Anyone who uses this glorious InterWeb of ours is likely well aware of the fact that it is populated by thousands, maybe millions, of very strange and funny things. Today, I'm going to share some of them with you.

This post began out of my desire to talk to you fine people about one of the more amusing videos I've seen on the Web in quite awhile. Brought to my attention about a month ago by WITFITS reader Phoenix, the clip known as "Numa Numa Dance" has achieved cult success to rival William Hung and The Star Wars Kid. The video stars 19 year old Gary Brolsma of Saddle Brook, New Jersey, sitting at his PC, lip synching to the Romanian pop song "Dragostea Din Tei" ("Love From the Linden Trees").

I think it's funny as hell.

Gary has been the talk of the 'Net for the past few months and has been featured in articles in the NY Times, New York Daily News, MSNBC, and others, and appeared on NBC'S The Today Show, CNN, and VH1's Best Week Ever. The guy even has his own WikiPedia entry! Should anyone doubt the fandom of this unlikeliest of icons, check out this clip in which an entire class sings along and mimics his carefully choreographed routine.

The mass appeal of this clip speaks to several inherent qualities contained within it. It's undeniably human and easy to identify with: we've all at one point or another let loose and lip synched (or sung along) with our favorite songs, engaging in the kind of behavior that would make Jon Lithgow cringe. Hell, Tom Cruise incorporated it into a now classic scene in the movie Risky Business when he mouthed the words to Bob Seager's "Old Time Rock N' Roll". "Numa Numa" is also, well, just plain funny. The song is unusual and uncannily catchy and Mr. Brolsma has a pretty good sense of comic timing, from the crescendo of his dance moves to the brilliant eyebrow raise timed to a high-pitch chirp in the music at the start of the first verse.

According the articles (linked above) it would seem that all is not well in Saddle Brook, however. Gary is apparently depressed by all the attention the clip has garnered. Dude, people are laughing at you, but they're laughing because you're funny. Seriously, this guy is my hero, I can't say I wouldn't be embarrassed by the attention, but there are a lot worse things he could have been doing on camera ("Close the door!"). Gary, if you're reading this (and I'm relatively certain you're not, but let's both pretend you are), embrace your fifteen minutes! Most people don't get a chance like this. Don't mope around--bathe yourself in the spotlight. William Hung sings like an amputee (can't carry a note, can't hold a tune), and he's making out all right. America loves a goofball, and if it's the weight thing you're unhappy about (some links refer to the clip as "fat kid" or "fat Dutch kid", not sure why) then think of it this way: you're continued proof that fat guys are funny. Chris Farley, Homer Simpson, Will Sasso (he's thinner now, but still funny), John Goodman, Peter Griffin, John Candy, Jackie Gleason, Zero Mostel, Drew Carey, Larry the Cable Guy, John Belushi, President Taft, the list goes on and on. If America's Funniest People was still on the air, you would win the grand prize (oh, Alanis Morissette, how could you break up with Dave Coulier, the comic genius behind "cut-it-out" and the clever gesticulations that accompanied it?). If you aren't cast in a commercial in the next six months to do what you do best then the advertising world can sit on it and spin for all I care. Their loss.

Somewhere on my hard drive there is a clip of me singing along to "Tube of Wonderful", the music that plays over and over again in the menu screen for the Chasing Amy DVD. Yea, I'm deleting that now, there's no way I'm letting you yahoos get a hold of it.

Didn't I promise some content oh, I dunno, about seven or eight paragraphs ago? Well, here it is, your moment of Zen. Oops, sorry, I stole that bit from The Daily Show. Rather, here are some links to amusing bits of InterStuff I found on the Web. Enjoy!

• The original "Numa Numa Dance" video starring Gary Broslma (lyrics to the song, the music video for the song performed by O-ZONE).
• A unique take on the video using World of Warcraft by the WoW Film Actors Guild.
• A great dance mix and flash animated called Mashed Taters (Potatoes) by eNiGMa the MoNKey featuring clips of Samwise and Gollum in an amusing scene from The Two Towers.
• Penguin Calls, by drewmo, a series of flash animations of penguins put to actual cell phone calls.
• The Llama Song, by Burton Earny, a flash animation and song about, well, llamas.
• The Llama Song :: Llamas, BadgerBadgerBadger.com :: Badgers. Flash animation and song by the guys at Weebls-Stuff.
• I can totally relate with the rabbit in this flash animation by Bernard Derriman to a song appropriately entitled "Everyone Else Has Had More Sex Than Me". Very well animated.
• I think we can all relate to this clip (in flash). You'll understand when you watch it.
• Fluid describe how the end of the world might come about in his flash animation.
• This is Weebl and Bob. They like pie. A lot, apparently. Here's their website.
• There is a really brilliant set of flash animations involving stick figures fighting Kung Fu. You can view them here at NewGrounds.com. Very cool.
• You got Gangsta Rap in my Star Wars! You got Star Wars in my Gangsta Rap! Two great tastes that taste great together. See what I mean by watching the Star Wars Gangsta Rap: Special Edition flash animation at AtomFilms.
• If you haven't before, I recommend checking out JibJab. Of particular note are the flash animations: Founding Fathers rap, This Land (Kerry vs. Bush in a presidential race parody of the Woody Guthrie song), and Second Term sung by Bush to "She'll Be Comin' Round the Mountain".
• The Japanese may be crazy, but sometimes they do some really clever stuff. Check out this "Matrix Ping Pong" video, it's quite cool.
• Finally, no one should leave the InterWeb without checking out one of my favorite websites, Homestarrunner.com. Of particular note is their most popular serial, Strong Bad e-mails, featuring 126 (and counting) 'toons starring the lovable Mexican-wrestling-mask-headed character, Strong Bad. Be sure to check out Dullard, Action Figure, Comic, Dragon, and Kid's Book, if you're limited on time. Psst...every animation has a few hidden links you can click on.

Tags: Internet, Link, Meme, Video