Objects Of Affection: Idolator’s Tribute-Video Treasury
Ed. note: It’s no secret that we’re big lovers of YouTube “tribute” clips–those fan-made videos in which users create musical homages to their favorite pop-culture properties. The only problem is that 3/4 of these mini-movies revolve around Star Wars, the Harry Potter films or Gilmore Girls, usually all at once. So from now on, Idolator intern Kate Richardson will be scouring the video sites, looking for the most unlikely objects of affection. In this entry, she journeys into the wild, wild world of Steve Irwin videos:
Steve Irwin raised awareness about wildlife, an undoubtedly noble pursuit, so it’s no surprise that the YouTube universe paid its respects to him after his death with a multitude of tribute videos. But, as anyone with cable knows, Irwin wasn’t exactly a graceful, delicate figure, and he certainly wasn’t the type to pose for demure pictures that might work in a heartfelt montage. Let’s take a look at two videos that try to cast him in that mold:
Song: “Only Time” by Enya Concept: Steve as new-age inspirational figure. Kudos to this video for its informative bent: The reworded wire-article excerpts are generally endearing, though at times they read a bit like a middle-school research paper. And a lot of the picture selections–Steve hugging a baby crocodile, Steve smiling sweetly with his daughter, Steve and Terri posing with an old (and presumably wise) tortoise–are of the appropriate aesthetic for a sentimental tribute. But all the Google Image Searches in the world won’t yield enough saccharine-Steve images to pad out a montage set to this synthy, chanty new -age sleeper hit. For every tone-appropriate picture of Steve smiling warmly, you’re going to get ten pictures of him straddling a crocodile while pumping his fist in the air. Best music-to-image sync-up moment: A tie between A) Steve holding the baby tiger; or B) the final fadeout on Steve and his family, both of which seem to reach Enya-appropriate levels of sentimentality. Silliest music-to-image sync-up moment: The very first shot–of Steve grimacing at a Komodo Dragon–sets the tone of inappropriate (yet shamefully amusing) music-to-image moments, and there are several others: Steve holding a python with Jay Leno, Steve throwing a large piece of meat to a crocodile, Steve maniacally dangling a snake in front of Terri’s face.
Song: “Candle in the Wind” by Elton John. Concept: Steve as tragic icon. When Elton John retrofitted “Candle in the Wind” for Princess Diana, he probably didn’t realize just how wide he’d opened the floodgates of appropriation. With its sepia color filter, ambitious editing effects, and wildly misguided song choice, this video is what one might call “a real piece of work.” There’s really not much to say, except to point out the opening shot of Steve with a tarantula as Elton sings “Goodbye, Norma Jean.” Best music-to-image sync-up moment: At the two-minute mark, when Elton sings “Never knowing who to cling to when the rain set in” as Steve, yes, clings to a crocodile. Silliest music-to-image sync-up moment: The possibilities are endless here, but my favorite is Steve gesticulating madly at his knee brace on the red carpet.
Verdict: Because Irwin hardly lived his life like a candle in the wind–if anything, he was more like a halogen lamp in a severe thunderstorm–the Elton version is almost by default the loser, making Enya’s “Only Time” the second-worst song choice for a Steve Irwin tribute video–and the winner of this match-up.
