FunnyOrDie is one year old! We get the following news piece regarding this day of celebration from the hilarious caves of Yahoo:
The comedy site is celebrating its anniversary with a video posted Wednesday of its stars wishing Funny or Die a happy birthday. Among the many making cameos: Pearl, McKay’s toddler daughter who became a star in her own right in the site’s first video: “The Landlord,” with more than 55 million views. Chief executive officer Dick Glover would like to see the business of Funny or Die start grossing a few million dollars this year, after making what Kvamme has said was a few hundred thousand dollars last year. Glover hopes Funny or Die, which averages 3.2 million unique visitors a month, will double its size this year.
“There are now 30,000 videos on it; it started with a handful,” says Glover. “At the launch, it was looked at — for good reason — as Will Ferrell’s Web site. Now, it’s looked at as its own brand.” McKay says he’s considering creating a Funny or Die Productions to make more elaborate webisodes — even movies. So, what started as a way to circumvent the studios and interact directly with fans may itself become a studio. Next week, a redesigned Funny or Die will debut with more blogs and a social networking component.
Funny Or Die is a wonderful site that focuses on funny videos. It’s this focus that sets it apart from YouTube and makes it worthwhile for the viewer. The cream rises to the top and the shit goes in the toilet. It is a place where true justice exists – it’s internet thunder-dome.
Professionals and amateurs have the same platform in which to compete; and it is a great place for up and coming sketch artists to test their mettle. I thought the idea for the site was fantastic from Day 1, and The Landlord was the perfect video to get the ball rolling.
I am not enthused about plans to add blogs and social networking to the site. This added clutter will take away from the simple, streamlined nature of the site, and may hurt it in the long run. I could be paranoid, but I am a strong advocate of the adage “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Concerns aside I am very glad that Funny Or Die is a year old and look forward to many more years of hilarious shorts! Happy Birthday!
