Rickroll (2007)

added Dec 10, 2008 at 09:08PM UTC

22 Comments
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About

Rickrolling is a bait and switch: a person provides a web link that he or she claims is relevant to the topic at hand (like this one), but the link actually takes the user to the 1987 Rick Astley video Never Gonna Give You Up. The URL can be masked or obfuscated so a future victim cannot determine the true source of the link without clicking (like this). If a dumb cluck does click and is led to a web page with the song, he or she is said to have been Rickrolled (also spelled Rickroll’d).

Unexpectedly Deep Voice

Many people have expressed the opinion that the most attention-getting aspect of the video, is Rick’s unexpectedly deep voice. According to VH1’s PopUp Video, record executives who heard his recordings didn’t believe it was his voice either at first.

Other young-looking singers with unexpectedly deep voices include:

Rickrolling I.R.L.

Project Chanology

At most of the February 2008 Project Chanology protests on the Church of Scientology, Never Gonna Give You Up was played from boomboxes, performed, and shouted. UK Publication The Guardian called it “a live rick-rolling of the Church of Scientology.”

New York Mets

In April of 2008, the New York Mets posted a web poll to select the song for the 8th inning sing-along.

On April 4th, 2008, Farkers bombarded the poll voting for Never Gonna Give You Up. On April 7th, the Mets announced that the song had won, with over five million votes. Rather than using the song for the 8th inning, it was used during the home opener, much to the displeasure of Mets fans.

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

The Rickroll meme came full circle when Rick Astley himself appeared on a float during the 2008 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, lip synching to his classic hit. (via Entertainment Weekly)

Youtube: April Fool’s!

On April 1st, 2008 every featured video on Youtube’s front page redirected to the Rickroll. (story via TechCrunch)
See the Wikipedia page for more info

Best Act Ever

Rick Astley was nominated for the Best Act Ever award for the MTV Europe Music Awards in November of 2008 when the voting form was flooded by fans of the Rickrolling phenomenon. (via BBC) Asley has voiced his approval of the off-beat joke, stating “MTV was thoroughly Rickrolled.” (via bestactever.com)

Derivatives

Rickrolling has experienced such popularity that it is one of the most widely-used sources when it comes to mashups and meme-hybrids.



Barackroll


Nirvana vs. Rick Astley


8-Bit Rickroll


Rickroll (Fursuit Edition)


Hilarious Muppet Bloopers!


Family Guy did it.

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22 Comments

Andrew Baron
Dec 20, 2008 at 04:56PM UTC , Andrew Baron wrote:

Interesting that the prediction came true: Just when you thought it could never be funny again, the Rick Roll entered into the mainstream in 2008 culminating with a live lip-synched? appearance of Rick at the Macy’s Day Parade on a street float. Will this almost certain peak serve as a reminder to the young generations of children who saw or heard about the Thanksgiving 2008 parade of Rick Astley’s awesomeness? My guess is that the appearance will not have been impressionable enough to last beyond the revisiting of the years 2007/2008 only and only in context of the history of internet memes.

Max Dominik Weber
Mar 02, 2009 at 01:03AM UTC , Max Dominik Weber wrote:

Were no strangers to love
You know the rules and so do i
A full commitments what Im thinking of
You wouldnt get this from any other guy

I just wanna tell you how Im feeling
Gotta make you understand

  • never gonna give you up
    Never gonna let you down
    Never gonna run around and desert you
    Never gonna make you cry
    Never gonna say goodbye
    Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you

Weve know each other for so long
Your hearts been aching
But youre too shy to say it
Inside we both know whats been going on
We know the game and were gonna play it

And if you ask me how Im feeling
Dont tell me youre too blind to see

  • repeat)

Give you up. give you up
Give you up, give you up
Never gonna give
Never gonna give, give you up
Never gonna give
Never gonna give, five you up

I just wanna tell you how Im feeling
Gotta make you understand

  • repeat 3 times)
Max Gladding
May 25, 2009 at 09:46PM UTC , Max Gladding wrote:

cool story, bro.

James Woods
Jun 13, 2009 at 02:25AM UTC , James Woods wrote:

I would have like the Macy’s Parade incident if he ha actually been singing.

mewmewmew
Jul 19, 2009 at 07:20PM UTC , mewmewmew wrote:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NN75im_us4k

Grrawr
Aug 15, 2009 at 03:49PM UTC , Grrawr wrote:

Will I…?:

a. Give you up
b. Let you down
c. Run around
d. Hurt you
e. None of the above

Newlemming
Sep 09, 2009 at 08:40PM UTC , Newlemming wrote:

This meme died a little when Nancy Pelosi did it.

Jostin Asuncion
Sep 12, 2009 at 10:56PM UTC , Jostin Asuncion wrote:

Rocketboom is doing it right:

Jostin Asuncion
Oct 20, 2009 at 08:51PM UTC , Jostin Asuncion wrote:

Stolen from Jamie’s site. You are all ASCIIroll’d!

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Jostin Asuncion
Oct 20, 2009 at 08:54PM UTC , Jostin Asuncion wrote:

I think I have failed.

Captain Blubber
Oct 20, 2009 at 08:57PM UTC , Captain Blubber wrote:

I know you have failed.

Jostin Asuncion
Oct 20, 2009 at 09:48PM UTC , Jostin Asuncion wrote:

Okay, now I know I won’t fail.

Watcher
Jan 01, 2010 at 12:15AM UTC , Watcher wrote:


The best version.

Tehfallenangel407 WOOT!!
Jan 07, 2010 at 01:31AM UTC , Tehfallenangel407 WOOT!! wrote:

Never gonna give you up!

emily :3
Jan 10, 2010 at 10:49PM UTC , emily :3 wrote:

I love Rick Astley.

I want him to have my babies.

lokiyuki
Jan 19, 2010 at 10:51AM UTC , lokiyuki wrote:

The real meaning behind the choice of that video is because he say’s ‘’you know the rules and so do I’’ and ‘’we know the game and we’re gonna play it’’ In resume the song makes you obviously think about THE GAME. By the way you all lost!!!

papayabadger
Feb 26, 2010 at 02:45AM UTC , papayabadger wrote:

There was a whole thing about this on vh1’s 40 greatest pranks 2

papayabadger
Feb 26, 2010 at 02:58AM UTC , papayabadger wrote:

TheErwinator
Feb 26, 2010 at 02:40PM UTC , TheErwinator wrote:

LK did it :P

billygtexas
Mar 08, 2010 at 04:09AM UTC , billygtexas wrote:

Christian talk show Rickroll:

MBollinger
Mar 10, 2010 at 08:03AM UTC , MBollinger wrote:

Thank you for sharing your video!
online degree | associate degree programs | masters degree programs

MBollinger
Mar 10, 2010 at 08:04AM UTC , MBollinger wrote:

Just continue writing this kind of post. I will be your loyal reader. Thanks again.
bachelors degree programs | doctorate degree programs

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