‘What is Internet, anyway???’
Will Brinson
It seems really weird, but less than 20 years ago, the Internet wasn’t really a normal “thing.” No one had email, no one blogged, and certainly no one was able to look up Asian dog-on-horse porn. (Initially my reaction was to write, “In hindsight, perhaps the world was a better place.” But that’s just not true. IsCharlieSheenDead.com proves how much better a world we have.)
ANYWAY, remember that it wasn’t always like it is now when you watch this clip of “The Today Show” from 1994 where Bryant Gumbel wonders “What is Internet, anyway?”
Even more amazing is Gumbel being unprepared to “translate” the “@” symbol. Which is pretty embarrassing. But remember, this was ’94 — most of the people being snarky about this today were probably sulking around their parents house blaring Kurt Cobain or sitting in a field drinking beer while Gumbel and Katie Couric getting rich and famous despite knowing nothing about the Internet.
The best part is when Gumbel starts describing what people are doing in Los Angeles during the earthquake that’s going on — afraid to go to sleep, lying in bed with their gym shoes, flashlight, radio and suffering from sleep deprivation. Not because human suffering is funny, but because it’s the same reaction everyone in my family had when I told them what I did for a living up until a few years ago.
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“What is the Internet” video from ’94 makes you feel old
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