YouTube's 2013 Viral Mashup 'Rewind' Blends 'The Fox,' Miley Cyrus, Harlem Shake, and Psy
YouTube posted a year-in-review "Rewind" video for 2013, which is a mashup of the most viral videos of the year, which has already garnered over 19 million views in just two days.
Playing off the themes and music from some of the most popular songs and films of the year, the YouTube "Rewind" video mocks each in hilarious ways and combines them well, even if it randomly switches from one to the other.
The video's name plays off of comedy duo Ylvis' "The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)," which YouTube ranked as the number one "Top Trending Video of 2013." "What Does the Fox Say?" has racked up over 279 million views since September, and a children's book based on it is set to come out in time for Christmas.
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Like "The Fox," YouTube's year-in-review montage combines the most memorable 2013 YouTube videos, switching abruptly between themes in order to capture the spirit of the year.
YouTube's Rewind opens with Kid President, a five-year-old motivational speaker, whose "Pep Talk" has drawn over 30 million views. Kid President picks up a large red box with a rewind sign on it. The sign lights up, and when Kid President pushes it, music from "The Fox" starts playing.
With "The Fox" still rocking in the background, actors mock-play the music video from Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines," (which has over 232 million views). While they sing and play with a large red die, Jenna Marbles (whose makeup tutorial "How to trick people into thinking you're good looking" has over 55 million hits) plays a mock Miley Cyrus licking the hammer she uses to tear down walls in the second "Top Trending Music Video of 2013," "Wrecking Ball," which has over 400 million views.
Later the fox comes on, sitting on a log in the woods, holding the rewind sign between two large glowsticks hanging on the trees.
Leading the Fox dance, however, is none other than the Prancercise lady, whose workout video has found nearly 9 million hits. Holding the rewind sign, she proclaims, "let's stop talking and do some walking!"
Then South Korean pop star Psy's big hit "Gentleman," the top trending music video for 2013 with over 600 million hits, starts playing in the background, mixing with "The Fox." As the Prancercise lady floats into the air like the singers in "The Fox," everything goes crazy.
A "Harlem shake" sequence quickly follows, involving a very packed room with babies flying, young adults dub-stepping, and a goat squealing. The crazy "Harlem Shake" dancing pays a tribute to the second "Top Trending Video of 2013." Following a large number of similar videos, "Harlem Shake (original army edition)," led the pack with over 95 million views. Members of the Norwegian army did this ridiculous dance, and men in uniform suddenly dressing down and making ridiculous dance moves sent it viral.
Even the cookie monster makes an appearance, declaring "Rewind? Me love rewind!" Then he devours the rewind button in a few quick bites.
As the video draws to a close, "Can't Hold Us," by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis joins with "The Fox," bursting into a grand finale. The Macklemore song's unique video, which features everything from a frozen wasteland to a camel in the desert, to an airplane and even a large ship crossing the waves, has over 162 million views.
