Animutation
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Animutation or fanimutation is a form of web-based computer animation, typically created in Adobe Flash and characterized by random montages of pop-culture images set to music, often in a foreign (to the intended viewers) language.
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[edit] History
The term animutation was popularized in early 2001 by Neil Cicierega, who coined the phrase after spawning the genre via the creation of Japanese Pokerap, and more notably, Hyakugojyuuichi!!, both Flash animations. The popularity of Hyakugojyuuichi!! quickly made it an Internet phenomenon.[1] Since that time, others have adopted a similar style and communities of similarly-minded animators have sprung up around the web.[2]
[edit] Traits of animutation
[edit] Characters
Many animutation videos feature common characters and pictures. Possibly the most used character in animutation is Colin Mochrie; he is known for his prolific TV appearances, mainly from the TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway?. The most notable usage of him is in the animation "Colin Mochrie vs. Jesus H. Christ" Other characters include:
- Bill Cosby (clasping his hands together shaking his head)
- Jesus H. Christ
- Mr. T
- Alex Chiu
- Michael Jackson
- Zippy, from Rainbow
- Matthew Lesko
- Adolf Hitler
- Jay Jay the Jet Plane
- Colin Mochrie
- Mario
- Pikachu
- Domo-kun
- SpongeBob SquarePants
- Hello Kitty
- George W. Bush
- Harry Potter
- Pee-Wee Herman
- Sonic the Hedgehog
[edit] Audio
Animutations can be based on songs of foreign, independent, or mainstream origin. Japanese songs were used in many of the original animutations by Neil Cicierega, but newer animutations use songs in a wide variety of languages, including English and gibberish.
[edit] Mondegreens
In many animutations, nonsensical mondegreens of some or all original song lyrics are presented in subtitles for comedic effect.
For example, these imagined lyrics were featured onscreen in "Hyakugojyuuichi!!":
- TV says donuts are high in fat, kazoo
- Found a hobo in my room
- It's Princess Leia, the yodel of life
- Give me my sweater back or I'll play the guitar!
These took the place of the real Japanese lyrics:
- Kimi-tachi kono de aiwa genbu
- Chanto oboeteru
- Kizutsikea da koto mo a dok menok
- Sore wa (ēto) wasureta
[edit] Motifs
Many fads and motifs recur among Animutations. A list of Animutation characters and concepts is maintained at FanimutationWiki.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ All hail Neil Cicierega. Salon.com. Retrieved on 2006-08-19.
- ^ Mutant Genius. The Austin Chronicle.
