Epic Fail Videos: The Dark Side of Extreme Sport Videos

Pride cometh before a fall; but if thou must fall, then thou should make certain that it happens on video.

Oh the joy and laughter that can be found only in failure. In this third blog installment in our 3 part series on funny viral videos we take a long hard look at the “epic fail phenomenon.” In the first two posts we explored funny dog videos and what makes a funny baby video so intoxicating — two viral themes that can be found in a plethora of YouTube videos. Viral humor is often centered on universal themes; it is simple, accessible, and often unadulterated.

Stop. Take a deep breath. Your world is about to change.

The “epic fail video phenomenon” is about to take us on a trip to the dark side; to a sinister, wickedly funny place where the painful failure of others causes us to laugh rather than cry. Lest we forget, underneath a lot of great comedy lies our fateful friend… pain. Before you get any ideas from watching the videos below, we do want to mention that you shouldn’t try any of the activities featured in these videos at home.

If you want to download any of these videos onto your computer, just download the RealPlayer free video downloader at the top right corner of this screen and you can start collecting and saving videos as you watch them with just one click.

Now, hold on to your seats and take a look at these “popular” epic videos.

EXTREME SPORTS VIDEO GENRE: THE FUEL BEHIND AN EPIC FAIL VIDEO

There is something in the heart of humanity that is always looking for adventure. We are not happy with the status quo, the mundane, or the ordinary. We must have something to conquer; we must try to accomplish the impossible.

The modern adventurer is always seeking to find that never seen before impossible thing to do. They want to transcend normality and climb their own mountain, and most of all they want to capture themselves conquering the great feat on video so they can show the rest of the world their incredible accomplishment.

The results when they succeed are awe-inspiring and transcendent. As you can see from the videos below human beings can do incredible things.

If that’s not awe-inspiring enough check out this extreme sports video compilation, it’s truly amazing.

It is these types of videos that can be the fuel behind some of the classic epic fail videos found on YouTube. Unfortunately, when people try these type sports video stunts sometimes they fail and the results are awful-inspiring, mortal, and to many a timid soul… HILARIOUS.

EPIC FAIL VIDEO: CAN YOU SAY OUCH?

Of course kids (and some not so smart adults) do try extreme sport stunts at home; they shouldn’t, but they do. They often don’t get the results seen in the videos above. In fact, the results are a terrifying blend, a concoction of humor and pain that has become irresistible entertainment fodder for viewers around the globe. Unlike dog, baby, and funny cat videos, epic fail videos usually can be found as a compilation of multiple events instead of focusing on a single event.

It’s hard to watch the epic fail video below without grimacing, gasping, or asking the question “what were they thinking?” Just like their more successful sports video counterparts above, they were simply trying to do the impossible. Of course they caught it all on video and uploaded it to YouTube. Without further ado, can you say ouch?

WHY WE LIKE EPIC FAILS

Why do we laugh when others fail? If that happened to us would it still be funny? Maybe, but probably not as funny as it is to someone who saw it happen.

It could be that ‘fear” brings forth the mirth; the uncomfortable aroma of embarrassing failure that sits in the atmosphere and it causes us to laugh. Seeing others fail makes us feel better about ourselves. It reminds us that we aren’t the only person that occasionally fails.

Failure is a simple concept that’s easy to understand. Ouch is a universal sound, crossing all language and cultural barriers. As has been the theme in the other funny video blog posts in this series, if you want something to become a viral sensation it needs to be something that is relatable to people everywhere. In the world of viral videos trying to create a highly successful polished video may be your downfall.

Have you had any epic fail moments caught on video? If so, share them below. Would you rather watch an epic fail video or see someone accomplish what seems impossible as is the case with extreme sport videos?