Still from 'BatDad' by BatDad Vine on YouTube
We take a look at some of the most-viewed and most-shared videos on the web. This week features a kitten rescued by a firefighter, a tribute to Dublin’s canals, mind-blowing optical illusions, Breaking Bad theories, Twitter conversations in real life, and the best of BatDad.
About 100 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute, 500 years of video watched on Facebook every day, and more than 700 YouTube videos shared on Twitter each minute, ensuring there is always video trending on the web.
With so much video available for viewing, we take a look at some of the viral videos that have caught our eye this week.
#Hashtag
Chat-show host Jimmy Fallon has hit the nail on the head with this video demonstrating just how absurd Twitter conversations littered with hashtags would sound if spoken aloud. With special appearances from singer Justin Timberlake and drummer Questlove, the video reached more than 10m views in just five days and serves as fair warning to those introducing the term ‘hashtag’ to their everyday speech.
Uploaded: 24 September 2013
BatDad
This dad, armed with a Batman mask and a throaty impersonation of the comic-book vigilante, has become a bit of a Vine celebrity, posting super-short clips of his heroic dealings with family matters. This video compiles the best of these seven-second shorts for three minutes of laughter.
Uploaded: 19 September 2013
Box
This video from The Creators Project showcases the achievements of projection-mapping on moving surfaces through a live performance using large-scale robotics. The result is a series of mind-bending optical illusions that will take your breath away.
Uploaded: 24 September 2013
How Breaking Bad should end
The Key of Awesome, in their trademark musical style, give their theories as to how Breaking Bad will finally end tonight. Of course, don’t watch this spoiler-filled video unless you’re all caught up and waiting on the edge of your seat for the series finale.
Uploaded: 20 September 2013
Firefighter saves kitten
This is the second time this footage of a fireman resuscitating a kitten discovered in a burnt-out house has gone viral. It first captured the attention of the online audience this summer, when the story of firefighter Cory Kalanick’s adorable rescue mission hit the headlines. This time around, it has captured almost three times as many views as promotional material for the GoPro HD Hero3 camera, which was mounted to Kalanick’s helmet. Sadly, though, Kalanick’s heroics weren’t enough to save the kitten, who passed away later that night due to lung damage caused by smoke inhalation.
Uploaded: 25 September 2013
Becoming Men
This beautifully shot short from Motherland is narrated by an old Dubliner reflecting on summer days spent splashing about in the canal. The footage from our recent long, hot summer shows that times haven’t changed much and the whole package makes for a captivating ode to Dublin’s man-made waterways.
Uploaded: 20 September 2013
‘Wrecking Ball’ hedgehog parody
You didn’t think we would get through a viral videos round-up without a Wrecking Ball shout-out, did you? We promise: this one is so adorable you won’t regret watching.
Uploaded: 20 September 2013
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