Obama Girl

YouTube Hands Out $500,000 to Video Makers, Prepares to Spend a Whole Lot More on Next New Networks

Peter Kafka in Media on December 22, 2010 at 3:38 pm PT

Google hands out 500 $1,000 checks to video makers who make cheap, popular clips. It will spend many times that amount to acquire Next New Networks, which specializes in…cheap, popular clips.

Weekend Update, 02.07.09

Beth Callaghan in News on February 7, 2009 at 4:24 pm PT

What spreads faster than economic gloom and doom, and is more infectious than professional anxiety? That phenomenon known as “25 Things.” Just in time for Facebook’s fifth birthday, the record-breaking waste of time may have reached critical mass this week. Elsewhere this week…

Barely Digital: Mocking Geeks Instead of Pols

Kara Swisher in News on February 3, 2009 at 12:58 am PT

The fine folks at Barely Political, who made the famous–infamous, really–Obama Girl online videos that went viral during the presidential election, have moved onto the tech sector for their comic inspiration. The latest Next New Networks comedy site is called Barely Digital and is up in beta, with later plans to roll out a full network. Here are two of the first video efforts.

She's Still Got a Crush on Obama

Kara Swisher in News on January 20, 2009 at 5:30 am PT

Oh, BoomTown just had to. What with all the serious noting of the historical, societal and universal significance of the swearing in of President-elect Barak Obama in a few short hours, here’s some less important (but funnier) ruminating in the latest video from Obama Girl.

Video Scenes From YouTube Live: Obama Girl, Chad Hurley and Free Hugs

Kara Swisher in News on November 24, 2008 at 12:01 am PT

Here’s a video I did while attending YouTube Live on Saturday–well, live–at the Herbst Pavilion at the Fort Mason Center, right on the San Francisco Bay. The last time I had attended a big tech industry event here, it was the launch of Windows 97 from Microsoft–which was quite a different scene than this entertaining but freaky show, in which online celebrities jumped a little shakily into the analog word.

Weekend Update, 11/21/08

Beth Callaghan in News on November 22, 2008 at 3:51 pm PT

Another week, another five work days into a recession. There were a few distractions along the way, of course. From Jerry Yang and Mark Cuban to Obama Girl and Guns N’ Roses, the week’s events were enough to keep more than a few bloggers busy–at least there was something to write about other than pending economic doom.

Obama Girl, Fred, the Movie Reenactment Guy and Other Online Phenoms at YouTube Live

Kara Swisher in News on November 21, 2008 at 1:40 am PT

This weekend, YouTube is going analog, showing off a bunch of the freaky people who have become online phenoms, at YouTube Live, its “first ever official live community celebration.” Taking place in San Francisco on Saturday, BoomTown and thousands more are going. And, frankly, I am not sure I want to meet some of these folks, including the truly warped Fred Figglehorn (the No. 1 most subscribed channel in YouTube history), Obama Girl and Brandon Hardesty, the guy who does movie reenactments. Will I be shooting online video? Oh, yes, my fellow freaks.

Two's Company: Obama Girl and Ralph Nader

Kara Swisher in News on September 25, 2008 at 7:51 pm PT

Okay, this one is so egregiously odd, BoomTown had to post it. From the folks at Barely Political, whose original Obama Girl video became a pop phenom, here’s one with Independent Presidential candidate Ralph Nader. It is done as a spoof on a cheesy sitcom, and it’s oddly sweet to see Nader cracking wise so very badly.

He's Finally the Nominee–Time for BoomTown's Favorite Obama Videos!

Kara Swisher in News on June 5, 2008 at 11:09 am PT

Sen. Barack Obama clinched the Democratic Presidential nomination this week, so we’d be remiss if we did not revisit some of the many videos online that have popped up around the charismatic candidate that this column has referenced. Tomorrow: McCain videos! Really