Friday, February 25, 2011
The Funniest 4 Seconds on YouTube
Why do I find this so inexhaustibly funny? What makes any joke funny? What can we derive about humor from this example?
Probably nothing kills humor like dragging on. Clocking in at 4 seconds, this clip is near-perfect in that regard. Four seconds has got to be pretty close to the minimum to include enough content for true humor.
So, what's in this four seconds that makes it so hilarious? For one, there's misdirection, playing with expectations. Obviously, a face or nut shot is impeding. Yet, the ball disappointingly veers off to the right. The payoff comes before the viewer can wonder how a simple missed penalty kick could earn almost 15 million hits. The unfortunate goalie's body language echoes the viewer's reaction -- a bare moment of relaxation before the hit. With details like that, the clip even packs layers that you might not notice at first into those four seconds.
Also of concern with any YouTube clip is authenticity. Could it all be a setup? I highly doubt it in this case. As unlikely as that powerful, perfectly placed ricochet is, could anyone even do that intentionally? The snip of reaction before the clip cuts out is also pretty convincing.
The verdict: pure humor.
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