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Viral videos

  • Katy Perry’s ‘Backpack Kid’ swishes his way into SNL history

    By on 22 May, 2017

    Sit down, Katy Perry. Clearly the people came to see the Backpack Kid. Performing at SNL this past weekend, the pop star whipped out her latest and catchiest single of 2017 dubbed Swish Swish. And while her vocal performance was solid, there's one particular area in which she was upstaged. Ladies and gentlemen, @katyperry performing #SwishSwish live in Studio 8H! 🎶 https://t.co/opaqgz9jaF #SNLFinale pic.twitter.com/pyztFyOxka — Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) May 21, 2017 First spotted by Rihanna late last year, 15-year-old Russell Horning took to the stage at the end of the performance and "flossed" his way into SNL folklore. Now, it's not exactly unusual...

  • Fidget spinners are surprisingly good guitar picks, viral video suggests

    By on 12 May, 2017

    South Africa hasn't yet been infected by the global fidget spinner craze. Although you can purchase the distraction device at a number of stores, I've yet to see humans in the country playing with one out on the street. But that doesn't mean they aren't any less cool. Of course, these gadgets have also been given a bad rap, and dubbed a fad by many. But some have clearly taken up the challenge to make the fidget spinner, developed in the 1990s by Catherine Hettinger, publicly acceptable. Yes, you can also use a fidget spinner for things that don't quite involve fidgeting Take...

  • Michael Bay-like motorcycle explosion from China caught on tape, goes viral

    By on 11 May, 2017

    Usually its Russia that's on the receiving end of bad driving memes and videos, but last Saturday it was a Chinese motorcyclist who made all the wrong headlines. In Nanchang, China, a motorcyclist collided with a truck attempting to turn into a three-lane road. The bike, caught between the truck's cockpit and dump tray, then exploded, setting the motorcyclist on fire. It all looked a lot like a set-piece in a Michael Bay movie. A motorcyclist in China escaped with his life, and a few more Instagram views, after his fiery crash went viral Remarkably, the motorcyclist didn't sustain any "life-threatening injuries" after...

  • John Oliver, Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner probably won’t have dinner together soon

    By on 24 April, 2017

    Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner -- two White House residents that you've probably heard of, but have no idea what they actually do. That's the message the latest episode of John Oliver's Last Week Tonight highlighted this weekend. As President Donald Trump's daughter and son-in-law respectively, Ivanka and Jared have been given fairly significant jobs without actually being elected. They're effectively Donald Trump's shoulder angels, with Ivanka taking a formal "assistant to the president" tag, while Kushner... well, the actual President, it seems. For a man who "can't even get nepotism right", Oliver quips, Donald Trump isn't devoid of criticism in this...

  • Trevor Noah couldn’t resist poking fun at Donald Trump this Easter

    By on 19 April, 2017

    The White House's annual Easter Egg Roll is a pretty big occasion, and not just for the nation's kids. It's an informal chance for the US President to remind people just why they voted them in. But for Donald Trump, this fun-filled event backfired thanks to a number of gaffes. A number of these were picked up by media houses and late night shows, notably Trevor Noah's The Daily Show. And of course, he just couldn't resist poking fun at them. Suggesting that Steve Bannon was played by the frightened-looking Easter Bunny beside Donald Trump was just the start. Donald Trump's first...

  • April the giraffe finally gives birth and the internet loses its mind

    By on 18 April, 2017

    On 10 February, educational animal park Animal Adventure began a livestream of its pregnant giraffe. It soon went viral as viewers from all around the world tuned in, hoping for a glimpse at the glorious miracle of life. While the stream spawned theories of an April Fool's hoax (Animal Adventure were pulling in a lot of cash and also no good thing in 2017 is to be trusted), it turns out our worries were for naught. On Saturday, April gave birth to a healthy baby boy -- with more than a million people watching. It all started on Friday when April began pacing,...

  • Muzikifi: the story behind South Africa’s top trending YouTube video

    By on 13 April, 2017

    South Africa's most watched video on YouTube this week isn't a movie trailer, a snapshot of Pretoria's anti-Zuma protests, or even the latest episode of Skeem Saam. Nope. It's a mesmeric short of a man experiencing Soweto's cultural and musical delights for the first time. Random? Definitely. A remarkable watch? Oh yes. "Did she REALLY put a spell on me?">Did she REALLY put a spell on me? was published over the weekend and took South Africa's YouTube charts by storm. It steamed to the top of the trending list within three days, and remained there for much of the week. At present, the...

  • Kendall Jenner’s Pepsi ad has gone viral for all the wrong reasons

    By on 5 April, 2017

    Update, 6 April, 10.00am: Pepsi has since issued an apology and removed the advert from circulation. pic.twitter.com/I21nQl68cY — Pepsi™ (@pepsi) April 5, 2017 Many believed the apology to Kendall Jenner -- rather than activists at large -- to be a misstep. @pepsi @KendallJenner Apology to Kendall = ridiculous. Like screenwriter apologizing to actor for being in bad movie after reading script. — Sidaya "Sid" (@SidayaSherwood) April 5, 2017 @pepsi In your next apology, I suggest you apologize to victims of police brutality and those who *actually* protest such atrocities... — Brandy Reese (@blreese) April 5, 2017 Jenner has not yet issued a statement. Original article: Pepsi has long been known...

  • This siamese kitten is absolutely ecstatic about the week ahead

    By on 3 April, 2017

    I love cats, but I find it surprisingly difficult to tell if they're having fun, or are genuinely distressed. Take this siamese kitten for instance. Already featuring on Imgur's front page, this particular YouTube clip snapped by Derek Zimmerman shows his sister's cat absolutely losing its mind in a scratch toy. We're not too sure if it's thrilled about its new fluffy, hollow tree home, or utterly terrified of the week ahead. A cat-whispering YouTube commenter poses the below stream-of-consciousness: What is this? I like it. It feels nice. Bite it? Scratch it? Roll around in it? What is this? I like it a lot. Feels good. Seems about right. The video itself...

  • ‘South Africa’s dumbest criminals’ go viral, social media gets racist

    By on 17 March, 2017

    Three Johannesburg men found viral fame when they attempted to break into a house while the homeowner stood filming them. The men are oblivious to the fact they've been caught and continue to pry open the gate with a crowbar until the Orange Grove homeowner clears his throat. The men, confused and unsure of what to do, look at each other before walking slowly away from the gate. The video posted by TimesLIVE on YouTube has garnered 76 000 views in just over a day, alongside the original posting on Facebook that has picked up near on 30, 000. It has been shared...

  • Durban’s North Beach promenade lashed by huge-little waves

    By on 12 March, 2017

    Visitors to Durban's North Beach today likely got wet whether they wanted to or not. The usually-busy beachfront was this afternoon lashed by huge waves which broke beyond the promenade, filling parking lots and nearby shops with salt water. Before you get worried though, no, it wasn't caused by an earthquake and resultant tsunami. Although, searching for "Durban Tsunami" in Google does bring up some interesting videos... Nope, Durban did not experience a tsunami earlier, but rather a large ocean swell The below clip was snapped by Rescue Care, and published to IPSS Medical Rescue's Facebook page. Another clip, this time snapped by Craig...

  • GoPro video lauds Namibia as ‘beautifully powerful’ surfing paradise

    By on 8 March, 2017

    Stuck in the office again today? Wishing you could be hitting the surf instead? Don't worry, GoPro is ready to rub it in with a postcard from Namibia. "Get tubed even if you're getting cubed" is the hardware and content company's latest call to action, at least in this adventurous, slightly sodden clip. Filmed in Namibia by surfers Alex and Koa Smith, the video showcases something that the desert country isn't often associated with -- water. "Between the animal life, contrasting desert weather and massive swell, the place has a very intense energy and it’s beautifully powerful," said Hawaiian Alex Smith,...

  • UP reimagines Pravin Gordhan’s Budget Speech as an adorable LEGO movie

    By on 23 February, 2017

    It's not easy to make something like the formulaic Budget Speech (however important it is) interesting for the average consumer. Sorry Pravin Gordhan. Mention something about "higher fuel costs" and some might pay attention, but can you remember the big numbers announced by Pravin Gordhan yesterday? The challenge to inject some fun into the speech and make it more relatable to the average citizen was taken up by University of Pretoria's GIBS Business School. Instead of simply narrating and explaining what the ten-figure digits mean using, you know... people, the school channelled its inner master builder. You know? Like the LEGO Movie? If...

  • Hlomela Bucwa, SA’s youngest parliamentarian, remembers ‘lost generation’ in fiery speech

    By on 22 February, 2017

    You might think South Africa's Parliament is filled with seasoned individuals who have sat through many a State of the Nation Address and Budget Speech, but it also plays host to parliamentarians like Hlomela Bucwa. At 24 Bucwa is the youngest member of the house, but you probably wouldn't have guessed on her confident, measured maiden speech given in Parliament yesterday. Representing the DA, she took to the podium to oppose NSFAS -- South Africa's student funding scheme -- and suggest a few alternatives of her own. Hlomela Bucwa is Parliament's youngest member at just 24-years-old Although many a parliament member might...

  • This video of Cape Town’s dams shows just how bad the water crisis really is

    By on 16 February, 2017

    Cape Town is running out of water, there's no denying that fact. This week, the City of Cape Town announced that dam levels are just over 35%, of which around 25% is usable. It sounds incredibly dire, and that's largely because it is. But words and numbers scantly do justice to the problem. Somerset West Drone pilot NicRed, noted this and took to the skies above four of the city's six largest dams -- Steenbras Upper, Voelvlei , the Berg River and Theewaterskloof -- to capture footage of the leaking water stores. "I have been collecting this footage over the last 20...