With a Korean pop sensation and a campaign film about an African
warlord, 2012's viral sensations are as varied as they are compelling.
Fantastic pictures from 2012'Gangnam Style' to 'Kony 2012:' This year's top viral videos
Psy performs 'Gangnam Style' onstage at the MTV EMA's 2012 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, in November.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- "Gangnam Style" became the most watched YouTube video of all time, overtaking Justin Bieber
- The rap -- named after a neighborhood of Seoul -- spawned countless parodies
- Advertisers, campaigners and sometimes hapless individuals' videos have also gone viral
Viral videos -- from pop
videos to advertising, parodies to accidental hits -- have been
entertaining, and occasionally informing, us like never before in 2012.
Here is CNN's selection of some of the top viral videos this year.
Most watched viral video of all time: Psy: 'Gangnam Style'
YouTube views at time of writing: 826 million
Published: July
What's the big deal: 2012 has undoubtedly been the year of "Gangnam Style." This video by South Korean rapper Psy became the most-watched YouTube video of all time in November when it surpassed teenage pop star Justin Bieber's 804 million views for "Baby."
The rap is named after
the pricey Seoul district of Gangnam and features 34-year-old PSY
dressed in tuxedo and sunglasses dancing his much-copied galloping-style
"horse dance."
Best Gangnam parody: Mitt Romney Style
YouTube views at time of writing: 23.8 million
Published: October
What's the big deal: "Gangnam Style" has been copied and parodied so many times that we felt the tributes were worth a category in their own right.
The parodies range from a "The Lord of the Rings"-themed "Gandalf Style" to "London Style" to "Kim Jong Style" parodying North Korea's leader.
Our favorite is "Mitt Romney Style," by New York-based CollegeHumor.com, making fun of the Republican governor and failed presidential candidate's wealth and swagger.
Best advertisement: A Dramatic Surprise on a Quiet Square
YouTube views at time of writing: 38.8 million
Published: April
What's the big deal: In
this advertisement for the launch of the television channel TNT in
Belgium, the company placed a big red button in the main square of a
small Belgian town with a sign saying "Push to add drama."
The ensuing chain of
events -- and the crowds' reaction -- when a passing cyclist presses the
button, makes compelling viewing. CNN and TNT are both Time Warner
companies.
Most-watched documentary: KONY 2012
YouTube views at time of writing: 94 million
Published: March
What's the big deal: Rarely
has a campaign video gained such a reaction. This video by the San
Diego-based campaign group Invisible Children about the African warlord
Joseph Kony gained 74 million views within a week of its release in
March.
Kony has operated in
central Africa for two decades and is wanted for crimes against humanity
by the International Criminal Court.
However the controversial video was dismissed by some critics as inaccurate, oversimplified and distracting from more effective charity work, and others questioned the group's motives and transparency.
Best marriage proposal: Isaac's Live Lip-Dub Proposal
YouTube views at time of writing: 16.3 million views
Published: May
What's the big deal: This
makes a change from the schmaltz you might expect from a public
marriage proposal, as actor Isaac Lumb organized this intricately
choreographed live performance with 60 friends miming to the Bruno Mars
song "Marry You."
As Lumb wrote in the YouTube blurb: "I told my girlfriend to meet me at my parent's house for dinner.
"When she arrived I had
stationed my brother to sit her in the back of an open Honda CRV and
give her some headphones. He 'wanted to play her a song' ... What she
got instead was the world's first Live Lip-Dub Proposal."
Best mis-hap: Catch the Ice Dude
YouTube views at time of writing: 21.3 million
Published: September
What's the big deal: This German man jumps dramatically into a frozen pool, not realizing quite how frozen solid it is. The result: Ouch!
The hysterical laughter from his friends and 21.3 YouTube viewings are Schadenfreude in action.
Best radio phone-in: Please Move the Deer Crossing
YouTube views at time of writing: 10.1 million
Published: October
What's the big deal: A
woman who has become known as Donna the Deer Lady calls a local radio
station in Fargo, North Dakota, complaining that deer crossings are
encouraging deer to cross busy roads.
"Why are we encouraging deer to cross at the interstate?" she asks.
The presenter makes a
brief attempt to explain that deer crossing signs are to warn motorists
of areas with large deer population, rather than for the benefit of the
deer, before giving up and agreeing to publicize her concerns.
Best public service broadcast: Dumb Ways to Die
YouTube views at time of writing: 25.3 million
Published: November
What's the big deal: This was created by the Melbourne Metro as a reminder that getting hit by a train is the dumbest way to die.
Other dumb ways to die
suggested in the song and animated video include taking your helmet off
in outer space, selling both kidneys on the internet and dressing up as a
moose during hunting season.
Best corporate comebac: Bodyform Responds: The Truth
YouTube views at time of writing: 3.4 million
Published: October
What's the big deal: This video came after a man called Richard Neill posted an amusing rant on the Facebook page
of sanitary towel manufacturer Bodyform complaining that their
advertisements showing happy women taking part in extreme sports during
their periods were misleading.
The company responded
with a mock contrite apology video, supposedly from its managing
director (although actually an actress) that they had lied to him about
periods.
The technology site Mashable wrote of Bodyform's video: "This may be the best response ever to a Facebook rant -- period."
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