Latest news with #Meatthezoo
India.com
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- India.com
This Man Uploaded Youtube's First Ever Video 20 Years Ago, Has Over 350 Million Views, It All Began At A Zoo…
photoDetails english 2899474 Updated:May 11, 2025, 12:33 PM IST The Video That Started It All 1 / 8 On April 24, 2005, a 19-second clip titled 'Me at the zoo' became the first video ever uploaded to YouTube. This simple moment marked the beginning of a global shift in how we create and consume video content. The video now has over 350 million views, and it's still online. Posted by YouTube Co-Founder Jawed Karim 2 / 8 The person behind this historic upload was Jawed Karim, one of YouTube's three co-founders. In the video, the then 25-year-old Karim stands in front of elephants at the San Diego Zoo, casually sharing a few thoughts. This wasn't just any upload—it was the foundation of a revolution. What Happens in 'Me at the zoo'? 3 / 8 There's nothing fancy—no music, no editing. Just Jawed standing in front of elephants, saying: 'The cool thing about these guys is that they have really, really, really long trunks.' This raw, spontaneous feel would later become the essence of YouTube's charm. A Humble Beginning That Sparked a Giant 4 / 8 What made this video iconic was its authenticity. It showed that you didn't need big studios or expensive gear to share something meaningful. This upload became the seed that would grow into YouTube—the world's biggest video-sharing platform. When and Why YouTube Was Created 5 / 8 YouTube was founded in February 2005 by three former PayPal employees: Jawed Karim, Steve Chen, and Chad Hurley. Originally, they wanted to create a video dating site! But they soon saw the potential of a platform where anyone could upload any kind of video. The Rise of a Video Empire 6 / 8 YouTube's domain was registered on February 14, 2005. Just two months later, 'Me at the zoo' was uploaded. By December 2005, YouTube had exploded—getting more than 2 million views a day. The world was hooked on this new kind of content. The Game-Changing Google Acquisition 7 / 8 In November 2006, just a year after its launch, Google acquired YouTube for 1.65 billion dollar in stock. Today, YouTube has over 2 billion users and people watch more than a billion hours of video every single day. Why 'Me at the zoo' Still Matters 8 / 8 This first video wasn't just about elephants—it symbolized the birth of user-generated content. It led to vlogs, tutorials, music videos, reaction content, and more. 'Me at the zoo' showed the world that anyone could have a voice—and that idea changed the internet forever.
Hindustan Times
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
₹21,000 crore: The amount YouTube paid Indian content creators in last 3 years, says CEO Neal Mohan
YouTube CEO Neal Mohan, at the inaugural World Audio Visual and Entertainment Summit (WAVES) in Mumbai, revealed major facts and figures about the Indian creator economy. Neal mentioned that YouTubers in India uploaded a significant amount of content, with over 100 million channels uploading in the past year alone. Among these, 15,000 creators surpassed the milestone of accumulating a whopping one million subscribers. In doing so, YouTube paid out over ₹21,000 crore to Indian creators, artists, and media companies over the last three years. Also Read: Best time to buy a PS5? Up to 52% discount on gaming consoles in Amazon sale- Check deals Neal Mohan also commented on plans to further invest in the Indian creator economy, announcing a commitment of ₹850 crore over the next two years. This investment will be specifically aimed at boosting India's creator economy. This comes after Indian content attracted 45 billion hours of watch time from viewers outside of India. Neal Mohan, CEO at YouTube, said, 'YouTube's ability to connect a creator anywhere with audiences everywhere has made it a powerful engine of cultural export, and few nations have leveraged this as effectively as India. Today, India isn't just a world leader for film and music – it's rapidly becoming what I'm excited to call a 'Creator Nation.' YouTube recently turned 20 years old. It all began with a video titled 'Me at the zoo', a 19-second clip showing a man documenting his experience in front of elephants at a zoo. To celebrate this milestone, the video giant is rolling out a host of new features, including personalized radio stations via Ask Music and faster playback options reaching up to 4x speed (with speeds more than 2x now available for mobile Premium users). Additionally, YouTube TV users will soon be able to create their own multiview experiences, starting with non-sports content for select channels. MOBILE FINDER: iPhone 16 LATEST PRICE, Specs, And More
Black America Web
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
YouTube Turns 20: This Beloved Singer Became A Digital Pioneer
Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE Source: Brian Stukes / Getty In 2025, YouTube celebrates its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of revolutionizing how we share and consume video content. We celebrate this milestone with a little known fact about the first Black woman artist to upload her music video to the platform. Find out who the singer is inside. From its humble beginnings with the first-ever video, 'Me at the zoo,' uploaded by co-founder Jawed Karim in 2005, YouTube has grown into a global platform hosting over 20 billion videos and facilitating more than 20 million uploads daily, according to statistics gathered by Tube Filter . As we reflect on YouTube's impactful journey, it's essential to honor the trailblazers who paved the way for diverse voices in the digital space. Among them is Goapele, a beloved R&B artist whose music video for 'Closer' holds the distinction of being the first by a Black woman uploaded to YouTube. This milestone not only showcased her glowing talent, but it also set a precedent for representation and inclusivity on the platform. Goapele's 'Closer,' originally released in 2001, resonated with audiences for its soulful melody and poignant lyrics. By sharing her work on YouTube, she harnessed the power of the Internet to reach a broader audience. This showcased the platform's potential to democratize content distribution. (Which it absolutely has since then). The video has amassed over 24 million views since it was released 13 years ago. In celebrating its 20th anniversary, social media has acknowledged the contributions of artists like Goapele, whose early adoption of the platform helped shape YouTube's diverse and vibrant community. Her pioneering presence highlights the importance of representation in digital media and the role YouTube has played in amplifying underrepresented voices. As we look ahead, Goapele's legacy serves as a reminder of the transformative power of technology in the arts and the ongoing need to support and celebrate diversity in all its forms. Check out the viral post published by 'Essence of Black Culture' on Threads: View on Threads SEE ALSO YouTube Turns 20: This Beloved Singer Became A Digital Pioneer was originally published on
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
YouTube broke the internet and disrupted Hollywood's star-making machine
In April 2005, one of the co-creators of YouTube uploaded a 19-second video of himself talking while standing in front of an elephant titled 'Me at the zoo.' Twenty years later, the platform has fundamentally changed what fame means. Now, content creators like MrBeast and Emma Chamberlain have become household names for many in the same way that Brad Pitt and Scarlett Johansson are, though their audiences might have found them differently. Social media as a whole has played a role in this cultural shift, and YouTube is the most widely used platform. Because of its vast popularity, stars are born there every day. 'YouTube didn't just change who becomes famous. It changed how fame operates,' Natalie Bidnick Andreas, a communications professor at the University of Texas at Austin, told Yahoo Entertainment. The process of becoming a world-renowned celebrity is different now — not just because pop stars are expected to post their songs on TikTok or actors are encouraged to promote their movies on Instagram. It's because YouTube has its own class of celebrities, democratically forged by their audiences. 'Before YouTube, celebrity was largely a top-down phenomenon. Studios, labels, networks and publicists served as gatekeepers, carefully curating who got to enter the cultural spotlight,' Andreas explained. 'YouTube, in contrast, blew open the doors. It democratized visibility. Suddenly, anyone with a camera, a story and a bit of persistence could cultivate a global audience from their bedroom.' Paromita Pain, a media professor at the University of Nevada, Reno, told Yahoo Entertainment that YouTube gave 'anyone with a camera and an internet connection the ability to reach millions.' 'Justin Bieber is the textbook case. His mother uploaded videos of him singing on the platform and he was discovered on YouTube in 2007 by talent manager Scooter Braun after posting home videos,' she said. 'That direct-to-audience exposure turned him into a global pop star.' Though YouTube is now more popular on televisions than streaming services like Netflix and Prime Video, it began as a video uploading tool that sometimes yielded viral videos that, for moments in time, united the internet. Maddy Buxton, YouTube's culture and trends lead, told Yahoo Entertainment that short clips like 'David After Dentist' and 'JK Wedding Entrance Dance' laid the groundwork for what it means to go viral. What set YouTube apart from other platforms, though, was its partner program that 'enabled anyone to make money by being a creator.' 'That was really novel at the time and has established this creator ecosystem, or creator economy. That's what's enabled all these creators to break through — to be Emmy contenders, to make movies in Hollywood now,' Buxton explained. 'And seeing creators become mainstream celebrities has been one of the most exciting things.' Virality became a springboard toward fame, and creators rushed to capitalize on their fleeting moments of intense popularity to build lasting careers. Brittany Broski went from being the face of a viral kombucha-tasting reaction meme to the center of a bona fide media empire beloved by celebrities like Timothée Chalamet. Countless others have followed suit. Willie Roberson, managing director of digital strategy at the consultancy company FGS Global, told Yahoo Entertainment that the rate at which celebrities are minted online is much faster than that of traditional entertainment because they're 'unencumbered by the long (sometimes unproductive) approval processes' of Hollywood. 'They often lack the resources to post at the same quality as big-name celebrities, but they can post faster, which means they get to learn faster, fail faster, and grow faster,' he said. 'YouTubers can create an idea, develop it, post the content, start a conversation, and gather data long before a big Hollywood name even knows about it.' It's not just the path to fame that has changed — what it means to be a celebrity is different now too. 'Traditional celebrity often relies on mystique. Think movie stars or pop icons who are deliberately distant. YouTubers, however, built their followings on authenticity, or at least the performance of it. Fame on YouTube tends to be participatory,' Andreas said. 'Audiences don't just admire creators. They comment, remix [and] follow their lives episodically. It is more intimate, more iterative and in many ways more demanding.' Releasing a product that isn't as perfectly produced as traditional entertainment is part of the appeal, Pain explained. 'Emma Chamberlain exploded in popularity not for polished production, but for her chaotic edits, deadpan humor and unfiltered personality,' Pain said. 'She redefined what it means to be an 'it' girl in the digital age: off-beat, self-aware and digitally native.' Kyle Hjelmeseth, CEO of influencer management company G&B Digital Management, told Yahoo Entertainment that 'because of YouTube, there may never be another mega-celebrity like Tom Cruise or Beyoncé.' 'Instead you will have global celebrities, who are chosen by the people and yet, may seem as next door as your neighbor in some ways,' he said. 'World-renowned, and yet disarmingly relatable. Bedrooms instead of soundstages. So the dynamic of what celebrity means has fundamentally changed. It is no longer untouchable." In addition to changing the definition of celebrity, YouTube and social media platforms in general have introduced a new class of fame: the microcelebrity. These creators have smaller audiences than that of MrBeast and Chamberlain, but they still build careers off of monetizing their audiences. 'You can be enormously influential to a specific audience, with millions of views, brand deals, and cultural cachet, and still walk down the street unrecognized by the average person,' Andreas said. 'Fame has fragmented. It is no longer monolithic. It is modular, niche-based and often transient.' Pain named Markiplier as another example of this. '[He] is a giant in the gaming space but virtually unknown outside of it,' she said. 'Yet he's built a multimillion-dollar brand, charity empire and massive influence all within his niche.' Experts might agree that YouTube was the driving force behind the shifting nature of celebrity, but it's been aided by other social media platforms that have followed in its footsteps, fine-tuning their algorithms to match audiences with the kinds of creators they want to see. Jacob Wallach, a content creator and founder of the social media consultancy Social4TheWin, inadvertently became a microcelebrity himself. Before he started showing his face in his posts on his @Excel4TheWin TikTok account, people recognized him by his voice alone. 'A lot of these creators now play in the Hollywood sphere, but maybe … are just regular people who make content, who live their lives and don't think of themselves as celebrities,' Wallach told Yahoo Entertainment. 'But to the people who really follow them — and sometimes watch them more than they watch TV — these are celebrities.' Creators like him have built entire careers around those fan bases, attaining a level of fame that gets them into movie premieres but doesn't necessarily inhibit their ability to go to the grocery store without being swarmed. They are famous, but fame is different now.
Time of India
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
YouTube's 20th birthday video sneaks in GTA 6 clip at 52-second mark
Source: Rockstar Games YouTube celebrated its 20th birthday on April 23, 2025, with a nostalgic and party-themed video called "It's Our Birthday, Let's Party." The site commemorated two decades of going viral, creators, and internet culture. It was, however, a surprise appearance by Rockstar Games' Grand Theft Auto VI that garnered the most interest, particularly for gamers who have been waiting for the title's launch. GTA 6 clip caught at the 52-second mark It's Our Birthday, Let's Party The birthday video, lasting slightly more than a minute, features a brief clip of Grand Theft Auto VI at the 52-second mark. The scene depicts Lucia, one of the game's protagonists, sitting in the passenger seat of a car with a pile of cash in her hand. The clip is taken directly from the official trailer for the game released in December 2023 and is one of the most identifiable scenes from that trailer. Though the clip itself is only a second long, its placement in YouTube's celebratory montage says a lot. Rockstar Games has been notoriously discerning about the content it chooses to promote, so the fact that this scene has been included indicates an explicit reference by either YouTube or Rockstar to one of the most hyped future releases in gaming history. The audience was quick to spot the scene and shared screenshots and reaction across social media within hours. YouTube is marking two decades of internet culture Apart from the surprise GTA 6 reveal, YouTube's birthday film is a colorful celebration of its journey over the years. The montage includes classic viral hits, notable creators, pop culture events, and references to fads that defined online entertainment. From its humble roots in its initial upload, "Me at the zoo" , to the present as a worldwide media giant, the film embodies what YouTube has been to creators and viewers. The addition of GTA 6 gives a modern feel, recognizing the cultural significance of the game prior to its release. It also shows how gaming has become synonymous with YouTube's identity over the years, as Let's Plays, livestreams, and trailers have collectively gathered billions of views. YouTube's 20th birthday party was both a nostalgic nod and a timely reminder of what's to come. With the GTA 6 sneak peek hidden in the montage, fans were treated to an unexpected surprise, making the event all the more memorable. Also Read: Why GTA 6 likely won't come to the Nintendo Switch 2 in the near future
