Funny or Die is the latest in interactive, broadband sites touting themselves as “a venue for accomplished as well as aspiring comics to try out new ideas, experiment and generally have fun.”
So what separates Funny or Die from the rest of them? How about the same viewer-based balloting genre as Channel 101 and Channel 102, but with the almost-instant-gratification aspect of Nero’s Roman Coliseum days? Yep. Not only does Funny or Die showcase aspiring and veteran comedic performers, it asks us site surfers to do two things:
- Watch the clips and
- then rate the clips.
All uploaded videos are subject to an up (”funny”) or down (”die”) vote. Garner enough “funny” votes and the clip achieves “Immortal” status. “Immortal” videos stay permanently on site.
Too many “die” votes removes the video clip from the main site and moves it to the “Crypt”. Those videos remain encrypted (and available for viewing) unless or until they are voted out of the Crypt and back into circulation.
Occasionally Funny or Die will feature well known and accomplished comics and those clips will be given Immortal status while they are being featured. Any idea who is the first Immortal? This generation’s hardest working man in show business, Will Ferrell.
