The United States Of Stereotyping: Sifting Through A Viral Gold Mine

Last Friday author and internet personality Paul Jury released "50 State Stereotypes in 2 Minutes" (next slide) to promote his new book States of Confusion. The bit is a winner because it's clever, succinct, and just about every stereotype is funny 'cause it's true snicker-worthy. Oh yeah, he's already got 600K+ YouTube views and counting.

It's well documented that cats playing keyboards and kids accidentally on drugs and kids accidentally cursing while on drugs are recipes for surefire viral hits. I've been pretending hanging out on the internet is my job for long enough to identify other surefire recipes, and one that hasn't been getting enough credit is the state by state formula. Previous successes have all been in easily digestible map format but Jury has proven it works with video as well. Bottom line: gimmick labeling states = eyeballs.

It has to be well done mind you, but there's something about the state by state formula that triggers a combination of curiosity, pride, self-deprecation, defensiveness, and the satisfaction that comes along with pointing out the inadequacies of other states that simply appeals to everyone in one way or another.

Here's a collection of the best recent examples I've come across. Click to enlarge the maps.