Viral Videos: Cecil the Lion, Colin Farrell as George Hook and 1,000 Foo Fighters fans

31 Jul 2015

George Hook impersonator Colin Farrell. Photo via Shutterstock

This week in viral videos, Jimmy Kimmel’s emotional response to Cecil the Lion’s death, Colin Farrell reads from George Hook’s erotic novel, and 1,000 Italian Foo Fighters fans gather for one epic performance.

Jimmy Kimmel on the killing of Cecil the Lion

If you didn’t hear about the untimely death of Cecil the Lion this week (congratulations on getting your internet bill sorted by the way), it’s been revealed that Minnesota dentist Walter Palmer paid $55,000 to hunt, track and kill the popular animal, which had been living under surveillance as part of a scientific research programme being conducted by Oxford University in Zimbabwe.

An investigation into this unlawful killing is ongoing, but that hasn’t stopped the public from damning Palmer, who has been forced to close his dental practice and go into hiding.

Meanwhile, the uproar has been perhaps best epitomised by US talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, who addressed the controversy during an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live this week. “Is it that difficult for you to get an erection that you need to kill things?” he asked.

Kimmel was eventually moved to near-tears, but did manage to give a mention to the Oxford project’s website www.wildcru.com, which has reportedly received a surge in donations, ensuring some good has come from this wholly unnecessary killing.

Uploaded: 29 July 2015

1,000 musicians play Foo Fighters’ Learn to Fly

The Italians must be Foo Fighters crazy. So desperate are they to get the rock band by play a concert in Cesena that, in an attempt to lure Dave Grohl and co to the city, 1,000 musicians gathered to perform one epic cover of the Foos’ track Learn To Fly.

The clip shows the field of drummers, vocalists and guitarists playing the song actually quite smoothly, ending with an impassioned speech from organiser Fabio Zaffagnini that pleaded with the group to schedule a date.

They might just be successful in their attempts too. Other fan campaigns in recent months have worked, such as the petition in Richmond, Virginia that led to the Foos playing a small show in the city.

Uploaded: 30 July 2015

Colin Farrell reads an excerpt from George Hook’s erotic novel

It was recently revealed to everyone’s absolute horror that Newstalk presenter and former rugby pundit George Hook had written an erotic novel, and has plans to tap Colin Farrell for the leading role should it ever find its way to the big screen.

Farrell himself was presented with the idea earlier this week during an interview with Ian Dempsey for Today FM, and when prompted to read an extract from the bound-to-be-awful book, the actor unleashed his best George Hook impression.

Marvel at the sheer eroticism of Colin Farrell channelling George Hook with dirty wee pearlers like, “Last night when she bent over me to fluff me pillows I had a glimpse of her little girls”. Ooh, vicar!

Uploaded: 27 July 2015

A rough landing

If you suffer from a fear of flying, do not click the video below. Seriously, this was one rough-as-hell landing as a KLM Boeing 777  attempted to descend to the platform while being pushed around by heavy winds like some sort of child’s toy, at one point nearly turning onto its side.

According to UPI, the plane was coming in for a landing Saturday at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam. Thankfully, the pilot managed to get everyone to solid ground safely, but not without fraying a few nerves, I suspect.

Uploaded: 25 July 2015

Entering 1,000 Competitions

Inspired by a Nickelodeon competition he won when he was 12-years-old, Andrew Lloyd had what he figured to be an amazing idea: enter 1,000 competitions all at the same time and see how much bootie he could score.

You’ll have to forgive some of the clip’s rubbish stylings, but obviously you’re going to want to know what, if anything, Andrew won in his big experiment.

Uploaded: 24 July 2015

School performs Haka at teacher’s funeral service

In a touching and memorising tribute, around 1,700 students from Palmerston North Boys High School in New Zealand performed the haka at the funeral of long-serving teacher Dawson Tamatea, who passed away earlier this month.

As reported by TVNZ, Tamatea was the school’s head of Te Reo Maori, Dean of Student Achievement and an all-around popular figure. The students performed the haka on school grounds as his casket arrived for the service.

“We are extremely proud of our boys’ performance and we know that Mr Tamatea would be too,” wrote the school via YouTube.

Uploaded: 26 July 2015

Dean Van Nguyen was a contributor to Silicon Republic

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