The internet is….
Hold on. I don’t need to tell you. You know what it is. Obviously.
But I would like to take a quick moment to talk about some of its traits. The internet holds the world’s collective information, and that’s a good thing, mostly. It has also democratized everything, which is a good thing, mostly. It’s provided the every-person with the opportunity to voice their opinions, ideas, and sense of humor (or lack thereof) with the entire world. Despite its wide use, it’s also something of a private club in some respects. Sites like Reddit, 4Chan, Imgur, and Twitter allow for the quick and easy passing of jokes, references, and information that you’ll probably only get if you spend an unhealthy (according to my therapist) amount of time staring at a screen.
As a result themes tend to circle around themselves for a time until they finally fall down the drain and are forgotten entirely. Meme’s rise and fall in popularity, the internet has brought to life Andy Warhol’s prediction of temporary fame for everyone, or in this case, every idea.
If you spent any time surfing the web around Christmas 2012 (you totally did, how else are you going to avoid interacting with your family?) you probably encountered an untold number of jokes about “Les Miserables” like this one.
These jokes circulated for a time and then disappeared, at which point we all immediately forgot about them and moved on to talking about how terrible the Harlem Shake was/is.
Shudder. I apologize for even bringing it up.
It seemed the joke (which I’m now dubbing Les Mauvaise Blague) had gone the way of the cheezburger cat, had a massive coronary, and died. Occasionally a digital miracle happens and a meme is revived by way of a particularly funny, clever, or relevant interpretation.
Les Mauvaise Blague did just that. After a year of being buried in a mass meme grave it’s been born anew. Like Gandalf, the joke shuffled off its previous baggage, changed its clothes, and now stands shrouded in lens flare and light.
What could possibly revive this joke and make it entertaining again? None other than the Wolverine himself, Hugh Jackman. Hugh took a visit to “The Matt Edmondson Show” on BBC radio and sang a rendition of “Who Am I?” from the viewpoint of his mutant persona.
It wouldn’t be as funny if it weren’t Hugh himself, and if he couldn’t sing so damned well. No one should be that good looking, that charming, and that talented, but he is, and we all have to deal with it.
Enjoy.