I’ll take this over Ebert and Doe any day — the hottest new film critics, available only on YouTube, are the Reel Geezers. A duo of screenwriter Lorenzo Semple, 84, and Marcia Nasatir, 81, an agent and producer, they go on YouTube and give their movie reviews and some discussion of each movie. Apparently, they’re now big enough in Hollywood that they rated a recent feature in the Los Angeles Times. And, in my humble opinion, they deserve it. Here’s their review for Juno, picked only because I too love the movie.

Oh, sure, sure, the pundits will have plenty of explanations for why Barack Obama took the Iowa caucuses yesterday. And sure, there’ll be some of those “facts” and “polls” we’ve heard so much about, but I know the real reason. One day before the caucuses, the Internet phenomenon known as “Obama Girl” came back and, well, I guess everyone just figures maybe if he wins she’ll finally shut up and go away.

Anyway, here’s the video — I gotta hand it to the team behind it, the production values are getting better, and this is decently funny, even though this horse was glue months ago.

I was checking out Andrew Sullivan’s blog yesterday when a whole new world opened up for me. It seems that not only are people obsessed with today’s video game of choice, Guitar Hero, they’re documenting their obsessions. Like, compulsively. And then putting it on YouTube. (In their defense, I have played Guitar Hero once and It. Is. Awesome.)

So I went searching around YouTube today and found that there are quite a few of these things out there, though disappointingly quite a few assume your nerdness and only show the TV screen, never the gamers in the actual act of playing, which is a sight to behold if you’ve never witnessed it before. I picked out one I think is one of the best, if only for the sheer prodigy exhibited. Stare in awe, people, at a five-year-old GOD OF ROCK.

I recently had to admit that, though I’ve heard of Soulja Boy, I’ve never actually heard him. I used to be cool, I swear. Still, I find this video funny anyway.

Also, thought I’d share another thing I found recently, a comic strip that is a shocking expose of the short, sad life of a YouTube star. Read it here.

Finally, we can admit the truth — Bill O’Reilly and the rest of the Fox News crew is right. There is a War on Christmas, waged by a truly diabolical group. But it’s not who you might think…

Awwwwwwww.

Forgive me for my continuing obsession, but is anyone else still alternately fascinated and repulsed by the legions of Ron Paul fans polluting just about every forum everywhere? Seriously, it’s like they’re getting more strident and more spammy as the primaries approach. These days, you can write a blog post about the Argentinian soccer team and you’re guaranteed to see at least one commenter reminding you that Ron Paul is the only man who will restore the Constitution. Seriously people, we get it. Go away.

Anyway, what’s cute is the YouTube videos these people make. (And in a larger sense, what’s interesting about all this is not just the YouTube videos, but the Paulites’ use of the Internet generally — it’s like people power only, you know, nutty.) Here’s one good one, a particularly desperate attempt to make the damn facts stop lying.

Gosh, isn’t alliteration fun? I think so.

Anyway, if you’re into Internet video, there’s really only one news story that mattered this week, the Hollywood writer’s strike, because a lot of the issues that led to the strike come down to the Internet and the question of how studios and networks will use the series of tubes to make money — and how they will not pay the writers any of said money. And of course the ironic thing is that the writers have then been putting videos of themselves striking up on the Internet. For free. (Writers are a weird bunch.) Here’s one of those videos, with some of the writers/cast of The Office talking about their experiences creating Internet-only content for NBC.

Ah, what a glorious creation the Internet is. Not just a series of tubes, it’s a medium through which everyone in the world can communicate with and learn from everyone else. And not just, you know, for the purpose of sending desperately needed money to free a multi-million dollar bank account from Nigeria or watching Eastern Europeans strip. Turns out there’s actual information available. Like, say, this video, which is both informative and awesome. And there’s singing!

This week’s video comes courtesy of a colleague, who said something I thought was rather intelligent, namely that boys still too young to worry about getting laid should probably be prevented from posting videos like this to the Internet, on the theory that now they will be virgins forever. I agree, and I wonder—where are our Congresspeople when we really need them? This is a human tragedy in the making, people.

Very SMITHy — a DIY viral video on how to produce your own ‘zine.

Wow. So many buzzwords. If I just started talking about SEO and Web 2.0 I could start my own Internet company! NASDAQ, here I come.

Actually, now that I think about it, I think I’d probably have trouble with that whole folding thing. Not so much with the small motor skills — it’s a genetic issue. Seriously, you should see my mom’s handwriting. (Hi, Mom.)