For anyone who hates this song… with kids who love it.. the science of BABY SHARK is now revealed!
This is how CNN is reporting it,
“Baby Shark,” that wholesome children’s song that’s somehow become an anthem for toddlers, families, marquee celebrities and groups of complete strangers from Indonesia to Indiana. “Baby Shark,” that viral earworm/mom group in-joke/meme/marketing craze circling the globe in innumerable, unlimited permutations.
One of the most interesting parts, and a commentary on culture:
The YouTube of 2010 may have inspired some important viral moments, but the YouTube of 2019 is a massive all-encompassing entertainment hub. That’s exactly why “Baby Shark” landed on the Billboard Hot 100 next to Imagine Dragons and Cardi B. It’s simple math, really: In 2013, Billboard charts began to factor YouTube views into its equations, in addition to streaming data. There are literally thousands of “Baby Shark” videos on YouTube, primed and ready for searching little fingers to find. A charting breakthrough was only a matter of time.
MORE..
“As soon as a child is old enough to be on any device, they’re going to be searching,” says Morley. “Toddlers are free searching. They may not know exactly what they’re doing, but they’re pushing buttons all over and sometimes parents are too busy and distracted and disconnected to look over their shoulders. It’s uncharted territory for a lot of parents, and they find it hard to keep up.”
So……….to ruin your day, here it is!
The science of jingles perhaps is the bigger idea, here.
Why exactly does the Oscar Meyer theme song get stuck in your head for 50 years.. why are you still singing “the best a man can get” when you think of Gillette..? And why after all these years do you still recall the Timex watch Super Bowl commercial from 1992 . . . or is just me that does?
It’s all science! Brain chemistry! Jingles are designed to infiltrate your memory and stay there for years.. And they do when they work..
Baby Shark seems to have fit into that without really selling anything..
Science has discovered that some pop songs contain earworms: pleasantly melodic, easy-to-remember “hooks” that have the attributes of a typical jingle.
Earworms, also known by their German name, “ohrwurm,” are those tiny, 15- to 30-second pieces of music that you can’t get out of your head no matter how hard you try..
Some popular EarWorms:
- The “Baby Back Ribs” Chili’s jingle
- Baha Men: “Who Let the Dogs Out?”
- Queen: “We Will Rock You”
- The “Give Me a Break” Kit-Kat jingle
- Lalo Schifrin: “Mission: Impossible Theme”
- The Village People: “YMCA”
- Tag Team: “Whoomp, There It Is”
- The Tokens: “The Lion Sleeps Tonight”
- Richard Sherman: “It’s a Small World”
One popular ear worm for me, a kid from the 1980s, comes from Sesame Street.. Unite us 80s kids! We all sing in the same voice!
One very popular and awful earworm is the five finger family series on Youtube..
I dare you to watch it without having the song bet stuck in your head on repeat for days..
The Finger Family is prominent on Youtube.. there are even Charles Manson and creepy horror movies versions ready to scare your kids when they are old enough to graduate from the kid-friendly version to the sinister kinds.
There is something even darker about the Finger Family songs on YouTube.. the duplicate videos in some cases have been made by Bots, viewed by Bots and are even commented by Bots in order to secure millions of views. The innocent Finger family puppets are also in some videos replaced by serial killers, filling the five fingered spot , Charles Manson, Ted Bundy to name a few. One features Donald Trump, the devil, Leather Face, Freddy Kruger, Jason Voorhees, Michael Meyers, Pennywise the clown and Hitler…
In 2018, one of the most popular and hideous internet phenomenons (besides the Baby Shark song) was MOMO!
Momo is terrifying because of how it is interactive and those who play are encouraged to use Facetime to contact Momo, which appears a hideous looking demonic figure, with deep set bulging eyes and an exaggerated smile – the image is based on a sculpture that was created in Japan.. The storyline was similar to the Blue Whale game of 2017 lure. Blue Whale game players faced a series of challenges, culminating in taking their own lives. In much the same way, Momo players were reportedly threatened if they don’t follow the game’s orders…
While the fad has seemingly faded away (as did the Baby Shark song) it will undoubtedly emerge again.. reemerge again.. and one day when your son or daughter is in the their teens or 20s, they will recall the memory of the Baby Shark Song, the finger family, or Momo, and face the earworm curse … all over again.
