The show with zefrank

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

the show with zefrank is a website and year-long video blog by Ze Frank that was produced each weekday from 17 March 2006^[1] until March 17, 2007.^[2] The blog wove commentary on media and current events with viewer contributions and interactive activities, and was the subject of articles in The New York Times,^[3] The Guardian,^[4] and Newsweek.^[5]

Contents 1 Recurring themes 2 Terminology 3 Earth Sandwich 4 Fabuloso Friday 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Recurring themes

The show is comprised of several features, ranging from more serious socio-political commentary to absurdist comedy and running gags. One such running gag is the tendency to follow absurdist skits with the question "Are the new viewers gone yet?"

Ze often reads one or more comments from viewers of a previous show, a segment he calls "S-s-s-somethin' from the forum" (previously "S-s-s-somethin' from the comments"). He frequently performs self-composed songs, complete with instrumental accompaniment, to emphasize a point or concept. Ze also illustrates news stories with seemingly unrelated photographs as he narrates, leaving viewers to determine the actual connection to the topic. He also affectionately includes references to "duckies" and "the little duckies in the pond" whenever he finds the opportunity.

Frequent viewers may notice that Ze prefers very close proximity with the camera. He has commented on why he does not blink during the show, stating that, over a video of him blinking excessively, "I avoid blinking because when I blink my left nostril dilates, which looks weird."^[6] However, he has blinked in several other episodes.^[7][8][9]

[edit] Terminology

Ze often referred to his presentation of the news with the overgeneric term "knowledge," which is likely a parody of the media's tendency to overhype its own value. He is an outspoken proponent of the "League of Awesomeness," a group that strives to minimize the influence of "Hard Chargers." The League of Awesomeness is composed of "Sports Racers," each of whom has a "Power Move." Although viewers have attempted to place meaning to these terms, an authoritative explanation has not been provided. "Hard Chargers" has its origin in a phrase White House Spokesman Scott McClellan made about President George W. Bush that appeared in the April 13, 2006 episode^[10]

The Sports Racer theme song consists of the lyrics Sports Racers, racin' sports. What is your Power Move? While Ze encouraged visitors to submit logos and T-shirt designs to represent the Sports Racers, no official logo was selected.

Visitors were encouraged to submit Power Moves, the best of which Ze occasionally showcased during the show. Ze's own Power Move, Thunder claw, is a simple but graceful maneuver that he demonstrates in his April 6, 2006 episode.^[11]

The week of May 22, 2006, Ze introduced "Comment King of the Hill." In this game, users rated other user's comments; the winning comments were rewarded with a crowned ducky. The game was notable in that the rules changed each day. During the week variations allowed participants to vote an unlimited number of times, color code posts, and send posts to the "magic dumpster" where other users then had to undump them.

Ze's signoff most days was "This is Ze Frank thinking so you don't have to," although he would sometimes vary it. ("This is Ze Frank. I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm doing it so you don't have to."^[12] "This is Ze Frank feeling like crap so you don't have to."^[13]) When more serious issues in the news media occurred, Frank often ditched his witty comedic take on the events and adopted a more reflective and solemn attitude during the video blogs. This can be noted by the particular signoff: "This is Ze Frank...thinking for myself."^[14]

[edit] Earth Sandwich

On the May 16, 2006 episode of "the show,"^[15] Ze issued a challenge to his visitors to create an "Earth Sandwich." The goal was to place two pieces of bread on the ground simultaneously at points directly opposite each other on the globe. Thus, if a piece of bread were placed on the ground in a specific location, while at the same time another piece of bread is placed on the ground at the exact opposite coordinates, a giant Earth Sandwich would be formed. Ze created a tool using Google Maps to help pinpoint the locations of each piece of bread and their opposite location on the globe. The "If the Earth Were a Sandwich" project page chronicled the pursuits of the hundreds of people participating in the project.^[16]

On the 2006-06-12 episode,^[17] "Sports Racers" Jon Megablade and Duncan The Crusher completed the first Earth Sandwich with a baguette in Spain placed directly opposite another baguette in New Zealand.^[18]

[edit] Fabuloso Friday

On June 2, 2006, Ze announced that the next Friday's show^[19] would be created entirely by viewers using the Fabuloso Friday Wiki,^[20] letting everyone see just what happens when you allow users to generate collaborative web content. On 2006-06-14, Ze announced^[21] that only one minute of the next Friday's show would be viewer-created. The "magic dumpster" makes an appearance here as well. During that minute, a chess game between Ze and the Fabulosos was begun and played out daily in subsequent episodes. Viewers raised $305 to buy Ze a book from his wishlist if he were to win. However, if he lost, he agreed to "at least 10 minutes of Ze and a guitar performing songs".^[22] Ze resigned the chess game on August 15.^[23] He finally honored the terms of the bet on 2007-03-08, when he appeared on screen, while Jonathan Coulton played a guitar and sang cover versions of songs that Ze had performed on the show previously.^[24]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• "the show"
• zefrank.com wiki
• Ze's Personal Web Site
• Ze Frank on creativity and The Show, an interview with about-creativity.com March 29, 2007