YouTube Canon, Internet as Stage: Celebrating five years of YouTube

Youtube is near celebrating its fifth anniversary ((The domain was registered on Feb 15:
WHOIS information for youtube.com :
Domain ID:
Domain Name: youtube.com

Created On: 15-Feb-2005 00:00:00)) In it’s early days YouTube looked rather plain but a few months later, in June 2005, “Your Digital Video Repository” added the famous Upload Your Videos link.

In celebration of five years of YouTube videos, Dragan Cohen from Upload Cinema, asked tens of new media specialists to send in their all-time top 10 YouTube videos. The ultimate YouTube list of about 30 videos, the YouTube Canon, will be aired in the Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam on the 22nd of February 2010. Please join us!

YouTube celebrates its 5th anniversary. That’s why Upload Cinema presents ‘Internet as stage’, a special compilation of real Internet classics. Video’s that can be considered as landmarks in the history of online film. Based on the input of some of the most important bloggers, web editors and internet professionals in The Netherlands. The show takes place on February 22 at 20.00 o’clock in the Stadsschouwburg Amsterdam. Tickets are only available via the site of the Stadsschouwburg. (Upload Cinema)

My submitted YouTube top 10:

#1 RickRoll’D

The movie of all YouTube movies!

#2 Here Comes Another Bubble v1.1

Web 2.0 as the New Internet Bubble.

#3 Dramatic Look

Tatataaaaaaaaaaaaaaa! <insert dramatic look>

#4 LEAVE BRITNEY ALONE!

Fanculture at its best.

#5 Numa Numa

Just doing his thing behind his webcam. For the whole world.

#6 Bert & Ernie tries Gangsta-Rap


YouTube is an important plaform for remixculture.

#7 The Sneezing Baby Panda


OMG! The Cuteness! ROFL!

#8 David After Dentist


Cute kid being drugged out after dentist visit filmed by his dad with his Flipcam, made possible by the introduction of small, easy, handheld cameras.

#9 大きな箱とねこ。(Big Box and Maru)


A YouTube top 10 without a cat movie cannot exist. Nora the Piano and Ninja Cat were also contenders to be in my top 10 but the Japanese Maru who’s obsessed with boxes won this spot.

#10 “Chocolate Rain” Original Song


YouTube is seen as an important platform for amateur musicians to become famous. This guy definitely became famous.

UPDATE: De Wereld Draait Door interviewed Alexander Klopping and Dragan Cohen about YouTube fifth anniversary (in Dutch):

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