Created and curated by Chuck Cirino, “Weird America” is a web vlog spin-off from the “Weird TV” segment of the same name, which aired on late night TV in Canada and LA in 1995 and has been nominated for several Webby Awards in its post-Fox incarnation. Cirino anchored “Weird TV” as the host of sorts, introducing the show’s various sketches and video. “Weird America” – the Canadian version – featured documentary of various personalities and events that could be considered outside the normal cross-section of Americana. “Weird America” – the vlog – does the same.

The main site features selected video clips from both the archives of Canadian ‘Weird TV’- including some that predate it- and new production by Cirino. It’s basically like if you hopped in a car for a road trip across the country and stopped every time you came across some cultural oddity to gawk/cheer/interview. A truly eclectic mix of the best of the ‘out there’ out there, ranging from plaster Buddhas made from deceased pets’ ashes to Zeke the Sheik the rhyming Guru of Doo-Doo to the philosophic ramblings of Dr. Hal at the Odeon. Each clip, between 2 and 4 minutes long, offers a glimpse into the very real but very bizarre worlds of the people who call this country home. Whether you see it as a freak show or an affirmation of the freedom to follow an individual lifestyle that has made America the diverse country it is today, the characters you meet in ‘Weird America’ are truly one-of-a-kind.

Wondering what it was that pushed Cirino to go to these lengths to document our country’s kookiness? Just what was that one weird thing that got the ball rolling? See the woman whose yard started it all in this clip from 1989 that sparked the hunt for all things unusual and uncommon.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Nathan Bock
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The world as we know it today is more complex than ever. How will we make sense of an increasingly complicated society? How do we overcome the psychological and physical barriers to finding true happiness? These are some of the questions tackled by Ebb and Flow. Created by Kent Bye and Jen Gouvea in October 2005, the video blog examines different “spiritual approaches to social change. Specifically, how inner transformation can support and sustain us through the journey of transforming our outer world.” The site is as much of a resource for highlighting various spiritual modalities and avenues of activism as it is an intimate look into the personal lives of Jen and Kent. The couple combine their backgrounds in film, social work, and electrical engineering to create new media projects infused with thought-provoking messages.

Ebb and Flow can roughly be split along its motto: “Inner Peace/ Outer Action.” About half of the videos deal with exploring modes of finding personal serenity. From meditation, to yoga, to qi gong, to somatic inquiry, the videos offer ideas on how to cultivate mental awareness and harmony through physical relaxation/exercises. Rather than expounding religious dogma, the videos are centered on exploring spirituality and (often nontraditional) ways of pursuing personal acceptance and compassion.

By comparison, the “outer action” components of the site are a little less clear. Kent and Jen do provide links to several resources for activism or community projects, and they occasionally illustrate how people are affecting social change, such as filming an anti-DRM (digital rights management) protest at San Franciso’s Apple store. But it would be even nicer if more videos outlined specific steps individuals can take to make a difference. Then again, Ebb and Flow isn’t designed to be a how-to site necessarily, and for inspirational, call-to-action purposes, the videos provide just enough food for thought.

How exactly will achieving inner peace translate into positive action? Multiple authorities weigh in on the discussion here.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Pearl Chen
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Liam Lynch is the sort of prolific artist that can make almost everyone else in the industry jealous. Some of his career highlights include, but are not limited to, directing features for comedian Sarah Silverman and Jack Black’s band, Tenacious D, as well as several documentaries, music videos, and television commercials; working one-on-one with former Beatle Paul McCartney at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts; writing screenplays and television sitcoms; and releasing original albums, including the one-time radio hit, “United States of Whatever.” And, yes, since February 2006 he also finds time to maintain this website as a repository for some of this original material. 

As you might expect from a webmaster with such an extensive resume, the video fare on the site is quite eclectic. Viewers can find footage of Lynch playing his “United States of Whatever” alongside Dave Grohl during a Foo Fighters concert, and interview clips from the E! Television network and G4 TV. For good measure, there’s a short clip of Lynch interviewing a host of odd-looking CGI characters who all go by the name of “Chuppa.” As the description states, “There is no reason or logic to this video.” The podcasts feature everything from Liam on the set of Tenacious D to appearances from Ringo Starr and Tony Hawk. Once you’ve had your share of video footage, don’t fret. There are even more extensive collections of original photography and music to be found on the site as well. One surely can’t expect someone as energetic as Lynch to limit his site to one medium.

If you’re looking for some typical Liam Lynch fare, look no further than the video memorial to his recently deceased cat, Frankie Forcefield. Set to a song by Norwegian singer-songwriter Sondre Lerche, it features so much footage of Frankie, whom Lynch describes as his “best friend,” that you’d be forgiven for wondering if he had been preparing for just such a tragedy. Nevertheless, thanks in no small part to the touching lyrics of Mr. Lerche, it’s a heartwarming video, and a good example of the amount of energy Lynch seems compelled to channel.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Nicholas Mosquera
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Morgan Webb is no stranger to the world of tech TV. She co-hosts and produces the video game review show X-Play on cable network G4 and has written gaming columns for FHM magazine.

As a child, Webb played video games when her parents did not allow her to watch television, and while attending the University of California at Berkeley, she picked up self-taught computer skills.

Her passion and aptitude for technology have helped her create, along with husband and site business manager Rob Reid, Webb Alert, a daily (Mon.-Thur.) technology podcast launched on August 2, 2007. Like Rocketboom and Wallstrip, Webb Alert is an online news site hosted by a young, attractive female personality – and, for Webb, another extension of her “Geek Goddess” fame.

Webb Alert delivers round-ups from the world of tech news and blogs in five minutes “so that viewers who have missed them can find all the pertinent recaps in one place.” According to Rob Reid, the content is comprised of about 70% news and 30% tech society and lifestyle stories.

Expect quite a variety – everything from gadgets (like iphone’s skype feature), scoops on major companies (such as Yahoo and Google’s possible partnership), tech events and incidents (like Facebook’s hacker attack), and even DIY projects (e.g how to make a Guitar Hero controller). Occasionally, Webb will also conclude the segment with a delightfully random clip that has nothing to do with technology at all, such as this clip (skip to very end) of a giant wave pool in Japan.

Obviously, each episode covers lots of ground, and Webb speeds along at a brisk pace. Her presentation is stylized, exuberant, and unfailingly perky. Too affected? Or simply personable? You decide.

What makes Webb Alert different from most online news shows is that the host is also the writer, so the opinions she utters are truly her own.  In the pilot episode, Webb explains her vision for the vlog.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Pearl Chen
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Spun-off from her knitter’s blog, Let’s Knit2gether hit the web in September of 2006 to showcase the handiwork of Cat, our lovely hostess and self-proclaimed “knitting addict.” With her husband Eric holding the camera steady, Cat guides viewers through her knitted and crocheted projects from her home in Rockland, NY. She also travels to relevant get-togethers and conventions in the New England area. But don’t let her homey smile fool you; her website’s streamlined design alludes to her real occupation as an executive in the software industry. In her extra time however, she is without doubt one of the most prolific knitters to share her fetching work with the web.

With tightly edited episodes set to light, down-home music, Let’s Knit2gether covers a variety of subjects including felt knitting, tips for railroad ribbon, fur yarn and bead knitting, holiday gift ideas, combination knitting, needle varieties, yarn winding techniques, organizational tips, storage, and preservation. Most episodes include segments dedicated to viewer feedback, refining techniques or just plain griping about the difficulties of others. There are also frequent book reviews and interviews, such as Cat’s meetings with lace expert, Jane Sowerby, and Save the Children cofounder Kate Conradt. More community-oriented than straightforwardly instructional, Let’s Knit2gether encourages viewers to respond to each episode, discuss any techniques covered, share helpful pointers, chit-chat with Cat, and connect with knitters in their area. Whether sitting by the hearth, beating the streets, or petting an alpaca, Cat clearly has her finger on the racing pulse of the New England knitting scene, and she has a quiet, maternal demeanor that is hard to resist.

Did you know that certain types of rabbits produce three or more pounds of fiber each year? Well, you might have missed the annual Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY, but you can bet Cat didn’t. Scroll down to her fifth episode and bear witness to a sheep getting shorn, yarn being spun from raw fiber, and the generally quirky antics of upstate New York alpaca enthusiasts. Seen from above, the festival’s sheer size is enough to impress the uninitiated homebody knitter. But the fair attracts families from across the country, representing every step of the yarn-making process from breeders and ranchers to blenders and spinners. And like every expo that Cat attends, there are plenty of fashion-savvy bargains to keep you warm through the winter months.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Joel Withrow
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The Wubbcast’s demographic might be too young to type, but that doesn’t mean that online video has forgotten preschoolers. After writing for NY Times and The Nation, show creator Bob Boyle switched to television with “Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!” which began airing on Nick Jr. in 2006. Boyle takes care of the screenwriting, while animation is left to Frederator Studios, who created shows like Oh Yeah! Cartoons, The Fairly Odd Parents, and Next New Networks’ online series Channel Frederator. With its online debut hailed as “the world’s first preschool video podcast,” Wubbcast allows you and your tyke to enjoy the show on your own schedule. Wubbcast has since been featured on Entertainment Television, in part for its kid-friendly Marshmallow Lasagna recipe.

The televised series follows the adventures of Wubbzy, our precociously curious and square-shaped protagonist. Often accompanied by Walden and Widget, his book-savvy and crafty sidekicks, Wubbzy springs around the screen with a can-do attitude and a crooked tail, facing some of life’s earliest lessons, like how to handle getting harassed in the schoolyard and tracking down a missing toy. But the online series features both Wubbzy, Walden, and Widget’s myriad escapades and new animated shorts from the Boyle/Frederator collaboration, like Rob Renzetti’s Eddie and Emo series and Charles Danziger’s “Six Snails Snoring.” Sometimes Wubbcast’s weekly episodes are instructional, covering numbers, letters, colors, and spelling, but more often Wubbzy embarks on a mission to help a friend or stay inside to daydream. Wubbzy and his pals speak in clear voices and consistently repeat words to help your toddler pick up a few new phrases along the way.

In this episode, we meet Walden in his library for his erstwhile Minute of Knowledge. His whacky biology discussion on Tum-Tum Tickler trees and Shower Flowers will doubtlessly keep kids more engaged than the average classroom lesson plan. (Be prepared: your kids will be clapping along with the chorus of clams and the walrus on ukulele that help Walden conclude his lesson.)

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Joel Withrow
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Single gals have Sex and the City, and now, single guys get “We Need Girlfriends.” The ingeniously-titled Web series, launched in November 2006, follows three recent graduates as they try to answer that age-old, real-world question: How do you get into the dating scene after college? The stories take a page from the personal experiences of the show’s creators: script writer Steven Tsapelas, director of photography Angel Acevedo, and film editor/director Brian Amyot. After graduating from Hofstra University, the trio founded Ragtag Productions in 2004 and has since produced several award-winning films like My Imaginary Friend Lars Stevens and Teenage Superhero Pregnancy Scare. “We Need Girlfriends,” their monthly endeavor shot in Astoria, Queens, is one more testament to their filmmaking brilliance.

New grads and roommates Tom (Patrick Cohen), Henry (Seth Kirschner), and Rod (Evan Bass) are desperate to date again after moving to NYC and being dumped by their long-term college girlfriends. In the pilot episode, level-headed Tom flirts with new neighbor Lucy (Brigitte Hagerman) but doesn’t realize she has already been “claimed” by his overconfident and hotheaded roommate Rod. When Rod storms out because Tom has “scammed on my squirrel,” Henry, the sensitive, nerdy roommate, tells Tom, “We need to find long-term girlfriends again.” With this inventive set-up, the rest of the series takes off into a number of wacky directions (including a Rod v. Henry war that spawns actual “Team Rod,” “Team Henry” and “Team Tom” T-shirts). Tsapelas’s writing throughout is fantastic – a perfect mix of outlandish one-liners with understated humor – and Amyot and Acevedo’s editing captures comic timing to a tee.

But perhaps the best thing about the series (aside from the awesome soundtrack by up-and-coming artists and bands) is the relatable sincerity underlying these 5-10 minute episodes. At the end of “The Boyfriend,” Henry imparts a surprising bit of wisdom on the dating scene: “It’s just as hard out there for girls as it is for guys.” Tom fires back, “Naw, it’s harder for us.” Whether or not you agree, “We Need Girlfriends” won’t fail to keep you amused.

Watch all the episodes. They’re that good. The MySpace episode, in particular, is an absolute riot. Tom learns how to use social networking sites to stalk and get back at his ex, giving us a funny and eerily accurate glimpse into digital-age relationships.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Pearl Chen
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<span>Originally named iTV New York, Dutch West members <a href=”http://samreich.com/”>Sam Reich</a>, <a href=”http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&amp;friendid=367200″>Vincent Peone</a>, <a href=”http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2063694/”>Josh</a> <a href=”http://www.myspace.com/JOSHISDOTDOTDOT”>Ruben</a>, <a href=”http://www.collegehumor.com/user:62906″>Elaine</a> <a href=”http://www.myspace.com/elainecarroll”>Carroll</a>, and <a href=”http://profile.myspace.com/53796964″>Matt Moore</a> officially got together in 2004 after being lifelong friends who always thought they would be funny as a comedy troupe. They were right, seeing as webisodes of this online sketch comedy show have found their way onto <a href=”http://www.collegehumor.com/”>College Humor</a> and have become something of a collegiate phenomenon since Dutch West&rsquo;s launch in fall 2005. <br />
<br />
Since then, the group has been snatched up by big-time management group <a href=”http://www.tccltd.com/”>The Conversation Company, Ltd.</a> and <a href=”http://www.unitedtalent.com”>United Talent Agency</a>, has created a separate <a href=”http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=129278520&amp;s=143441″>audio podcast</a>, and has even made the leap to regular live performances at the <a href=”http://www.ucbtheatre.com/”>Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre</a> in New York. Supplemented by the somewhat defunct (though hilarious) blogs <a href=”http://dutchwestoven.blogspot.com/”>Dutch Oven</a> and <a href=”http://shortblogs.blogspot.com/”>Shortblogs</a>, the <a href=”http://www.dutchwest.tv/”>Dutch West TV</a> hit its stride with videos like &ldquo;<a href=”http://www.dutchwest.tv/videos/104″>September</a>&rdquo;, which has reached not only widespread notoriety, but recognition at NYC&rsquo;s <a href=”http://www.firstsundays.com/”>First Sundays Film Festival</a> with an Audience Choice Award.</span>

It’s kind of like Upright Citizens Brigade and Kids in the Hall in tone. The one-off sketches, which last around five to ten minutes, last only for one episode and are so totally random that it is consistently amazing that Dutch West continues to create new episodes without sacrificing ingenuity.

There are a few overarching settings and theme episodes, like the Ameriwow Corporation (comedy in a fake company), the Dutch West Apartment Sessions (funniness around the kitchen table), and the Whitebox Sessions (musical mockery). When the creators get tired of single skit episodes featuring the pedophiliac rapist Bigfoot and the demeaning escapades of the Chess Bus, they turn their lives into skits and pretend that their parents are writing the show. But no matter what they do, it’s always funny.

If you’re a fan of “September,” check out Jonathon Arons, who reached mild cult status for being the odd light-footed man who dances with his trumpet in the “September” video, which he does again here with equally odd light-footedness to Frank Sinatra’s “Come Fly Away with Me”.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Zach Jones
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What started as a one-minute teaser uploaded to the web in 2001 has evolved into a slice of gay heaven. Way Out West TV showcases gay programming in the Vancouver area by way of its groundbreaking original series, films, and documentaries. After just one week on the air, hundreds of international viewers had begun to tune in; since then, over 130 countries have been exposed to Way Out West TV’s content and its popularity has only grown. In 2002, their first series aired in seven full episodes on Pride Vision TV, but the rest of the shows remain available only on the website. Founded by Robert-John Farrow and marinated by a handful of contributing artists, the site boasts a number of episodes from over a dozen different series.

The scope of the content is overwhelming. There are series, shorts, and documentaries/events, both comedic and dramatic. There are live-action improvised shows, vlogs, stop-motion animated shorts, and films covering big moments for the queer culture of Vancouver. West of Dunman is the serious toned episodic series that got them noticed back in the day, contrasting with the channel’s other popular show, the camped-up silliness of the spy film spoof “Pimp & Ho,” a show which takes full advantage of the beautiful Vancouver backdrop. Fashion aficionados will appreciate the annual coverage of House of Envy’s Wiggle, the (mostly) drag fashion show that features wigs and headdresses. (Check out Wonderwoman from Wiggle 12!) Some shows are intentionally campy; others are known for having gay characters in realistic situations. Episodes last anywhere from one to eight minutes and new episodes are always being added. Each episode also has still photos from the shoot or the run, as well as a description of the artist’s intent and the history of the show.

There is a lot of material available, but if I had to pick favorites, I’d give Best Series to Morgan Brayton’s Girls Like Me. Her Agoraphobic News sequence chronicles her daily events as she never leaves her house, and her “striptease” as the cheeky, but nervous Cherry Lipsmacker is as awkward as it is hilarious. But if you only have a few minutes to surf the site, you should watch “blue tuesday,” Lisa G.’s racy and poignant stop-motion short about heartbreak between Barbie and a Pocahontas doll.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Rebecca Halpin
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Young American Bodies is the creation of Joe Swanberg, a young indie filmmaker whose films including Hannah Takes the Stairs have been compared to those of Andrew Bujalski, director of Funny Ha Ha and Mutual Appreciation. It’s easy to see the similarities between the two, as YAB, commissioned for Nerve Video, contains the same obsession with twenty-something hipsters and their problems in love as does the work of Bujalski, with Swanberg realistically focusing on six young Chicagoans and their intertwining tales. The series, begun in the summer of 2006, is also largely improvised, featuring an assortment of real locales, full frontal nudity, and well-concealed sex scenes.

Remember that MTV show Undressed, where privileged, mostly white college and high school students explored their sexuality and titillated late night viewers with the promise of hot flesh culled from the casting couch, despite the fact that platitudes about relationships were offered far more than naked torsos?

Young American Bodies is sort of like that, except it’s “sophisticated,” which means the acting is better, the drama is more adult, and nudity is actually allowed. Handheld cameras, real world locations, and accessible actors also thankfully replace the sterile camera angles, plastic sets, and made-up teens, creating a show that’s much more “real” and relatable.

But really, at the end of the day, this is pretty soapy stuff. Will you care when goateed, soft-spoken Ben (played by Swanberg himself) ditches the date Dia set him up with in order to meet unattainable crush Maggie? Or about the status of Casey and Noah’s rocky relationship? It depends on how much you can tolerate the ultimately frivolous problems of a group of narcissistic twenty-somethings, or how much you can forgive the show’s thin plot strands because of its consistent delivery of quasi-pornographic content. At least for Nerve’s audience, it would seem that some pseudo-voyeurism mixed with sexy eye candy is a pleasurably entertaining combination.

YAB peaks in its second season, in which Ben finds himself living with now ex-girlfriend Maggie and torn between an older woman and Casey. If “Do Not Disturb,” the first episode of the new batch, doesn’t get you hot and bothered (first line of dialogue, from Dia: “Do you think it would be sexy if I kissed a girl?”), YAB isn’t for you. If it does, you’ll probably get hooked.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Michael Joshua Rowin
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Before Wallstrip, Lindsay Campbell hadn’t traded a stock or hosted a single vlog, but her well-timed and charismatic sense of humor combined with Wallstrip’s team of experts have pushed the site to the forefront of finance podcasts. Created by Howard Lindzon and produced by Brightred Pictures’ Adam Elend and Jeff Marks (who also writes and directs the show), Wallstrip seeks to both inform and entertain. The kicked off in October 2006, when they covered (what else?) AAPL. Since then, it’s gained an incredible amount of press and a huge number of fans. 

I never thought that anything related to stocks could ignite my interest, but I was wrong. This is a show that appeals both to serious traders (with their stats, expertise, and on-location reporting) and to the market-impaired (with their skits, lively street interviews, and Lindsay’s occasional use of breast implants), luring viewers with industry know-how and keeping them watching with an irreverent sense of humor that isn’t often found in traditional finance journalism. (Think of it as an NYSE Variety Show.)

Each episode showcases a stock, like Crocs, Inc. or Harley Davidson, that is either peaking or being bandied about the press as a hot topic for one reason or another. Viewers who want to learn more about an episode’s stock can check out the Conversation page, where over a dozen bloggers reflect on the subject of the day, often with their own videos.

Brokers, bloggers, traders, investors, and financial writers all sit down for the Wallstrip’s Friday Chats, where in-depth analysis and tips (the legal kind) are offered by some of the industry’s most respected names. But it’s Lindsay who elevates the show from being surprising palatable to worthy of an RSS subscription. One of her best moments is in the Altria (Philip Morris) episode, which serves as an ode to The Office with a marketing consultant from the company “advising” Lindsay on how to brand a company that hates their product, giving her a chance to show off her acting skills, stealing the scene with her Pam-like reactions.

One of my favorite episodes so far discusses Crocs, a popular footwear manufacturer, and ponders the world’s fascination with the incredibly ugly rubber shoes with a cleverly shot video that makes you forget you’re watching a show about stocks.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Rebecca Halpin
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Back in August 2006, VOD Cars had already begun to proclaim itself the “#1 Broadband Car Network with more than 2.4 million viewers.” While there’s no question that the show has been running the “broadband car network” since its launch in September 2005, there’s even less doubt that it will continue to be the auto-vlog leader since the show’s March 2007 incorporation into Next New Networks. Like Channel Frederator, one of the network’s other flagship shows, VOD Cars appropriates found and user-submitted video content into original serials, producing user-based programming that’s more stylized for viewers and more palatable to advertisers than its stated competitors.

Each episode collects clips involving cars. From maintaining and racing them to stealing and lusting after them, from desert drifting crashes to unsung windshield deaths of unfortunate seagulls, it’s cars, cars, cars. Lifted clips are compiled into episodic installments released every few days and last about two to four minutes each. With loud music, quick graphics, and scantily-dressed girls, this is a vlog that definitely knows its demographic. Popular segments from websites like AutoClips and Bullrun are made more popular by getting sliced into one fast-paced, high-energy package. And so do its corporate sponsors, who show brief video ads at the opening of most shows. Video content is derived almost entirely from users, so submissions are more than encouraged. The show is supplemented by a well-rounded blog with photos, news updates, and lively comments, ensuring popularity among enthusiasts.

“Hot cars. Hot girls. Shiny pipes.” can be found in the site’s Magnaflow episode. And there’s more of the same in this episode. And this episode. Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Filed under: Tilzy.TV by Zach Jones
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