The hilarious iPhone 4 vs. HTC EVO parody video – and its partner follow-up video – have proved a huge hit on the web, with over 1.3 million people enjoying the (definitely) not-safe-for-work humour.
Both videos feature a hapless mobile phone shop employee having to deal with an incessant customer hell bent on purchasing a particular handset.
Here’s the first video:
Failing to see the joke
Both videos proved a big laugh with everyone except grouchy Best Buy, who immediately set out on a mission to find out who could have made the clips, eventually working out that it was created by one of their employees.
The Streisand Effect personified
Keen to remind the world what the Streisand Effect (*see end of article) is all about, Best Buy tracked down Brian Maupin, a 25-year-old employee based in Kansas City, Missouri who has been working at the company selling phones for three and a half years.
Best Buy have already suspended him indefinitely and are now looking to terminate his employment.
Maupin explains why he’s now looking down the wrong end of a P45:
“They felt it disparaged a brand they carried (iPhone/Apple) as well as the store itself and were fearful of stockholders & customers being turned off to Best Buy Mobile,” he says.
Here’s where it gets ridiculous. At no point in either video is Best Buy mentioned. There’s no logo, no staff clothing or any form of recognisable imagery that would connect the video (or the phones) to the store.
Until now, of course, with Best Buy’s subsequent furore alerting the world that they really are a bunch of humourless, sour-faced suits, and perhaps best avoided when looking out for a new phone.
Happily, there might be a silver lining to this for Maupin, who thinks his unexpected sacking might prove the impetus for him to kick start his career in graphic design/animation.
He certainly seems to have the skills, alright, so we wish him all the best.
Here’s the second video:
*The Streisand effect is a primarily online phenomenon in which an attempt to censor or remove a piece of information has the unintended consequence of causing the information to be publicized widely and to a greater extent than would have occurred if no censorship had been attempted. It is named after American entertainer Barbra Streisand, following a 2003 incident in which her attempts to suppress photographs of her residence inadvertently generated further publicity
[Via]
*Almost* very, very funny indeed. But he overdid the swearing just a touch for my taste.
Even so, I don’t see what Best Buy have got to complain about- no references to them at all.