Welcome to the first of what I hope to be an ongoing series about one of this country's greatest resources: YouTube entertainers.
When I moved to IC some 10 years ago or so, one of the things I loved most about this time was the fact that their cable company carried an honest-to-god Public Access TV network. I've always been obsessed by these channels - they just seem the ultimate in democracy: a TV station that will let anyone record a program about anything. Sure, most of the content is pre-packaged features from various organizations looking to get some attention for little effort: churches, cults, ultra-left-wing concerns, etc... Also, with the University nearby, it's also a beacon for "wacky" obviously stoned students looking for a creative outlet, but there was also some great personalities at work - people who, for various reasons, HAD to get their stories out there.
Now, PATV is in danger of becoming an extinct species. This is a depressing situation all around, but thankfully we do have another source for amateur entertainers, besides, you know, American Idol.
Now YouTube has it's own problems that stem paradoxically from it's greatest strength - it's easy accessibility. Currently, YouTube is mostly a cesspool of crappy videos, but if you can find a good filter (say, PoETV) you can find some gems among the flotsam. I feel Mr. Songer is among those gems.
Make no mistake, Daniel Songer is a renaissance man. Dancing, poetry, comedy... some guys can do it all and Dan The Man, well, he can also do... things? Dan is from Georgia, this much we know - also he IS NOT GAY. We know he is not a homosexual because he tells us so repeatedly in every single video. He does, however, have a weakness for the ladies and most of his offbeat stories usually revolve around trying to impress them with less-than-successful results setting up the punchline.
And then the awkward silence.
And then he swipes his hand through his thinning hair.
Jump cut. Then on to the next "joke"!
I can't explain it. Is it the way he bellows every word he says and then cranks it up even louder every time he hits the "punchline"? Is it the mystery of the person behind the camera giving him a count - who is that guy and for God's sake, WHY? Is it my inherent hipster's need for a source of ironic anti-comedy?
Nah, it's probably the dancing.
1 comment:
It sounds like I'm going to have to make a point to watch the videos when I'm not at work.
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