Facebook Manners And You

By Shamus Posted Saturday Sep 19, 2009

Filed under: Movies 35 comments


Link (YouTube)

The “50’s Educational Short” is a really common parody, but this one was exceptional. Usually they just slap a black and white filter over it and call it a day. The film grain, the bad cuts, the costumes, the music, the camera angles… everything is spot-on. They even had timeperiod-appropriate underwear on Timmy. If it wasn’t about facebook, it could probably pass for the real thing.

As a joke about Facebook, it’s not bad. (It might resonate with me more if I used Facebook.) But as a style parody it’s brilliant.

 


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35 thoughts on “Facebook Manners And You

  1. Andrew says:

    I’m glad I’m not on any social networking sites.

  2. A different Dan says:

    Brilliantly done.

  3. Anachronist says:

    @Andrew: Me neither. The only networking site I have used is LinkedIn. I never saw the point of Facebook or MySpace.

    Regarding the video: yes, brilliant. Even when I was in first grade in the 1960s, I remember watching those short educational films from the 1950s in class.

    By the way, many of these films were in color (or sometimes sepia-tone). Color movie film had already been around for decades — Technicolor started in 1922. Only broadcast video was black and white.

  4. milw770 says:

    Brilliant parody.

    I love the steampunk computer.

  5. Spider Dave says:

    5 stars, favorite, rofl. I’ve seen some of these things happen on Facebook. It’s embarrassing for everyone not involved.

  6. Daemian Lucifer says:

    Time preffers the metric system.

    Also,if you dont like facebook,why not try http://www.arsebook.org/

  7. Simon_Says says:

    It looks like something straight out of Fallout.

    BRILLIANT!

  8. Vladius says:

    Dang commies.

  9. Maddy says:

    Mr. Bungle had it coming.

  10. Jonathan says:

    Good find.

  11. Cuthalion says:

    Brilliant.

  12. vede says:

    That really was an amazing parody video. I loved all the 50’s anti-communism stuff they put into it.

    I’d still like to see this style of informational video applied to more things today, though. Not necessarily as a parody, just because the way they tend to make oft complex concepts into very simple ideas makes it very easy to learn from them, in contrast to more modern informational media which seems to be far more complicated than it needs to be.

  13. Davin Valkri says:

    Why don’t they make movies like this anymore? This one, the differential explanation…it’s sad.

  14. Jabor says:

    Hilarious AND informative!

    I agree that more films in this style would be a great educational resource.

  15. Factoid says:

    Facebook is OK. I never used to like social networking sites, but now I’m on facebook quite a bit.

    It’s basically a more sophisticated version of instant messaging. Now instead of having to upload pictures to flickr and then broadcast an IM to everyone I want to share them with I can load them into facebook, which keeps them organized, allows for social tagging and automatically distributes them to the people I would have given the link to anyway.

    Plus it has a decent IM client built in, private message system and of course the wall for keeping tabs on what friends are up to and letting people know what you’re up to. That’s the part most people who don’t like social networking (including me previously) didn’t really resonate with.

    The overriding feeling is “why would anyone care?” but in reality it’s kind of fun, if a bit frivolous

  16. Carra says:

    Nicely made.

    With the girl name Alice I did expect the boy to be named Bob!

  17. Audacity says:

    Who knew the Electric Friendship Generator could be so useful! Why it practically caught that horrible little cross dressing communist single handed!

    Thank you, Shamus, for re-instilling my resolve to never ever ever join one of those networking sites.

  18. Evan says:

    That was quite impressive. Definitely the best educational film parody I’ve seen. Good to see they actually put effort into making their video.

  19. Sam says:

    Electric Friendship Generator is going to end up as a band name someday. I guarantee it.

    I’m totally posting this video to my Facebook.

  20. No one will date you if you have frown lines!

    Awesome.

    I love the USB cable too.

  21. AndrewNZachsDad says:

    Strange coincidence: my wife and I separated a few months ago (no commiseration required as we are working through the causes). A day or two later her FB relationship status changed from “Married” to “It’s Complicated”. That actually affected me more (or at least more strongly) than her leaving in the first place…

    Perhaps I should send her this link…

    Oh, and @milw770 (#4), as annoying as the “{blank}punk-ification” of everything is becoming, I’m pretty sure this computer would be referred to as something like “Clackpunk” (referring to the noise made by the typewriter) or “Dialpunk” (from the TV-dial control on the screen). Or, using the common materials in use at the time: “Formicapunk”, “Naugahydepunk”, or “Linopunk”?

    I’m sure some of my suggestions are as anachronistic as milw770’s, though. :)

    Richard

  22. Nyaz says:

    Haha, I love these old-style shorts (as long as they are well done, like this one is), such as those little shorts describing the different powers in BioShock or the illustrations from Fallout.

    A-we-so-me.

  23. Broggly says:

    Given that I’ve just bought Fallout, I’m really enjoying the Computing Device.

    Dialpunk sounds cool, but I think the term Raygun Gothic already fits…

  24. Visi says:

    I dunno, I think it was off slightly. I think it was the narator voice, didn’t quite make it.

    Still funny though. :p

  25. SiliconScout says:

    great find and definitely well done to the authors.

  26. SiliconScout says:

    Is it just me or did the themes go away? I don’t see them anymore and the Lawful Good is holycow bright!

    I miss my black background, the white it blinds us precious!

  27. hevis says:

    My chaotic evil theme is also gone.. I really hope this isn’t permanent.

  28. betty says:

    Ow my eyes! Y’know I really appreciated having white text on a black background; it was downright soothing.

    Now if you’ll ‘scuse me I’mma go put some sunglasses on.

  29. MOM says:

    HA HA HA HA HOO. fABULOUS

  30. Badger says:

    Andrew @#1: FAIL. Or were you not aware that Twenty Sided IS a social networking site?

    Andrew @#21: The proper term would be “valvepunk”, due to the thermionic valves (vacuum tubes) powering the technology.

  31. LintMan says:

    I’m not a Facebook guy, either, but that was a great parody. They really captured the 50’s educational film look and feel.

  32. Telas says:

    vede @ 12: I'd still like to see this style of informational video applied to more things today, though. Not necessarily as a parody, just because the way they tend to make oft complex concepts into very simple ideas makes it very easy to learn from them, in contrast to more modern informational media which seems to be far more complicated than it needs to be.

    I’ve never thought of it that way, but you’re right. Eschew obfuscation through complexity!

  33. Lise says:

    It’s a great Facebook parody as well, by the way – especially if you are on the network but resent using it, as it’s filled with drama/socially stunted people/spam etc. Thanks for the link, fantastic.

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