Anyone looking to read Jesse Ventura’s latest entry in the Huffington Post found this instead:
Editor’s Note: The Huffington Post’s editorial policy, laid out in our blogger guidelines, prohibits the promotion and promulgation of conspiracy theories — including those about 9/11. As such, we have removed this post.
Jesse Venutra is known as many things; soldier, wrestler, actor, politician and author. In his most recent book, “American Conspiracies”, Ventura “tackles our governments biggest secrets”. So it’s no real surprise that despite the Huffington Post’s stance, Ventura wrote about conspiracy theories. You can read what he wrote here and decide just how inflammatory his comments really were.
The Huffington Post had to know what it was getting into when they brought Ventura on. Were they worried that they had a Glenn Beck on their hands?
OK Go, a rock band widely known for its music video for their hit song, “Here It Goes Again,” recently released a follow-up video that many are hailing as greater than the original. Their YouTube video for “This Too Shall Pass” received 4,168 Diggs to date and is already an internet sensation.
It’s the dream of any marketer for its video to go viral. But this is the entertainment of the every-person, and thus demands a certain level of authenticity. Being quirky for quirkiness’ sake may inspire a few laughs, but it’s the true moments of weird that really inspire the views.
So what are some traits of a successful viral vid? Here are five common characteristics:
1.) They’re more than just stories, they’re experiences – Whether it’s cute kittens or a peaceful aquarium, the video offers something captivating to watch from beginning to end.
2.) They’re easy to digest – Simple concepts that don’t require too much thought. Seriously, what could be less complicated than “Numa Numa” or “Star Wars Kid“?
4.) They offer an innovative or unique view of life that’s different from our own – We find escape through entertainment, so it’s no wonder that fun videos from other cultures and viewpoints become so popular. Check out “Little Superstar” or “Tunak Tunak Tun” to see what I mean.
5.) They’re easily shared – Perhaps the most obvious trait is that sharing isn’t restricted (at least not until after the virility has taken effect.)
I do not have a need “all the time” to take myself away from the oppressive facts of my life, however oppressive they may be, in order to go somewhere where I have control. I need to stay here and take control. Right now, for example, I cannot speak, but I am writing this. You lose some, you win some.
-Roger Ebert
Almost three years after losing his voice to thyroid cancer, Roger Ebert has debuted his new, electronic voice today on the Oprah Winfrey show. Many have commented that the quality and similarity to his original voice are impressive. But what’s more impressive is how he has maintained his status as one of the country’s most respected movie critics without the use of his voice. With the aid of tools like Twitter and his site on the Chicago Sun Times he’s maintained the profile and quality of writing he’s known for.
The below chart is a rough estimate of traffic to Roger Ebert’s site created by Quantcast. Note that the data being collected begins in April 0f 2007, 4 months before making his loss of speech public.
While there are some dips during health related inactivity, site traffic remains relatively high. His story is inspirational because it’s such a great reminder that the internet can not only include but cater to people traditionally left out of the conversation.
