March 29, 2024

An Ode to the Vine Era

I was 16 years old the first time I saw a Vine. It was made by one of my friends from high school, showing their dog run around the kitchen. My first thought was something like “do we really need a platform where the only premise is sharing videos that only last six seconds?”

But nonetheless, I made an account. While I wasn’t much of a videographer myself, I started to find users that could make some pretty great things within those short six seconds.

Many users made their names through comedy. Chris D’elia, a standup comedian, gained traction through the Vine app with videos of himself singing “the beautiful version” of popular songs, which included overly dramatic vibrato and the gusto of an opera singer.

https://vine.co/v/hPDUt35FVh5

His Vines made him popular in the general media, earning him appearances on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and Conan.

Former Youtube star Bo Burnham also came back into the spotlight by gaining popularity on Vine.

His videos mostly centered around puns and ironic humor. Here’s one of my favorites:

https://vine.co/v/h2hl0riHu99

Bo Burnham’s career, which had been under the radar since his Youtube career, exploded after Vine. He has had 2 comedy tours since: What and Make Happy, which are both featured on Netflix.

Not everyone has had a flourishing career after making it big on Vine, but how could anyone forget about the one hit wonders of this great app?

Remember when we were all too busy “hmmmmmmmblockin’ out the haters?”

https://vine.co/v/OwPnDOarjKz

Admit it, this Vine forever changed the way you pronounced this number.

https://vine.co/v/OiqZtOq7LnI

And who could forget? Fresh avocado.

https://vine.co/v/inLwuOzYYd9

Some also used Vine as a platform to showcase their musical talent, and it has proven to be successful for some.

UsTheDuo also became famous through Vine with their six-second duets. Husband and wife Michael and Carissa Alvarado started their account in 2013 and were able to sign a record deal with Republic Records, being the first musicians to have accomplished this through Vine fame.

https://vine.co/v/hx96JOFxt3F

Shawn Mendes, an 18 year-old from Toronto, Canada, attracted a fanbase on Vine starting in 2013. His popularity caught the eye of talent agents and lead to a record deal with Island Records A&R.

https://vine.co/v/h1UtAXE1Vp1

https://vine.co/v/eY61lIMjtzE

Vine has been a glorious gift, at least in my life. Whether it shuts down or is bought by some other company, I think we’ll all have a good time reminiscing the highs and lows of this great app as long as we can.

Vine, you have made me feel festive:

https://vine.co/v/iu5dpId9KhE

Laugh for 20 straight minutes:

https://vine.co/v/5Wm7igEpLKX

And just ???:

https://vine.co/v/MdIOqzKMvIa

Along with wowing me with insane talent.

https://vine.co/v/elnzvB3ihqz

I think we all appreciate you, no matter what interests us. Stay short and sweet.

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