UPDATE: YouTube has confirmed the removal was a mistake. For more information and a comment from Rick Astley's manager please see our follow up story.
The Interwebs came together in a collective gasp on Wednesday as it was discovered that YouTube removed the original "Rickroll" video that has clocked up 30 million views to date.
For those not familiar with the term "Rickroll" or "Rickrolling", it's a famous Internet meme involving the music video for the 1987 Rick Astley song "Never Gonna Give You Up". The phenomenon began at Internet image board 4chan and soon spread more widely. Internet users typically send the URL of the video to another user and the practice results in the person being "Rickrolled".
The original video can usually be found here, but currently it displays "This video has been removed due to terms of use violation." Google and YouTube spokespeople were not immediately available for comment.
Thanks to GeekAdos for the news tip
Well, at least this is still up:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbaTur4A1OU
Obviously, I haven't missed anything beacuse I don't have a clue as to what RickRoll is.
Whatever it is, from the reading I just did on it, another retarded fad down the drain.
We got to Kissroll'd now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf79MCuQ8jM
no
Edited by nub, Feb 24 2010, 12:48pm :or the person who misspelt 'won' as 'own' , and the other person who subsequently misspelt that as 'pwn'
or the person who first used 'fail' in its current context
or the person who added the text 'O RLY' to that picture of the snowy owl
or the person who misspelt 'won' as 'own' , and the other person who subsequently misspelt that as 'pwn'
or the person who first used 'fail' in its current context
or the person who added the text 'O RLY' to that picture of the snowy owl
if you don't like it - ignore it.
I won't go around in my real life and forbid people to bring up jokes that I personally find to be not funny.
Seriously, what do you think you are? the Humor Police?
*facepalm*
Glassed Silver:mac
4-chan isn't going to like this. Prepare to meet your doom Youtube.
+1
Google is really annoying lately.
That's pretty dumb to blame Google for that...
Look at the news today that an Italian court convict Google execs for what a user posted on YouTube... that is stupid.
+1
It wasn't the original video. The original was used in YouTube's april fools prank a couple of years ago and I remember it racked up like 50,000,000 views in one day, when all the featured videos on the front page linked to it.
If that's true then link it...
If that's true then link it...
I remember that one, the end of the youtube URL was something with a U, an i and a dash. like Uui- or Uiu- or something. I actually can't believe I forgot it because at the height of the Rick Roll phenomenon I would catch when that link was posted
The video you guys're talking about is the one that it has been deleted. And it used to have 30.000.000 views, not 50.000.000.
If that's true then link it...
They removed it soon after.
Umm, no, it's a different one.
hmm... they "gave up" on it.
WWHHAATT!!
WFT :X
The video is up on Rick's Vevo page.
But is not the "Rickroll'd"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfyPw1NClNo FACEROLL
omg... that's really pathetic.
ah, the old game again:
fun and meme < protectivism (haha, youtube will bring up millions of other rick rolls, don't need to block the first one only! just STUPID)
argh... makes the companies look sooooooo freaking UNSYMPATHETIC! nothing more achieved here.
good job guys!
Glassed Silver:mac
im wondering why it took this long for it to be removed due to terms of use
did the copyright owner finally request it down due to rickrolling not being as prevaliant, only not having a problem with it because it was popular ?
it's not that 4chan is lame is just they have nothing better to do with their time. Youtube has been cracking down on a lot of videos people are putting on youtube so in some ways every video on youtube is becoming kinda like rules of the internet #24 Every repost is always a repost of a repost including now youtube videos one person makes a video and then other people keep uploading the same thing over and over