Do You Tube?

Ever see a guy wearing 155 T-shirts at one time? What about a chunky teenager playing “Star Wars” or a so-called ninja doing a backflip and landing on his head? And don’t forget about that “Ding! Fries Are Done!” clip that makes the cyberspace rounds every Christmas season.

Yes, these are just a few of the millions of videos watched every day on YouTube.com, one of the most often visited and most popular Web sites in the country, and arguably the world.

Missed the Sarah Palin “Saturday Night Live” spoof? No worries, it’s on YouTube. You heard about hard-throwing baseball pitcher Randy Johnson hitting a bird – literally making it explode in a mushroom cloud of white feathers – but missed the replays on “Sports Center”? Watch it over and over again at YouTube, the ultimate video sharing Web site where users can upload, view and share video clips.

We’re guessing that many of you are familiar with YouTube (the Web site hosted a Republican presidential candidate debate this year, for example), and you’ve likely seen some of the viral videos we’re highlighting in our City Weekly YouTube Hall of Fame. But we’re also hoping that we can introduce you to some truly awesome and worth-your-time videos that can be seen on YouTube, which was launched in 2005 by three former PayPal employees.

With more than 50,000 videos being added to YouTube each day, YouTube reported that nearly 79 million users had made more than 3 billion video views in January 2008 alone. With those numbers it’s no wonder that Google bought YouTube for $1.65 billion two years ago.

But back to the CW Hall. Sure, YouTube now holds annual awards for videos posted on its site in categories such as creative, politics, short film, comedy, commentary, music and instructional, which are voted on by the YouTube community.

The City Weekly YouTube Hall of Fame isn’t so democratic. We just sat down last week and picked the YouTube videos that have tickled our ha-ha bones – the ones you pass onto to your friends, saving the links for repeated views.

So without further introduction, we present the CW’s YouTube Hall of Fame.

Human Tetris

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0LtUX_6IXY

No, this isn’t a clip from the popular Japanese TV game show (of which an American version recently debuted) – although those are entertaining as well. Instead, this “Human Tetris” – viewed more than 8 million times so far – was made by several people in brightly colored shirts and pants, moving through a set of church pews in Tetris-like fashion.

As with many of the videos in our Hall of Fame, you just gotta see it!

Star Wars Kid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvCVVAfRrFE

An oldie but a goodie, this clip features a Canadian high school student doing his best impression of Darth Maul of “Star Wars” fame.

Using a golf ball retriever, the kid spins and twirls the rod like a two-headed light saber, complete with grunts and saber sound effects from the kid. Good stuff. According to one Web site, the clip was found by some of the kid’s classmates who then shared it online through a peer-to-peer file-sharing site, making it an instant viral video. Reportedly, the teen video star (it’s been viewed nearly 1 billion times) was taunted and criticized by his peers, which eventually led to a lawsuit.

Afro Ninja Guy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEtIoGQxqQs

Speaking of twirling dervishes … A true gut-buster, this video made an Internet star out of Mark A. Hicks, a stunt man that was auditioning for a role when the video was taken. It shows Hicks with nunchucks attempting to do a backflip. He lands on his face and as he tries to get up it’s painfully obvious that he knocked the sh*t out of himself. A short video but a great laugh.

T-Shirt Guy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r6tlw-oPDBM

Another classic viral video that was made famous by viewers of YouTube. The clip opens with text from a morning radio jock: “Friday, September 15th 2006, Live On The Early Show, 99.9 KTYD Santa Barbara, CA, Matt McAllister is one man with one good cause, 155 T-shirts and one new Guiness World Record – 155 T-shirts, sized small to 10XL, 4 hours, 100 extra pounds.”

The guys wears 155 T’s at once! Indeed, another “gotta see it to believe it” video.

Red Sox hitter goes Kung Fu fighting

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=em8FQSpJKCM

We forgot about this one until we caught a show on Fox that listed sports’ 100 most outrageous moments. This video of a Red Sox minor leaguer cracked the top 50 – and the list didn’t just include funny incidents, so you know stuff like this doesn’t happen very often. And as far as baseball brawls go, this one probably can’t be topped – tell me this guy wasn’t ready to throw down. There is no hesitation with that kung fu kick!

Mentos Guys

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKoB0MHVBvM

Have you tried this one at home yet? This video even inspired the gang from “Mythbusters” to dissect what makes the combo of Diet Coke and Mentos candies so explosive. It’s like the fountains at Caesars in Las Vegas, kinda.

Barney rapping 2 Pac’s “Hit ‘Em Up”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9_XDauWLAc

Along with “Ding Fries Are Done!” and “Star Wars Kid,” the loveable Barney mouthing the words to 2Pac’s “Hit ‘Em Up” is one of the Godfathers of funny, over-the-top YouTube videos. We remember this one from as early as 2002 … whoever had the sense to see what it’d be like if Barney rapped “that’s why I f**ked your bitch you fat motherf**ker” is pretty much a genius in my book.

Chocolate Rain Guy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EwTZ2xpQwpA

Like many of the stars of YouTube’s most popular videos, the dude who appears in this video parlayed the popularity of the YouTube clip into helping promote his career, which apparently is a singer.

It’s an original song sung by Tay Zonday, who later appeared on “The Jimmy Kimmel Show.” The song, according to Zonday, was written about black history. So why has the quirky song been viewed more than 28 millioin times? Most likely because of Zonday’s deep vocals and curious facial expressions. A real YouTube gem.

LeBron lazily sinks full-court turnaround jumpers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnxIITeNftE

This was actually a commercial, and at the time it came out, was pretty cool. But more than anything, the LeBron James-inspired footage spawned a new breed of professional sports viral campaigns featuring incredibly fake athletic feats – now we’ve got ball girls making catches by bouncing up walls (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vYiq-wPvDc) and NFL players doing the straight up impossible (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEKlzwi_G5Y).

Kobe Bryant “jumping” over car

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BIWeEFV59d4

This little piece of footage was actually part of Kobe Bryant’s viral campaign to try and improve his public image. For a while, it worked, but if you watch carefully, or look closer, it becomes pretty damn obvious that the car drives right to the side of him. More than one person caught on to the trick and exposed Kobe. Snooze. Couple that with Kobe’s acting like, well, a dumbass, at the start of the video, and he gets a one-way ticket to the YouTube Hall of Shame.

TNT’s Kenny Smith impersonating Kobe jumping over a car

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfhO23NIRP0

OK, so we just dogged out Kobe there, and deservedly so, but if it wasn’t for his douchebaggery, we wouldn’t have gotten this hilarious gem from the TNT NBA crew. Watch as host Kenny Smith tries to do what Kobe only wishes he had the balls to do – and as many commentators point out, Kobe sets a new standard for fake laughing during the clip. Yes, yes – this one’s fake, too, but a lot more funny, as Smith gets taken right out of his shoes – hilarious!

Royals’ Joey Gathright goes car jumping

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cySfw8f0beg

The last of the “car jumping series” is not the funniest, but by far the most impressive, as former Omaha Royal Joey Gathright actually jumps over a car. OK, so the car isn’t moving, but keep in mind, Gathright stands all of 5-foot-10. Things would get awfully messy for 99.9 percent of people who tried this.

Numa Numa Guy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60og9gwKh1o

God bless Gary Brolsma, 22, who has become known worldwide as “the Numa Numa Guy.” In his massively popular video clip (viewed nearly 20 million times), Brolsma stars in this Webcam video showing Brolsma lip synching to the song “Dragostea din tei” by Moldovan pop band O-Zone. It’s known as “Numa Numa” after a phrase in the song. This one will definitely crack you up.

Shoes Girl (Guy)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wCF3ywukQYA

Another rib-tickler comes in the form of a transvestite. Actually, it’s actor/comedian Liam Sullivan’s alter-ego Kelly, a potty-mouthed Valley girl with a penchant for shopping – especially shoes! This classic YouTube clip led to Sullivan’s follow-up, “Let Me Borrow That Top” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPDl2g8Upvk).

Randy Johnson kills bird in mid-air with fastball

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHxY-Q24e18

This has to be one of the world’s all-time one-in-a-billion moments, as then-Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson hurls one of his famous 95mph fastballs towards the plate during a spring training game – and hits a bird flying in front of him and straight explodes the thing.

Ding! Fries Are Done!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFQyib5ZQZY

Another of the videos that made YouTube what it is today – this clip got so into the mainstream that even “Family Guy” worked it into its show. No doubt it’s hilarious, but view at your own risk, “Ding Fries Are Done!” will get stuck in your head for weeks.

David Blaine “Street Magic”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E5Hc04E75ms

This one is for all of you who consider David Blaine’s “magic” – if you can even call it that – utterly ridiculous, as the Those Little Rabbits comedy team spoofs the faker … and his weird shtick. The impersonation is dead on as two “idiots” fall for Blaine’s trickery on the streets of Los Angeles. You’ve got to see this one to believe it – how funny it is, anyway.

Chicago Bears fan catching field goal

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8QFMe6Uz3Q

More jumping! Everyone remembers exactly where they were when the Challenger exploded; everyone knows how they heard the news about 9/11, and all sports fans can recall their exact time and place when this ballsy Chicago Bears fan jumped out of the stands to catch a made field goal during a Monday Night Football game in 1995. It just seemed way too over the top to be real – it appears that the guy plummets down the tunnel to his death, but if you stay with the video, amazingly he’s up to give an interview just moments later.

Don’t Tase Me Bro?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bVa6jn4rpE

This is when “tase” became a verb. Set at the University of Florida during a Constitution Day forum in which Sen. John Kerry is speaking, this 2007 video stars Florida student Andrew Meyer interrupting the speech with his own questions, much to the chagrin of the security staff. Meyer refused to leave, so they tased his ass – and the rest is awesome YouTube history.

O! Omaha Public Sculptures

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nFOqV7Cu-Js

This fine piece of video was generated right here in the Big O. Posted by “scottblake,” the video shows two guys and a giant homemade penis traveling around Omaha, stopping at some of the O! public sculptures. You can imagine the rest (but the video is even better).

Evolution of Dance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMH0bHeiRNg

One of the most popular YouTube videos (viewed by more than 100 million times; second only to Avril Lavigne’s “Girlfriend” video, at more than 104 million), this clip shows comedian and motivational speaker Judson Laipply dancing a six-minute routine encompassing 32 songs spanning more than 50 years of music and dance. Since being added to YouTube, the video has drawn 55.8 million views. It’s had 60,476 comments, the first of which was: “That was freaking AWESOME! Thanks for sharing!!”

Guitar Guy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjA5faZF1A8

To all you guitar hero-rock band wannabes out there, check this dude out! Made and performed by South Korean Jeong-Hyun Lim, who goes by Funtwo, this video features the awesome guitarist playing a cover of JerryC’s “Canon Rock.” It’s an amazing display of fleet-fingered filigrees.

Like many of the YouTube stars mentioned above, Lim made it into the music video to Weezer’s song “Pork & Beans” (SEE SIDEBAR). In the beginning of the Weezer video, the setting is Lim’s bedroom, with the various members playing their various instruments.

By the way, if you haven’t already, YouTube (yes, it’s now a verb, too) the Weezer video.