The Ten Most Viral Videos in Lebanon So Far This Year
From clever comedy to hilarious parody, Lebanon has kept us happily entertained with viral videos in 2014. Some made us feel good, others left us questioning the person staring back at us in the mirror, but they all together reminded us what it means to be Lebanese. So without further ado, here are the ten most viral videos so far this year, in no particular order.
1. #LebaneseSelfie
The perfect parody of The Chainsmokers popular hit, #SELFIE, but for the Lebanese scene, went viral because it was so damn relatable. From the exaggerated gossip to the interspersed shots of selfies all over the place, the entire thing was a fitting tribute to what makes us “Hashtag Lebanese”.
2. Leaked Video Of Principal Caning Students
This video, leaked near the end of March, shows Moussa Daher, a principal at the Zahrani branch of the Makassed School, caning a group of students who had performed poorly on their tests. The incident sparked outrage and the administrator was promptly dismissed and banned for life from teaching again, even though the parents of those involved publicly forgave him.
3. Live Broadcast Interrupted By Bomb
So technically this clip took place a few days before we were officially in 2014, it’s nonetheless an important one. It shows Future Television’s morning show “Kalam Beirut” being interrupted by a nearby blast that claimed the life of former Lebanese Ambassador to the US, Mohammad Chatah.
4. Happy in Lebanon
Mix one-part extremely catchy tune by music mastermind Pharrell Williams with equal parts good social cause, and finish it off with a bunch of kids dancing all over the country, and you’ve got a viral hit on your hands. That’s exactly what No Label’s “Happy In Lebanon” manages to do, and boy are we happy they did.
5. “Ani B7ebba Lal Miss”
In spite of the fact that it was later revealed on Chi NN to be a fake, this kid’s hilarious interview blew up all over the internet, with almost instantaneous parodies to go with it. The boy is posing as a student from the Makassed School where the principal was caught caning students. He goes on to lament how much he likes his teacher and how “ma bseer heik”. Regardless of who he actually he is, he’s right. Ma bseer heik, ma ani b7ebbo la Lebnen.
6. “Inqaradoo Ilrjel Be Lebnen”
Another concerned Lebanese citizen lamenting her luck, this time it’s an older woman who has finally found an outlet for all her pent-up frustration, and she doesn’t pull any punches. In a funny mash-up of her complaining about how the streets are empty and the city’s turning poor, she digresses to remind us that good men have gone extinct in Lebanon. She deserves her own show, or a podcast at the very least.
7. Haifa’s Response to Her “Haifa Haters”
In a snippet from Adel Karam’s new show, entitled “Hayda 7aki”, Lebanese pop star Haifa Wehbe gave her haters a piece of her mind and then some. Lebanon’s answer to Kim Kardashian went on to remind us all how untalented she is by mixing lurid jokes with product plug-ins, AKA just another night for Lebanese prime time TV.
8. Jackie Chamoun’s So-Called Sochi Scandal
Jackie Chamoun, Olympic skier and occasional model, became the center of controversy when an old and apparently “scandalous” video of her made the rounds on the Internet and was promptly “investigated” by the Minister of Sports. It sparked the #StripForJackie social media campaign and reminded us who should actually be ashamed of themselves.
9. The Lebanese Are Losing It
One of the smartest ads to come out this year was Bank Byblos’ hilarious PSA on what the world would look like if we exported the Lebanese culture worldwide. However, it also manages to get across a powerful environmental message about how we owe it to Lebanon to protect our Cedars. CSR that can hit hard and be funny? Priceless.
10. Lebanon’s Illegal Arms Dealers
At a little over 200,000 views and counting, this fifteen minute VICE documentary serves to uncover some of Lebanon’s dirty and not-so-little secrets, arms dealers. A must-watch for anyone who’s even vaguely interested in preserving the country we call home, this doc sheds light on a dangerous facet of society that threatens to bring it all down.
