If you’ve been online recently you’ve probably been disappointed by what it has to offer. If you’re like me, you’ve had your brain rammed full of soulless AI content rehashing scenes of Grey’s Anatomy with a generated voiceover and dramatic music.
Although I don’t mind sketch after sketch of “Mum doing … xyz” or storytimes of horrific customer service interactions, I don’t often find myself laughing – instead I will quietly smirk to myself while horizontal in bed in a borderline catatonic state, hypnotised by the algorithm.
I miss laughing out loud while sitting on a hard wooden chair at a desktop PC in the family living room. You would gather your friends around to watch five-minute-long sketches and music videos that often made no sense and were about nothing. There was no real world news spliced between a dance video and a mukbang compilation to ruin the high felt after some proper good and funny content.
This list is a homage to my favourite precious comedy gems I watched over the past two decades. I will be the first to admit most of these are hard to watch now, but we have to admit, at the time they were something special.
1. John Travolta trying to say Idina Menzel (2014)
As a radio host, I sympathise with trying your best to pronounce names you are unfamiliar with. The key is not confidence, but just checking with a few people beforehand or maybe watching a video of the person saying their own name. My favourite part is when you see his brow slightly scrunch when he reads the name before he smiles to try to convince us everything is fine.
2. Harry Potter and the Mysterious Ticking Noise (2011)
I nearly considered not including this on the list because the fact I found this to be the funniest thing I’d ever seen at one point in my life is truly embarrassing. It’s an annoying earworm with one single punchline at 1 minute and 38 seconds into the video, which is a testament to the kind of attention span we had in 2011.
3. My Crazy Sister – mychonny (2010)
Most performers will credit seeing their first play or musical as what ignited their desire to perform. This video is mine. Not because it perfectly summed up the feral dynamic between me and my siblings, but because it seemed to have required no planning, production or time to create something funny. Performing comedy seemed something very possible after I was done ROFL-ing to this video.
4. Show Me Your Genitals – Jon Lajoie (2008)
I know it would not fly today, but the satire in this still rips a laugh out of me. This song was parodying incels long before the term was widely known.
5. Simon the cat refuses to dog (2016)
Everyone has their one cat video that hits them in the ha-ha button and this is mine.
6. Charlie the Unicorn (2008)
This one is a pure case of “You had to be there” with no further comment.
7. Cole Hersch’s Vines (2014)
I originally just wanted to shout out the Night Citizen Vine but upon rewatching this compilation, I couldn’t pick one. All of these are winners. Cole Hersch, if you’re reading this, 2014 me still has a crush on you. If you discover a time machine, DM me!
8. All Jenna Marbles videos (2010-2020)
I was obsessed with Jenna Marbles for many years and her exit from YouTube in 2020 was a HUGE shock. She felt like a friend who just wanted to make you laugh and never tried to sell you anything other than a good time. I’m glad she quit when making content no longer served her but I do hope one day she comes back to us.
9. Shoes – Kelly (2006)
I feel very lucky that this was the first ever YouTube video I watched, and wow, what a winner to start on. After thinking the only thing you could use the computer for was Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing, MS Paint and Solitaire, finding out there was a whole world of entertainment on there blew my 12-year-old mind. If you see me IRL I am happy to recite the cold open of this video for your (and my) enjoyment.
1. Gangnam Style – PSY (2012)
In 2012 PSY gripped the world like a two-year-old grips a rice crispy treat. I can imagine PSY pitching this to his team and receiving nothing but doubtful stares, wondering what the actual fuck he was talking about. The variations of hip thrusts, screaming at a woman’s ass while she lazily does yoga, the nine costume changes, the 21 different locations, the sheer boldness and excessive everything: this is a comedic masterpiece. I am the rice crispy treat, I am still gripped today. Never let me go Gangnam Father!
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Bec Charlwood is a comedian, radio host, writer and podcaster. She’s performing her show Toilet Seat Time Machine at Sydney fringe, 11-13 September