So Gangnam Style has just become the most watched video in the world...

[Thespian]

Sounds about right.

I'm a fan and purveyor of absurdism. See my avatar? I find it endlessly hilarious, although I've received tons of urine-stained terror-mail over it. Likewise, I've watched Gangnam Style repeatedly, and every time he howls at the girl's rear end, or when the elevator opens, my WTF meters overload and I burst into laughter. I get it's not for everyone, but that's certainly one of the main reasons people watch it.

Terror-mail over an avatar? Weird.

I mean, I sort of get the absurdism angle. Not always my cup of tea, but I get it. I can often find random, absurd, nonsensical things humorous... But not when it's so clearly trying to be, like Gangnam Style is. I dunno, stringing together random events doesn't work for me, truly absurd hilarity requires more setup in my mind. I'm not really arguing your tastes of course as that is pointless, just stating that I'm truly quite surprised at this video's popularity. I guess that's a pretty good explanation though.

 

[lacktheknack]

Sounds about right.

I'm a fan and purveyor of absurdism. See my avatar? I find it endlessly hilarious, although I've received tons of urine-stained terror-mail over it. Likewise, I've watched Gangnam Style repeatedly, and every time he howls at the girl's rear end, or when the elevator opens, my WTF meters overload and I burst into laughter. I get it's not for everyone, but that's certainly one of the main reasons people watch it.

Terror-mail over an avatar? Weird.

I mean, I sort of get the absurdism angle. Not always my cup of tea, but I get it. I can often find random, absurd, nonsensical things humorous... But not when it's so clearly trying to be, like Gangnam Style is. I dunno, stringing together random events doesn't work for me, truly absurd hilarity requires more setup in my mind. I'm not really arguing your tastes of course as that is pointless, just stating that I'm truly quite surprised at this video's popularity. I guess that's a pretty good explanation though.

ENDLESS terror mail. It's gone from funny to depressing and back to funny again. I think half my inbox is a permutation of "WHY DO YOU HAVE THAT AVATAR WHY".

Also, just so I understand what you're saying, would you say that you find this more amusing than Gangnam Style? It's nothing if not "set up", as it takes the guy months to do each video, but is equally absurd.

<youtube=GAvS1ndtEKg>

 

[Baron von Blitztank]

But in all seriousness, I guess this is... Good?
I do like the song, even more so given the crap it's put up against. Not exactly my favourite song of all time but I'm glad it's getting the credit it deserves.

 

[StylinBones]

It's so much better than Friday. Opa Gangnam Style!

 

[Friendly Lich]

The world is a better place now that beiber has been dethroned.

 

[Vault101]

[snip!

that ones not "quite" as weird...I mean there is some semblence of logic there (she's the queen of some wizard of oz type land with lions)

 

[hazabaza1]

Lots of worse videos it could have gone to.
Though there are better songs out there. Like Stephen Lynch. Fuck, I love that man.

 

[bojackx]

Anything is better than Bieber. But i'm fucking shocked that Bieber had the 1st place, he seems awfully popular for all the hate he gets.

I think it just comes with being massively popular, which is why Bieber has so many dislikes despite all the views. Weirdly, Gangnam Style seems to be mostly liked for such a popular video.

 

[elvor0]

Actually, a lot of the imagery in the video shows PSY trying to appear richer and/or more stylish than he is. The opening scene in the beach that is actually a sandbox sets the tone, but there are many others:
- his "nighclub" is actually a tour bus for middle-aged women
- he's in a sauna but sharing it with gangsters (note the tattoos) instead of executives or businessmen
- he emerges from water like he's swimming in a pool, but it's actually a public bath
- he finds his girl not in an expensive bar or nightclub, but in the metro
- he's singing from a "throne" like in a P. Diddy video but he's actually in the bathroom

Even the dance gives this idea: he never appears actually riding a horse, only mimicking it with the silly dance (he also rides a toy horse in a merry-go-round).

This pretty much. I don't like the song, as it's not my style, but I respect it and PSY for just so blatantly taking the piss, yet some how hardly anyone seems to get it.

 

[chadachada123]

Really? Wow, I just... I dunno, I never found it funny. I don't know how I could - It's a song in Korean filled with inside jokes about south Koreans. So what exactly are you guys finding funny about it? Oh look, asian on the toilet. Oh look, asian lying between another asian's legs. Gold!

No I don't understand the appeal in anyway. I don't find the video offensively stupid or anything, just... kinda lame. Maybe worth a smirk or so but that's it.

The only person to agree with me seems to be Todd in the Shadows.

I think it'd be about as funny and popular if, instead of being a S. Korean video, it was LMFAO making the same jokes with the same absurdity. Some jokes from this video may be based around Korea for obvious reasons, and might not make much sense to Americans (the party bus thing? The coffee line?), but I think absurdity just appeals to (many) people.

The "guy between the legs of another guy randomly appearing in an elevator" would be funny to see in the US OR in Korea. For evidence of this, look at the popularity of Jackass, particularly the scenes involving Chris Pontius doing absurd things while wearing nothing but a thong and bow tie.

Warning...uh...not exactly safe for work:


It explains why LMFAO's "Party Rock" is the fifth most-watched Youtube video of all time, this song also being about partying and 'lol random' humor.

It might not be your cup of tea, but...actually, I have no idea where I was going with that.

 

[Nazulu]

I'm not interested in the Gangnam video, but I prefer hearing about that taking the top spot instead of Disney's abomination.

 

[RedDeadFred]

I do enjoy the song, not enough for me to consider it deserving of the most watched video but dethroning Justin Bieber is always a good thing.

 

[Chewster]

As I am currently in Korea and was when the song blew up all over the place, I like it. It's fun, and quite interesting when analyzed below the surface. However, it is overplayed here to a fucking insane degree. At one point, I couldn't walk the twenty minutes from my apartment to my job without hearing it at least three times, blaring out from loudspeakers in front of different stores.

Thankfully, it's popularity seems to be waning a bit and I don't hear it as much as back in the summer. It's almost surreal seeing how huge the track got all over the world. I guess I can always claim "I was there" or something.

People I know, however think the video is funny. How is it funny?

This might help some of you: http://www.theatlantic.com/internat...in-south-koreas-music-video-sensation/261462/

Except for the part where it's not a parody as confirmed by PSY himself when someone asked him if it was a critique in his Reddit AMA: http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/120oqd/i_am_south_korean_singer_rapper_composer_dancer/c6r8wm4

Roland Barth, Death of the Author etc. Essentially, it doesn't matter what he said. Art speaks for itself and the imagery in the video is quite obvious to anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of Gangnam or even Korean culture in general. Thus, if one is able to effectively argue that he is taking the piss out of Korean culture, than he is. Read the article. It's interesting.

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

I've never watched it and I never will because I have no interest.

 

[Olas]

Well, Baby still holds the record for most dislikes, so it's got that going for it.

 

[AngloDoom]

Good. The world needs a lot more silliness. Too many people are going "Blah! He looks funny and this angers me!" That's just wrong!

Revel in the silliness!