What does it say about YouTube and viral video fame that I can't name nearly a single face in this "all-star" celebration for site's ninth birthday? That's not to say these aren't success stories — Gregory Brothers have auto-tuned their way into a nice niche and the lovely Marié Digby has a folllowing that could almost any singer-songwriter envious — but it's a problem when Tay Zonday is the most recognizable face and has the most well-known original song in the bunch. Not a big problem, or one that needs solving, but still a problem.
We're nine years into this "upload and watch whatever you want" system and this is what we have to show for it? Novelty records and rubbernecking performances from people who in previous decades would have merited a couple minutes on The Gong Show before clanging back into obscurity?
Maybe nine is just a ho-hum number, and they'll bring out the big guns for the big 1-0 Year Celebration — Lindsay Stirling, Justin Bieber, Pentatonix and OK Go would be nice — but this Karaoke celebration is like watching an AV Club reunion, but with better production values.
