YouTube Democracy

I mentioned my recent love affair with YouTube in my last post. Truly, I have become a YouTube addict. For me, YouTube completes the holy trinity of online convenience (joining Google and the numerous sites that offer me great online shopping deals the week before Christmas so that I don't have to go to the mall).

YouTube is so much more than the Numa Numa Guy. I use YouTube everyday and for a great variety of things. I take Japanese lessons on YouTube for free at my own convenience. I learn how to do cool Excel tricks for free at my own convenience. I enjoy the newest Kelly Clarkson video, watch news shows from around the world, and learn about the history of video games on YouTube--all for free, all at my own convenience.

You may think I am overstating my point, and I have a tendency to do that. But I think I'm right on this one.

This past election cycle I was not excited about Barack Obama. It's not that I disagreed with him (well, I did disagree with him a lot, but I agreed with him more than with John McCain), it was the Obamamania. People in my demographic (young, college educated, urban) went freaking crazy for the guy six months before he said more than two sentences about any actual policies.

It wasn't until later that I realized why. will.i.am. That's why. He put together the "Yes We Can" video that got tons of play on YouTube but that completely missed my radar for about two months (I had a brief dalliance with YouTube last spring). When I watched it, I almost began to cry. I was inspired. There were so many beautiful people supporting Obama, and they believed that yes, we can. Can what? It didn't particularly matter; they were beautiful, and subconsciously I thought that if I believed that yes, in fact, we can, then maybe one of these beautiful people would go on a date with me.

I apologize. I'm being a bit cynical, but I really do want you guys to watch the will.i.am video one more time and tell me that you don't believe in the power of YouTube.



And for the record, I am proud to have Barack Obama as our president. He's an intelligent and resourceful dude--we'll see how he does.