Are you part of The Tyee's critical 1%?

Thanks for reading The Tyee today — we hope this article added to your day in some way. Our team of independent journalists takes pride in doing in-depth reporting and taking time to get it right.

We're able to focus our attention on publishing impactful journalism in the public interest, and publish it for free for all to read, because we have the support of Tyee Builders. Tyee Builders are readers who contribute a bit of money — at a level and frequency of their choice — to support our editorial budget.

This core of supporters — making up about 1 to 2 per cent of our daily readership — enables us to pay our writers, keep our articles free and open to all, and not bombard our readers with annoying ads while you try to read.

Instead of focusing on what kind of articles will attract the most advertising dollars, we can spend time devoted to researching and writing stories that our readers find most valuable and make the most positive impact in our region.

If you'd like to join thousands of readers who help make independent journalism possible, consider joining Tyee Builders. Thank you.

— Jeanette Ageson, Publisher

Click here to Join Tyee Builders

Help us un-break journalism in Canada

You made it all the way through the article — I hope that means you liked it (or if not ‘liked’ it, gleaned some useful information from it). Tyee articles are known for being quite lengthy, so we appreciate when people spend some quality time with our work.

Listen, I’ll get to the point — the article you just read was made possible because our non-profit newsroom was able to pay a talented journalist to research and write it. And we can only afford to do that because of our business model, which relies on a certain percentage of our readers signing up for our paid membership program called Tyee Builders.

The traditional business model for journalism in Canada has been completely disrupted, and we’re witnessing a slow collapse as corporate newsrooms buy up distressed publications, lay people off, and suck the value out of them before declaring bankruptcy. And it doesn’t help that tech giant Meta has blocked Canadian news on their Facebook and Instagram platforms.

There is another way and we are carving the path.

Between 1 to 2 per cent of people who visit The Tyee contribute financially, but amazingly, that small percentage is enough to fund half of our overall budget. And it means we can operate without a paywall, too. 1 per cent of people giving means 99 per cent of people get access to quality, fact-based journalism from a talented team of journalists who live and work in B.C., Alberta, and across Canada. We think that’s pretty remarkable.

If you’re concerned about the way journalism is heading in Canada and you’d like to do something about it, consider joining Tyee Builders and contributing an amount that works for you.

— Jeanette Ageson, Publisher

Click here to Join Tyee Builders
Marking 20 years
of bold journalism,
reader supported.
support us subscribe free
Arts and Culture
Video
Music

Weezer's Viral Vid Masterpiece

Rock stars ... they're just like us!

Doretta Lau 10 Jun 2008TheTyee.ca

Doretta Lau regularly writes about Internet video for The Tyee.
image atom
'Pork and Beans': homage to web surfers.

Prior to YouTube and other video streaming websites, Weezer's music video for the 1994 single "Buddy Holly" was probably one of the most-viewed videos of all time -- it was part of the Microsoft Windows '95 CD-ROM, so anyone who had a PC with the Windows '95 platform could watch the Spike Jonze-directed video over and over again.

"Buddy Holly" is full of nostalgia -- the lyrics and video invoke Buddy Holly and Mary Tyler Moore, as well as the TV show Happy Days. But the opening lines of the song, fully embrace '90s lingo: "What's with these homies dissing my girl? Why do they gotta front?" "Buddy Holly" proved that Weezer was at once nerdy and cool, culturally literate and groundbreaking.

Fourteen years later, the band is still master of pop culture production. Weezer's latest single is "Pork and Beans," a song about embracing your idiosyncrasies and refusing to conform to societal norms. It's quite fitting, then that the video for "Pork and Beans" incorporates recent Internet celebrities and memes from viral videos such as singer Tay Zonday ("Chocolate Rain"), video blogger Chris Crocker ("Leave Britney Alone!"), comic Kyle Sullivan (as Kelly in "Shoes"), and Miss South Carolina Caitlin Upton ("Miss Teen USA 2007 -- Miss South Carolina Answers a Question").

If you're interested in watching all the videos Weezer references in "Pork and Beans," Nicholas Carlson at Valleywag hunted down all 24 of them for your viewing pleasure. But you've probably seen most of them while surfing the Internet or through recommendations from friends.

For me, the genius of "Pork and Beans" lies in the idea that the members of Weezer watch viral videos and love them just as much as I do. While "Buddy Holly" is a nod to pop culture icons of yesteryear, "Pork and Beans" is an homage to the regular people who have embraced web 2.0 as a medium for cultural production. In the midst of our celebrity-obsessed culture, it's comforting to know that rock stars, as US Magazine would say, "they're just like us."

Related Tyee stories:

[Tyee]

Read more: Video, Music

  • Share:

Facts matter. Get The Tyee's in-depth journalism delivered to your inbox for free

Tyee Commenting Guidelines

Comments that violate guidelines risk being deleted, and violations may result in a temporary or permanent user ban. Maintain the spirit of good conversation to stay in the discussion.
*Please note The Tyee is not a forum for spreading misinformation about COVID-19, denying its existence or minimizing its risk to public health.

Do:

  • Be thoughtful about how your words may affect the communities you are addressing. Language matters
  • Challenge arguments, not commenters
  • Flag trolls and guideline violations
  • Treat all with respect and curiosity, learn from differences of opinion
  • Verify facts, debunk rumours, point out logical fallacies
  • Add context and background
  • Note typos and reporting blind spots
  • Stay on topic

Do not:

  • Use sexist, classist, racist, homophobic or transphobic language
  • Ridicule, misgender, bully, threaten, name call, troll or wish harm on others
  • Personally attack authors or contributors
  • Spread misinformation or perpetuate conspiracies
  • Libel, defame or publish falsehoods
  • Attempt to guess other commenters’ real-life identities
  • Post links without providing context

LATEST STORIES

The Barometer

Do You Have a Special Story to Share from Your Own Backyard?

Take this week's poll