Please forgive me if I rant a little today, but I am a tad perturbed. As you may know, I am quite an avid YouTube uploader…using the website to “virtually” house all my video epics so I don’t have to pay for a real server to store them. And over the course of the past year, I have slowly built up a nice following of viewers and fans, many of whom encouraged me to become a YouTube Partner (an honor that apparently comes with a few perks, including actual payments for advertising on your videos.) As I’d always assumed a YouTube Partner needed thousands of subscribers in order to be considered, I hadn’t thought it was time yet for me to pursue such a relationship. (At this point in time, I have 356 subsribers and 97 friends.)
But then several viewers of mine (who were already Partners) told me that was not the case, and because I was consistently getting high ratings, comments and views for my videos, I would probably be considered as a good prospect. So without thinking much about it, I filled out the short form online and submitted it to YouTube. I figured I probably wouldn’t hear anything for a few weeks or so, as I’m sure there were literally thousands of people at any given time trying to become a Partner as well.
Imagine my surprise when I woke up the next morning to find a response. Only it wasn’t really the kind of response I expected. To follow is the very cold form letter I received:
Dear ScoobyHubby, (This is my UserName on YouTube)
Thank you for your interest in the YouTube Partner Program. Our goal is to extend invitations to as many partners as we can. Unfortunately we are unable to accept your application at this time. The partner program is designed for users whose videos consistently comply with the YouTube Community Guidelines and Terms of Use. At this time, your account history indicates that it has not always fully complied with the rules that govern our site.
Applications are reviewed for a variety of criteria, including but not limited to the size of your audience, country of residence, quality of content, and consistency with our Community Guidelines and Terms of Use. Please review the program qualifications (http://www.youtube.com/partners) for a complete list of our criteria.As we continue to expand we hope to be able to accept a broader group of partners. We have registered your interest in the program and will continue to monitor your account for potential future acceptance into the program. Thank you for your understanding.
Now you may wonder what they are referring to when they say I have “not always fully complied with the rules that govern our site”. The only time I ever had an issue with YouTube was when I uploaded a video that was a parody of the Village People song “YMCA,” in which I hummed a sixty second version of the tune while little animated rubber ducks performed a rousing dance number. (See photo above) In the video, I didn’t sing any of the lyrics or even play the real music…I just hummed it. Several days after I uploaded it, I received a very nasty e-mail from YouTube saying that “SCORPIO MUSIC S.A. / CAN’T STOP PRODUCTIONS INC.” (the company that owns the rights to YMCA) had the video taken down because of copyright infringement. (This entire incident is fully detailed in my blog posting, “
I Survived a YouTube Banning”)
So because of one little infraction back in August, I've now been flagged “unacceptable” as a YouTube Partner. And I know that nobody bothered to even review my current content or the popularity of my videos because I got a response in under twenty-four hours. And you will notice, the e-mail wasn’t even signed by anyone, as if YouTube is some sort of higher power that doesn’t need accountability.
After receiving the rejection e-mail, I admit that I got a little depressed. Not because I wasn’t accepted right away, but because of WHY I wasn’t accepted. And now all I can do is blame the Village People and their stupid song for getting me into this mess in the first place. Had I not wanted to pay tribute to that famous dance anthem, I might actually have a shot at earning a few extra dollars a month.
But that’s just me. What do you blame the Village People for?
To help launch the new Cat Clips Soundtrack CD, and to celebrate the beginning of 2012, I am releasing several of your favorite Cat Clips songs as individual music videos, or CatTunes. The fifth music video is "Be My Wife" from "Cat Clips #200-- Jumpin' Jubilation" In this song, Tuck proposes to Tipi, with the help of Trey, Boots, a little magic and some very happy jumping jacks.
To help launch the new Cat Clips Soundtrack CD, and to celebrate the beginning of 2012, I am releasing several of your favorite Cat Clips songs as individual music videos, or CatTunes. The fourth music video is "One Percent" from "Cat Clips #196 -- One Percent." In the song, Tuck imagines what it would be like to lead a revolution like the Occupy Wall Street movement.
To help launch the new Cat Clips Soundtrack CD, and to celebrate the beginning of 2012, I am releasing several of your favorite Cat Clips songs as individual music videos, or CatTunes. The third music video is "You Got What I Want" from "Cat Clips #164 -- Tipi's Torch Song." In the song, Tipi tells her suiters (Boots and Tuck) that she is looking for a new love interest. She is assisted by The TempTreytions, a group consisting of Trey and several of his clones--a byproduct of Tuck's newly acquired magic. To watch the video, please click on the photo above.
To help launch the new Cat Clips CD Soundtrack, and to celebrate the beginning of 2012, I am releasing several of your favorite Cat Clips songs as individual music videos, or CatTunes. The second music video is "Snow Keeps Falling" from "Cat Clips #157 -- Christmas Conspiracy." In the song, Tuck and Trey console each other over their lost loves. To watch the video, please click on the photo above.
To help launch the new Cat Clips CD Soundtrack, and to celebrate the beginning of 2012, I am releasing several of your favorite Cat Clips songs as individual music videos, or CatTunes. The first of these is "Find Your Way" from "Cat Clips #137 -- Find Your Way." In the song, Tuck and Tipi are trying to cheer Trey up after the loss of Honey. To watch the video, please click on the photo above.
In this episode: After surviving robot attacks and new kitchen construction, Boots, Tipi and Tuck enjoy a nice quiet day on the couch. That is, until Boots brings up a very unusual suggestion...in the form of a song. To watch the video, please click on the photo above.
In this episode: Just in time for Valentine's Day, Tipi and the TempTreytions practice their new nightclub act for the first time. To watch the video, please click on the photo above. 
In this episode: When Tipi and Boots sneak off to the basement to be alone, Tuck and Trey lament about their lack of Christmas spirit and romantic entanglements. To watch the video, please click on the photo above.
In this episode, Tuck and Tipi try to get Trey to open up about his feelings by singing him an upbeat musical number, "Find Your Way". To view the video, please click on the photo above.
It's still a tough economic climate out there, so it seemed like the perfect time for a little motivational song (even if it incorporates a little "tough love"). So please click on the photo above to watch the next video from the "Musical Mockery" series called "Find Your Way." It's a A humorous song to hopefully motivate those who are struggling during these troubling times.
Did you know that 80% of the world's wealth is owned by only 1% of the world's population?
Please forgive me if I rant a little today, but I am a tad perturbed. As you may know, I am quite an avid YouTube uploader…using the website to “virtually” house all my video epics so I don’t have to pay for a real server to store them. And over the course of the past year, I have slowly built up a nice following of viewers and fans, many of whom encouraged me to become a YouTube Partner (an honor that apparently comes with a few perks, including actual payments for advertising on your videos.) As I’d always assumed a YouTube Partner needed thousands of subscribers in order to be considered, I hadn’t thought it was time yet for me to pursue such a relationship. (At this point in time, I have 356 subsribers and 97 friends.)
Please click on the photo above to watch a short, one-minute video from the "Deer Droppings" series called "Oprahcabana." This song parody of Barry Manilow's "Copacabana" features a celebration of Oprah Winfrey's life, loves, scandals and future. So put on your Carmen Miranda fruit hat and dance along.
To help celebrate the upcoming new movie "Mamma Mia!," The Rubber Duck Players have come up with their own interpretation of ABBA's classic song. So please click on the photo above to watch this short one-minute movie from the popular Mouth Organ Karaoke series.
Please click on the photo above to watch a short one-minute film from the "Mouth Organ Karaoke" series. In this video, the Rubber Duck Players perform their rendition of "Summer Nights" from the hit musical "Grease," accompanied by the Hohner Organ in my mouth.
Please click on the photo above to watch a short one-minute film from the "Deer Droppings" series called "Celebrity Obsession." The video is a song parody of "Supercalifragilistic..." from "Mary Poppins," lampooning America's obsession with celebrity.
"Cry Baby," based on the 1990 movie starring Johnny Depp, is the second John Waters movie to be turned into a Broadway musical. Though currently in previews, I decided to catch a recent performance of the musical to see how it compared with "Hairspray," Water’s first Broadway outing. And while it’s not really fair to assume these shows would be similar, it’s inevitable to compare them because the writing team is the same for both. The musical elements of the show, however, were written by somebody else. And while the music is fun and peppy, it's not as crisp and laser-perfect as the score for “Hairspray” was. The show also doesn’t include an underlining social commentary, except maybe Rich vs. Poor, a theme so uncomfortably prevalent in today’s society that it almost comes across as passé.
