Hoehn’s Musings

I want to briefly talk about two viral videos: Charlie the Unicorn and The Numa Kid. Both of these have several million views. And both of them have sequels that attempt to put a fresh spin on the same formula.

Maybe I’m way off base here (the numbers don’t lie – all of these videos have millions of views), but I don’t think viral sequels really work. They don’t seem to offer the viewer much, other than “Oh yea, I remember the original… This isn’t as funny.” Or worse: “Wow, it’s kind of pathetic that they’re still doing the same old schtick.”

I guess some people like to see old gags again, but these videos typically lack the charm of their predecessors. The same problem can happen on a much larger scale, of course. But the problem with viral videos is that you see them so many times that you get burnt out. Milk it for what it’s worth when it’s hot, but don’t plan on anything long-term. It’s better to just move on and create something fresh.