time Trumpet was the winner for film and TV in this year's South By Southwest Interactive Web Awards this past Sunday (see our coverage here). The site contains a number of faux-futurecentric video clips with historical satire about politics, current events, and celebrities. What's neat is the somewhat experimental interface that blends various media in partial 3D, similar to Universe which we took a look at yesterday. You can sort through it all by episode or subject, and each clip will organize itself into a neat, swirling vortex. It's total eye candy.

Most of the clips about … Read more