So SNL makes another viral hit staring geek crush Natalie Portman, it's all over the Internet in 24 hours. If your show was coming off several years of declining viewer ship you might have a nirvana like moment and realize that this is great, your show is getting free press. It's relevant, but then you're on a social video site and probably at least a step above the net curve.


NBC's reaction followed the same path of their reaction to the first incredibly successful short from the amazing comedy troupe the Lonely Island. I'm of course talking about Lazy Sunday, following their “How To Squander Good Will Manual,” NBC sends another nasty-gram over to YouTube, much like the one for Lazy Sunday. This of course results in the removal of the video from YouTube, and the collective moaning of 1,000's of users who were in the process of linking it to everyone they know.


I would be wrong to claim that NBC had not learned anything from their first brush with net popularity. This time the video can be watched for free, as opposed to the $2's they were trying to extract for Lazy Sunday. However, it can only be viewed in WMV, and on their site. What makes this even more ludicrous is the caption riding the top of the page over the video.


“Now, instead of searching the web for "borrowed" NBC highlights, you can go to the source! We've taken your viral favorites and gathered them into one convenient location. Watch. React. Tell a friend. “


I have a lot of of friends I want to react with, to tell, they all have mac's and Linux machines... crap, i can't react, does not compute. Sadly though i think one of the more absurd aspects of this whole PR calamity from NBC is that the comedy all-stars from the Lonely Island once published all their work under Creative Commons, they got their jobs at NBC because of their viral skills. They are continuing to turn out viral hits. They are veritable experts in viral media, and they are apparently being ignored to the tune of angry net denizens gripping across the country.


Check out the Lonely Island for some of the old school hits that got them started.