Chickens, Snakes & Beer Bellies...oh my! (the wonder of what goes viral)

In today's Mad Ave Journal contributing writer Jennifer Nastu features some mighty entertaining videos in her new "Clip Pics" column. She features a grassroots video of the 'McNuggets Guys', a mock audition tape for the summer movie release of Snakes On A Plane--or "SoaP", as the blogosphere has donned it--in which a comedian does impressive personas of Jack Nicholson, Christopher Walken and Joe Pesci...and a video for a strap-on beer gut that's like a white-trash cantine, aptly called the "Beer Belly".

Besides the clips, here's the copy that hooked this marketer: "Companies tend to call videos they create on their own behalf "viral" simply because they include a "forward to a friend" mechanism. In truth, there's no telling what will make a video "go viral" until it actually happens, until a cultural phenomenon takes place and a frenzy of participation begins, where consumers talk about, create and share videos. The best viral videos tend to be downright hilarious, but occasionally they go viral for other reasons - for touching a nerve, for example, or for shining a spotlight on a particular hot button topic or issue. Mostly, though, they're just plain fun."

Well said, Jennifer--thanks for giving me some entertainment along with my daily marketing lesson. The shorts-and the column-are worth checking out. Enjoy!