The show with zefrank

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The correct title of this article is the show with zefrank. The initial letter is shown capitalized due to technical restrictions.

the show with zefrank

the show with zefrank is a website and video blog produced each weekday since 17 March 2006^[1] by Ze Frank and will conclude a year later on March 17 2007 ^[2]. The site weaves commentary on media and current events with viewer contributions and interactive activities, and has been the subject of articles in The New York Times^[3], The Guardian^[4] and Newsweek^[5].

1 Recurring themes
2 Terminology
3 Earth Sandwich
4 Fabuloso Friday
5 References
6 External links

[edit] Recurring themes

Ze includes several features in many episodes of the show. Some shows begin by introducing a dull side of Ze, supposedly in order to scare off new viewers. Ze presents seemingly boring information or a slow skit followed by the question "Are the new viewers gone yet?". After this point, the host's true personality takes over.

Ze often reads one or more comments from viewers of a previous show, a segment he calls "S-s-s-somethin' from the comments". He frequently performs self-composed songs, complete with instrumental accompaniment, to emphasize a point or concept. Ze also illustrates news stories with seemingly unrelated photographs as he narrates, leaving viewers to determine the actual connection to the topic. He also affectionately includes references to "duckies" and "the little duckies in the pond" whenever he finds the opportunity.

Frequent viewers may notice that Ze prefers very close proximity with the camera. He has commented on why he does not blink during the show, stating that "I avoid blinking because when I blink my left nostril dilates, which looks weird."[1] This is then followed by a short clip demonstrating it.

[edit] Terminology

Ze often refers to his presentation of the news with the overgeneric term "knowledge," which is likely a parody of the media's tendency to overhype its own value. He is an outspoken proponent of the "League of Awesomeness," a group that strives to minimize the influence of "Hard Chargers." The League of Awesomeness is composed of "Sports Racers," each of whom has a "Power Move." Although viewers have attempted to place meaning to these terms, an authoritative explanation has yet to be provided.

The Sports Racer theme song consists of the lyrics Sports Racers, racin' sports. What is your Power Move? While Ze encourages visitors to submit logos and T-shirt designs to represent the Sports Racers, no official logo has been selected.

Visitors are also encouraged to submit Power Moves, the best of which Ze will occasionally showcase during the show. Ze's own Power Move, Thunder claw, is a simple but graceful maneuver that he demonstrates in his April 6, 2006 episode.^[6]

Comment King of the Hill

The week of May 22, 2006, Ze introduced "Comment King of the Hill." In this game, users rated other user's comments; the winning comments were rewarded with a crowned ducky. The game was notable in that the rules changed each day. During the week variations allowed participants to vote an unlimited number of times, color code posts, and send posts to the "magic dumpster" where other users then had to undump them.

Ze's signoff each day is "This is Ze Frank thinking so you don't have to," although he will sometimes vary it. ("This is Ze Frank. I don't know what I'm doing, but I'm doing it so you don't have to."^[7] "This is Ze Frank feeling like crap so you don't have to."^[8]) When more serious issues in the news media occur, Frank often ditches his witty comedic take on the events and adopts a more reflective and solemn attitude during the video blogs. This can be noted by the particular signoff: "This is Ze Frank...thinking for myself." ^[9]

[edit] Earth Sandwich

On the May 16, 2006 episode of "the show,"^[10] Ze issued a challenge to his visitors to create an "Earth Sandwich." The goal is to place two pieces of bread on the ground simultaneously at points directly opposite each other on the globe. Thus, if a piece of bread were placed on the ground in a specific location, while at the same time another piece of bread is placed on the ground at the exact opposite coordinates, a giant Earth Sandwich would be formed. Ze created a tool using Google Maps to help pinpoint the locations of each piece of bread and their opposite location on the globe. The "If the Earth Were a Sandwich" project page chronicles the pursuits of the hundreds of people participating in the project.^[11]

On the 2006-06-12 episode,^[12] "Sports Racers" Jon Megablade and Duncan The Crusher completed the first Earth Sandwich with a baguette in Spain placed directly opposite another baguette in New Zealand.^[13]

[edit] Fabuloso Friday

On June 2, 2006, Ze announced that the next Friday's show^[14] would be created entirely by viewers using the Fabuloso Friday Wiki,^[15] letting everyone see just what happens when you allow users to generate collaborative web content. On 2006-06-14, Ze announced^[16] that only one minute of the next Friday's show would be viewer-created. The "magic dumpster" makes an appearance here as well. During that minute, a chess game between Ze and the Fabulosos was begun and played out daily in subsequent episodes. Ze resigned the chess game on August 15.^[17]