How to fight seasonal depression with online memes
February 2, 2011 10:50 AM Subscribe
How can we fight seasonal blues with a meme?
It seems like everyone I know is inordinately depressed this winter. The weather sucks out here on the Eastern seaboard, but it feels like a deeper, more existential malaise is afoot.
I feel like if we all had a simple song and dance video meme to shake us out of it, it might help. Something that everyone could record themselves doing for a few minutes, then post online to encourage their friends to do the same. I just don't feel like I have a good enough one. (Maybe that's the seasonal depression talking.) Can anyone help me think of a particularly good song/dance/ritual gesture/chant etc which could help lift everyone's spirits?
It might be good if it was a Creative Commons licensed song, because YouTube does a lot of takedowns on covers of copyright songs. In fact, it might be really cool if someone wanted to write an original song that everyone could sing.
It seems like everyone I know is inordinately depressed this winter. The weather sucks out here on the Eastern seaboard, but it feels like a deeper, more existential malaise is afoot.
I feel like if we all had a simple song and dance video meme to shake us out of it, it might help. Something that everyone could record themselves doing for a few minutes, then post online to encourage their friends to do the same. I just don't feel like I have a good enough one. (Maybe that's the seasonal depression talking.) Can anyone help me think of a particularly good song/dance/ritual gesture/chant etc which could help lift everyone's spirits?
It might be good if it was a Creative Commons licensed song, because YouTube does a lot of takedowns on covers of copyright songs. In fact, it might be really cool if someone wanted to write an original song that everyone could sing.
This seems kinda chatfiltery, but I just discovered the "close your eyes and draw batman" meme and love it. Not a song or dance, but something anyone can do.
posted by Metroid Baby at 11:02 AM on February 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Metroid Baby at 11:02 AM on February 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
Someone way back in the day gave out their idea for increased bonhomie/awesome here on MetaFilter, free for anyone to implement:
Online video karaoke. Take Chat Roulette and meld it to a karaoke db. (Take out the crazy flip-flip-flip-penis-flip randomness, of course.) Allow users to choose which song they want to sing, and whenever the previous performer finishes, that song 'room' opens up for everyone else who wants to sing. Different rooms for solo or group performances.
I honestly believe that, if the global community had a way to sing together, the world would be a better place and the folks in it altogether happier.
posted by carsonb at 11:05 AM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Online video karaoke. Take Chat Roulette and meld it to a karaoke db. (Take out the crazy flip-flip-flip-penis-flip randomness, of course.) Allow users to choose which song they want to sing, and whenever the previous performer finishes, that song 'room' opens up for everyone else who wants to sing. Different rooms for solo or group performances.
I honestly believe that, if the global community had a way to sing together, the world would be a better place and the folks in it altogether happier.
posted by carsonb at 11:05 AM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
(also: maybe this is something to post to Projects or Music?)
posted by epersonae at 11:09 AM on February 2, 2011
posted by epersonae at 11:09 AM on February 2, 2011
Tom Lehrer - "Poisoning Pigeons in the Park"
posted by mooselini at 11:26 AM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by mooselini at 11:26 AM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Yatta! cheers me up every time.
posted by Andrhia at 11:26 AM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Andrhia at 11:26 AM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
Oh, and you might enjoy this rendition of Code Monkey by librarians (yes, really) It was a somewhat spontaneous thing like what you're talking about -- I almost participated, despite not being a librarian. (I wish I could find the original FriendFeed thread.) I think maybe it's something to just DO.
memail or DM me if/when you decide to do something -- if my macbook isn't totally dead after last night, I'm game for whatever.
posted by epersonae at 11:36 AM on February 2, 2011
memail or DM me if/when you decide to do something -- if my macbook isn't totally dead after last night, I'm game for whatever.
posted by epersonae at 11:36 AM on February 2, 2011
Is there any room for some kind of "talk about your feelings" meme that would create a socially acceptable way for people to talk to each other about the causes of this winter being totally balls? I'm not sure what the format for something like this would be (a National Day Of Talking Shit Out on Facebook or a fill in the blanks meme or an anonymous LJ-type thing or what) but if something like that could be pulled off on a big scale it might help out.
posted by NoraReed at 11:37 AM on February 2, 2011
posted by NoraReed at 11:37 AM on February 2, 2011
Response by poster: Nora, I always felt like early YouTube communities seemed to provide a talk-about-your-feelings outlet, but that was mostly the talking-heads-only response video communities which showed up long before Justin Bieber. It seems a bit large, impersonal, and filled with America's Funniest Home Videos-style content these days.
posted by gusandrews at 12:04 PM on February 2, 2011
posted by gusandrews at 12:04 PM on February 2, 2011
Response by poster: Speaking of Yatta! (which I think is a great idea), my buddy Rob recently recorded an a-capella English version of that song which plays out the melancholy of the original Japanese lyrics without any of the cheeky irony. It's kind of awesome.
posted by gusandrews at 12:05 PM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by gusandrews at 12:05 PM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
That japanese video is probably the scariest thing the internet has ever presented me with.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 12:29 PM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 12:29 PM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
For those of use stuck in college, there is always the incredibly awesome Bad Project video. Which anyone who's ever been there will also agree with as well.
posted by patheral at 2:50 PM on February 2, 2011
posted by patheral at 2:50 PM on February 2, 2011
Response by poster: My uncle, a longtime Scottish dancer, suggests the Show Us Your Haggis dance. It's exactly the kind of thing I'm looking for, but I'm worried the regionalisms make it too specific.
posted by gusandrews at 7:26 PM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by gusandrews at 7:26 PM on February 2, 2011 [1 favorite]
How about a PostSecret party? Everybody brings a postcard or two to hang on a board, enjoy drink, food, music, and talk about the cards, or other things, but together, which is always better.
posted by thinkingwoman at 7:29 PM on February 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by thinkingwoman at 7:29 PM on February 2, 2011 [2 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by epersonae at 11:00 AM on February 2, 2011