“The Fox” Goes Viral

BY JERRY BRONT

SC Staff Writer

Ever get the urge to dress up like a fox and dance around in the woods with people in masks?  Well, this Norwegian brother group has created this viral sensation doing just that.

Ylvis’s “The Fox” is quickly approaching 100 million views on YouTube.  This catchy song has been stuck in our heads and we have no idea why.  The lyrics themselves are complete nonsense but somehow nobody cares.  It is lovable in its tomfoolery, and it helps that the singer is gorgeous and Norwegian

The video features one of the brothers walking around a fancy house with a bunch of other humans dressed up as animals.  Other parts take place in a beautiful wood setting with dancing masqueraders and a fox mascot.  The lyrics, tinged with an accent, feature a sort of Old MacDonald portion like “Dog goes woof,” and “Cat goes meow,” towards the beginning. Then he poses the question “What does the fox say” and provides the answer for us, too, with the catchy “Ring-ding-ding-ding-dingeringeding” and other silly noises.

The extent of this song is all about this fox which he seems to have some obsession with.

The video was originally created for a small Norwegian show, “I kveld med YLVIS,” usually watched by a few people for about three minutes.

The artist’s themselves are surprised that the video has become so famous.

In fact, Bård Ylvisåker commented about success when he said, “This song was made for a TV show and is supposed to entertain a few Norwegians for three minutes — and that’s all. It was done just a few days ago and we recently had a screening in our office. About 10 people watched — nobody laughed.”

The artists themselves are very talented because the song is really fantastic.  The brothers have made their first appearance on U.S. television on “The Ellen Show.” During their appearance on the show, they scared people in the bathroom whilst in fox costumes, talked to Ellen about their hit song, and even sang it live. The video of them on “The Ellen Show” is now up on YouTube.

If Ylvis actually tried to come out with real songs and not just comedies, they could have real potential.

YouTube features other songs they have come up with such as “Stonehenge” and “Someone Like Me,” which also broadcast their enormous talent.

Their website promises more videos soon, so we probably have not heard the last of this dynamic partnership.

Email Jenny at:

jbront@live.esu.edu