The Viral Community

## Who Makes Viral Videos

The community behind the creation of many of these viral videos stem from many cliques. There is not a specific group of people that are the only ones making the videos, so the genre of viral videos is extremely vast. Anything ranging from music covers of popular songs to the latest internet meme, the subgenres within each type of video are many. People from different backgrounds and cultures all participate, which can explain why these videos are described as viral. Without the people that can potentially be new hosts and spread the material, then there will be no viral videos. What better to spread out and become viral than infecting many different strains that create more unique connections? So the variety of people that create the videos must be huge in range to accomodate the requirements for becoming viral.

## What Do They Have In Common

While these cliques all have their respective interests, they share common goals and desires when it comes to the topic of viral videos. People are entertained by these viral videos and get joy from seeing or making them, regardless of the topic. The subject matter is irrelevant because creating one certain type of genre such as a Star Wars parody does not guarentee a successful video. The key is in the execution of the material, which is something everybody can relate to. That execution is the fad or the trend that is making the video viral.

So what is the common concept that everybody has? It is how people feel; their emotions. Emotions for all are the same. Being happy, sad, uncomfortable, every person experiences these emotions and feelings, so they are universal. Since these viral videos vary in different genres, everybody has some option that will entertain them or keep their interest.

## Examples

Drake's newest music video "Hotline Bling" has created an internet sensation of parodies. A multitude of parodies have been created, with their consolidated views in the millions in a span of a few weeks. The sudden popularity of these parodies and the rate that new ones appear follow the viral video characteristics. This style of parody focuses more on the visual aspects rather than the music. Content creators are editing many of the same clips with different effects such as sounds or pictures, but a majority of them end up with the same result. So the specific video itself is not what is exactly viral, but the parody itself is what has gone viral. The video contains multiple parodies of what the viral community is creating. There are many genres within and that shows how large the viral community really is. People of different interests can all participate and become enthralled by a parody that fits their interests.

## References

Jenkins, Henry. "If It Doesn’t Spread, It’s Dead (Part One): Media Viruses and Memes."Confessions of an AcaFan. Web. 18 Oct. 2015.

Jenkins, Henry. "Why Participatory Culture Is Not Web 2.0: Some Basic Distinctions."Confessions of an AcaFan. Web. 19 Oct. 2015.

Scott, David Meerman. The New Rules of Marketing & PR: How to Use Social Media, Online Video, Mobile Applications, Blogs, News Releases, & Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers Directly, Fourth Edition. John Wiley & Sons, © 2013. Books24x7. Web.Oct. 18, 2015.