YouTube, how much are you making off Jill and Kevin's wedding? | Technically Incorrect - CNET NewsIt's lifted up those who have been dumped by their one-eyed lovers.
It's made married couples turn to each other and think: "Why in the blessed blazes did I marry you?"
One can even imagine it will inspire those who are about to embark on one of life's more treacherous paths to reassess their mode of transport.
Am I talking about the new health care bill? No, I'm talking about the latest and perhaps most inspirational video to have graced YouTube's library of life.
When Jill Peterson and Kevin Hines set their wedding date in St. Paul, Minn., they decided to create a special entrance in the church: a loosely choreographed dance to Chris Brown's "Forever."
Jill had been a dancer, you see. And, well, marching up the aisle to organ music is so 1939.
Kevin told NBC's "Today Show" that he had only posted the video because Jill's dad had nagged him to YouTube it so that more distant family members could enjoy the amusement. (I especially loved the portly chap in the shades who looks just like Turtle from "Entourage.")
Since last Sunday, almost 5 million people have watched the delightful wedding party dance. More than 2 million people laptopped it up between 10 p.m. PDT Friday and 10 a.m. PDT Saturday.
But here's the thing. Unlike, for example, the Susan Boyle YouTube video--various versions of which have been watched by more than 100 million people--the wedding dance actually has ads around it.
Well, one. In the box to the right of the video.
Friday night, I saw one for Veet, a superbly relevant wedding product. (Gentlemen, in case you are unfamiliar with Veet, it's an excellent repository of depilatory stuff.)
Saturday morning, the ad space encouraged me to go to the California State Fair (yes, complete with American Idol winner David Cook and a Beatles tribute band.)
As yet, there are none of the little yellow-and-white scrawling ads defacing this mesmerizing video. However, it would be truly instructive if YouTube could give us some sense of how much it is making from what might turn out to be the most-watched piece of film (any kind of film) of the week.
Google has been on an interestingly defensive offensive on the subject of YouTube's prospects for money-making.
Indeed, it has made much of a new ability to "buzz target" those videos that are gaining exponential viral momentum.
So it would be a gracious gift for Google to give us a running score of just how much it's making from Jill and Kevin's wedding.
You see, if I am ever lucky enough to get married, I would love to out Jill-and-Kevin Jill and Kevin. And I'm interested to know if I could make some money out of it myself.