In 2007, Will Ferrell went viral when he staged a joke conversation with Adam McKay‘s daughter. One decade later, the company introduced through that clip, Funny or Die, is celebrating its tenth birthday, and it remains a respected comedy brand in the digital video space.
Ferrell, McKay (whose directorial credits include Anchorman and The Big Short), and screenwriter Chris Henchy launched Funny or Die on April 12, 2007. “The Landlord,” in which McKay’s then-20-month-old daughter Pearl delivers a profanity-laced tirade to Ferrell, served as the site’s first video. It ended up becoming a massive hit, and it currently has more than 85 million total views. We have no word on whether Ferrell ended up paying his rent.
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Bolstered by the success of “The Landlord,” Funny or Die spent the next decade living up to its name, often with the help of celebrities. The company’s most popular program, Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis, had such a large impact that it even influenced politics. Its 2014 episode with Barack Obama helped the President refer his constituents to his healthcare plan’s website and picked up tens of millions of views along the way.
Funny or Die is now no longer just a digital media company, with its reach extending to a number of shows on TV and streaming video platforms. Its roots, however, are still online, and to celebrate its tenth birthday, it put together a playlist of its ten greatest hits. Relive those highlights when you need a laugh today, and if you want to feel old, here’s what little 20-month-old Pearl looks like now.
