Woody Allen was once asked what era he’d wish he’d been born in, and he famously answered, “No time before the invention of antibiotics.” While I would add indoor plumbing, modern refrigeration, and President’s Choice products to the must-have list, I think my official short answer to this question is now, “No time before the invention of YouTube.”
Seriously, search for any question, issue, or problem you are having, and ba-bam!, there’s a video to help you out. Today we had a two hour power outage in our neighbourhood, and I had to get the van out of the garage to go to the library, and YouTube talked me through how to manually override the garage door opener. Then, a few hours later, it showed me the secret flick-trick to getting it to re-set and re-engage when the power came on.
In the past month I’ve used YouTube to learn how to clean a virus off my PC, how to diagnose problems with the furnace, and how to make a fleece poncho for Girl Guide camp. I’ve also watched the video for “Let It Go” from Frozen about a hundred times, used it to teach myself the entire “You Can’t Handle The Truth” speech from A Few Good Men, and showed the kids all the family-friendly parts of Pitch Perfect.
Speaking of which, I LOVED IT – Pitch Perfect, that is. I watched it this week and it was like a bullet to the mushy-gushy part of my heart. As usual I am, what, two years behind the pop culture scene? But I don’t care. I put it on my Pinterest wish list, so I can watch it over and over, along with my other Girl Power guilty pleasure movies, Coyote Ugly and Step Up 2: The Streets.
Taking names and kicking ass, I say.
Just about the only thing YouTube cannot solve for me is our ongoing problem with sugar ants. They are EVERYWHERE, every year. The buggers cannot be killed, cannot be stopped, cannot be discouraged. I’ve taken to leaving the dead bodies of their brethren around as a threat but as the Captain noted today, they do not seem to be very smart as they just shrug their shoulders at the dead bodies and go merrily on their way anyway, only to be squished, or given poison to cheerfully take home and feed their babies. Candidates for extras in the next Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie, for sure – and yet, the hordes are still flowing so I guess they are doing something right.
Maybe they’ve been watching apocalypse survival videos on YouTube.
TurtleHead 
This is funny because I should be part of the YouTube generation (well, missed it by a few years, I’m 31, but still) and I can’t stand watching videos online. I skip all the video posts, the supposedly funny memes, the tutorials and all. I need words, written words. I find videos boring.
I’m not a TV person either, actually.
I skip all the video posts too – I hate that it’s not like reading where I can go at my own speed. I watch them after I’ve seen them go by twelve times and/or someone tells me they’re really really funny.
I love that you taught yourself the You Can’t Handle the Truth speech.
Eve and I loved Pitch Perfect too. She rocks at the Cups thing. I can’t do it to save my life.
I’ve been seriously underusing Youtube.
we use youtube for everything too. very good for plumbing problems!
i’ve got pitch perfect on my list. must get marty on that!
YouTube is our online classroom for everything 🙂 I love it too. Perfect Pitch – so is that why she was going around singing that song on the talk shows? I really had no idea. Hopefully the film is on Netflix?
i love you tube.. especially for looking up old Sesame Street clips etc.. always fun!
i haven’t seen any of those movies, but my son did the “cup song” with choir this year so i know it well!
Love love love Pitch Perfect. Abby got the soundtrack for Christmas and we routinely have Pitch Perfect dance parties in the living room because they are Aca-awesome! Excited for Pitch Perfect 2?
I have seen all four Step Up movies in the theatres and I am not ashamed.