The YouTube Revolutions

Twitter and Facebook have received all the attention, but it's the popular video uploading site that provides the best window into what's happening on the Arab street.

BY DAVID KENNER | MARCH 30, 2011

 

Location: A plane off the coast of Tunisia

The video: Other videos trade moral outrage for ridicule. This cartoon, also a Kharabeesh production, imagines the awkward conversations Ben Ali must have had with formerly friendly world leaders following his hasty departure from Tunis. He is brushed off by French President Nicolas Sarkozy, Libyan leader Muammar al-Qaddafi, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (who is unable to come to the phone because he is receiving a "pornographic delegation"), U.S. President Barack Obama, and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak. Finally, and just as he is about to run out of phone credit, Saudi King Abdullah offers refuge to the deposed autocrat -- under the condition that he'll play on the country's soccer team.

 

David Kenner is an associate editor at Foreign Policy.

GRANT

9:20 AM ET

March 31, 2011

No mention of the Qaddafi

No mention of the Qaddafi Zenga song?

 

DAVID KENNER

11:58 AM ET

March 31, 2011

Zenga zenga

I know! I probably should have included it. It turns out that it's rather hard to describe the humor, so I went with the Kharabeesh one instead. But for those who are interested -- the Qaddafi Zenga Zenga video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cBY-0n4esNY

 

GRANT

5:55 AM ET

April 1, 2011

For those who want to show it

For those who want to show it to concerned parents, here's a version without the girl (though sadly this means that it doesn't parody the infamous 'voluptuous blond').

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6GcUutnU2gk

 

STUBY

8:04 AM ET

April 30, 2011

I dunno if it's hard to

I dunno if it's hard to describe but it's hard to get LOL

@ What is Six Sigma?

 

AJUHASZ

11:05 AM ET

April 8, 2011

YouTube Re-revolutions

I appreciate your important contribution here as finder, translator, and curator, a function that gives Western audiences a frame to better understand these images of recent revolution with which we've been inundated. On my own blog, I go into greater detail, however, about what this piece (and most journalism) about YouTube and these revolutions, fails to produce: the context and background that would allow these images to do anything more than produce the shock and awe you so carefully reproduce.

 

STUBY

12:17 PM ET

April 26, 2011

I agree the Internet in

I agree the Internet in general has made a huge difference to freedom of speech and informing! But isn't too much freedom of information going to create the exact opposite - disinformation, confusion?

Just my 2c

Stuby from Stainless Steel Tubing

 

EEMBEE

9:28 AM ET

April 28, 2011

Youtube gives the freedom of speach

I am so glad that I live in Europa. I just cant imagine living there. Harsh !!!
Signature : Youtube View Increaser

 

ALANNEWMAN

12:54 AM ET

April 29, 2011

Web 2.0 Revolutions

It's not just about Youtube, it's all about Web 2.0, like Facebook, Myspace, news sites and social networking sites. One of my friend, Alan from Shoe Lift had a discussion with me another day and told me that some nation governments try to control the traditional media but it is just tough to do the same for these kind of sites. It's time for the old man to learn something. 

 

WEI LARK

2:42 PM ET

April 29, 2011

The YouTube Revolutions

Twitter and Facebook have received all the attention, but it's the popular video uploading site that provides the best window into what's happening on the Arab street. It's not just about Youtube, it's all about Web 2. 0, like Facebook, Myspace, news sites and social networking sites. One of my friend, Alan from Shoe Lift had a discussion with me another day and told me that some nation governments try to control the traditional media but it is just tough to do the same for these kind of sites. "Here, a protester in the western city of Homs tears down a poster of Hafez al-Assad, the father of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. The writing on the gate establishes that this video was taken in Homs, but many other videos do not possess such obvious landmarks. In those cases, viewers have to take the uploader at their word that the video was shot where and when they say it was third eye. " I appreciate your important contribution here as finder, translator, and curator, a function that gives Western audiences a frame to better understand these images of recent revolution with which we've been inundated. On my own blog, I go into greater detail, however, about what this piece (and most journalism) about YouTube and these revolutions, fails to produce: the context and background that would allow these images to do anything more than produce the shock and awe you so carefully reproduce.