Tony Huynh
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| Tony Huỳnh thewinekone |
|
| Background information | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1982 (age 26) Toronto, Ontario Canada |
| Internet activity | |
| Web alias(es) | thewinekone, TWK |
| Period active | December 17, 2005-present |
| Host service(s) | YouTube |
| Genre(s) | Observational humor Surreal humor |
| Notable work(s) | "Hotness Prevails / Worst Video Ever" |
Tony Huỳnh (thewinekone or TWK) is a Chinese-Vietnamese Canadian YouTube comedian from Toronto, Ontario.[1] He is known for posting his thoughts on different subjects to YouTube with his own style of comedy and farce.
As of June 2008, Huynh is the #21 most subscribed user on YouTube with more than 92,000 subscribers (most subscribed in Canada).[2] In March 2007, he won YouTube's first ever YouTube Video Awards[3] in the Best Commentary category.[4]
Contents |
[edit] YouTube
Huynh first began on YouTube with a video called The Delaware Boy.[5] He continued to make videos and eventually attracted attention from YouTube viewers with his video rants on random topics, including the video Hotness Prevails / Worst Video Ever[6], which is his most viewed video with about three million views.
Huynh's unique style of humor has been described as eclectic and self-deprecating. He is known for his various rants for which he has gained a loyal audience even from other YouTube celebrities, most notably Ben Going. A repeating joke is a video with the warning that watching the video is a waste of time. This warning is followed by dead time or content which is uninteresting and not humorous. Another repeated theme in Huynh's videos is to address individuals who have achieved the rank of Internet celebrity. Huynh has made appearances on the cable show The FIZZ.[7] He has also collaborated with other YouTube celebrities to perform in a music video for Barenaked Ladies entitled Sound of Your Voice[8] and for causes such as Save The Internet campaign,[9] The YouTube Anti-Racism Collaboration[10] the Yellow Bird Project, and Dare to Dream - YouTube Community.[11] In December 2006, Huynh participated in the YouTube and Coca-Cola Holiday WishCast.[12] He has also contributed a special video message for YouTube New Year's Eve Countdown in partnership with Warner Music Group Corporation and presented by Chevrolet [13] in January 2007.
In May 2007, YouTube invited Huynh to join the YouTube Partner Program.[14] This exclusive status, previously only offered to commercial content providers, allows users to earn revenue from advertisements placed next to videos[15].
Huynh registered a second YouTube account thewinektwo for his video responses.
On July 31, 2007, Huynh posted on his channel that the meaning of "The Wine Kone" was "love", however, he edited his channel to change this meaning every several weeks.
[edit] Background
Huynh started sending newsletters to his friends back in 2002 in his university through email. His mailing list grew over time and a year after, the newsletters had been named The Wine Kone. Subscribers then received a collection of articles, edited images, audio clips and videos produced by Huynh himself. In April 2005, he decided to publish his works online[16] with the use of free blogging websites such as Wordpress, LiveJournal and Blogger.com. Later on, he focused more on video production and found his way to YouTube.
On his MySpace page [1] (accessed May 2007) Huynh states that he first came onto YouTube so his friends could watch his videos. This was instead of distributing his videos via email as he found the attachments were too big. Huynh also says that he never realised that he would become popular on such a site. He wishes to go on further with this and also hopes that "this is just the beginning."
[edit] YouTube video chronology
[edit] 2005
| Title | Release Date | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. "The Delaware Boy" | November 11* | 11:54 | Huynh gives a tour of his "haunted" backyard and then gives director's commentary. This is his only video to feature commentary. |
| 2. "Oh Hungry? Oh Man!" | November 17* | 8:02 | This is the first of Huynh's videos to be shot in a public setting. |
| 3. "Campus Tour: EIT" | November 23* | 8:18 | Huynh gives a tour of his university, the Centre of Environmental Information Technology. |
| 4. "Brothas From The Same Motha" | December 5* | 4:00 | Huynh proves that the Bic logo has a long-lost brother. |
| 5. "Eminem vs. Tom Cruise - Just Losin' It" | December 19 | 2:37 | Huynh's first video parody. This video was later removed or marked private. |
*Were released to Youtube on December 17, 2005, but were created on the specified dates.
[edit] 2006
| Title | Release Date | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6. "Youth Drama" | February 26 | 11:46 | A parody of popular dramas directed at teens - notably, Dawson's Creek. |
| 7. "3:00 AM Madness" | March 25 | 5:13 | Huynh's first video rant. He was very upset. |
| 8. "The Next James Dean" | April 1 | 4:29 | Huynh discredits Hillary Duff and takes on the appearance of James Dean. |
| 9. "[Random Internet] Girl Meets Boy [Online]" | April 17 | 6:02 | Huynh tries to convince a girl he met on the internet not to fall in love with him. His first video to feature a blooper reel. |
| 10. "A Phun Philm Pheaturing Photos" | May 08 | 8:49 | Huynh's first video that involves photo editing. |
| 11. "TWK Entertainment Today - May 12, 2006" | May 13 | 5:19 | Huynh conducts a fake interview with Sir Sean Connery. |
| 12. "Internet Recognition" | May 14 | 7:35 | Huynh comments on his newfound recognition by girls on YouTube. |
| 13. "Hand Gestures" | May 18 | 8:45 | Huynh attempts to revolutionize the use of gesticulating in conversation. |
| 14. "The Return Of..." | May 25 | 9:51 | The second video to feature O'Luminuman, who was previously seen in "[Random Internet] Girl Meets Boy [Online]". |
| 15. "Hotness Prevails / Worst Video Ever" | May 31 | 8:20 | Won Best Commentary in the first YouTube Video Awards. |
| 16. "Instant Message Programs" | June 4 | 9:53 | Huynh rants about instant messaging's impact on chatspeak, spelling and grammar, cyber sex, and being away. |
| 17. "The Art of Impressionism" | June 12 | 8:12 | Huynh performs various (and sometimes under-par) impressions. |
| 18. "Congraduations" | June 26 | 9:59 | A photographic commentary of Huynh's university graduation. |
| 19. "The Wine Kone - ur really hott" | July 8 | 3:29 | A parody of James Blunt's You're Beautiful which features YouTuber ZippieAlba. |
| 20. "...And Smell The Coffee" | July 20 | 4:30 | A skit involving Huynh, his stereo, and various songs surrounding a "wake up" theme. |
| 21. "Disproportionate Inappropriateness" | July 31 | 9:59 | This is the only video of Huynh's to date that involves a direct parody of a popular television series (in this case, an almost identical version of the Law and Order introduction). |
| 22. "To: Gwen Stefani" | August 12 | 6:20 | Huynh attempts to convince Gwen Stefani to be his friend. |
| 23. "The Jason Statham Interview" | August 25 | 8:20 | The second of Huynh's fake interview videos. |
| 24. "Single & Sexy... & Subway" | September 10 | 9:59 | Huynh comments on a play at his university and an incident in a Subway restaurant. |
| 25. "About Her/Their Videos" | September 14 | 9:58 | The first of Huynh's videos to comment on the fact that he is acting in his posts. |
| 26. "In Memoriam" | September 20 | 5:00 | Reveals that he was born in the 1980s. Also caused some confusion amongst viewers who thought Tony was really dead. |
| 27. "YourSpace(s)" | September 29 | 9:58 | Huynh rants about bad MySpace editing. |
| 28. "Worst Video Ever 2: With Intent" | October 20 | 9:56 | A follow-up to "Hotness Prevails / Worst Video Ever". Huynh's last video with his old webcam before switching to an upgraded one. |
| 29. "Yellophone" | October 22 | 2:05 | A video taken from "Worst Video Ever 2: With Intent." |
| 30. "Internet Creepo" | November 16 | 9:58 | Huynh travels through cyberspace to add a creepy element to videos made by various famous YouTube posters. |
| 31. "Happy Holidays" | December 10 | 1:55 | Huynh's contribution to the YouTube and Coca-Cola Holiday Wishcast. |
| 32. "Happy New Year(?)" | December 28 | 1:12 | Huynh's contribution to the YouTube New Year's Eve Countdown. |
[edit] 2007
| Title | Release Date | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 33. "Cults, Clones, and A Capella Vol. 1" | January 17 | 5:51 | Huynh attempts to post a video after being inactive since the New Year, and comments on how rusty he is before "fixing" the camera and setting the stage for part two. |
| 34. "Cults, Clones, and A Capella Vol. 2" | January 17 | 5:22 | The first of Huynh's videos to feature split-screen technology. |
| 35. "Happy(?) Valentine's Day" | January 24 | 1:27 | Huynh discredits various cliché romantic concepts. |
| 36. "Babbleship" | February 17 | 9:59 | Huynh describes his views on the board game, Battleship. |
| 37. "YouTube Gathering" | March 1 | 3:22 | Was either deleted from his account or turned private. |
| 38. "Old School Rant (Not About the Film with Will Ferrell)" | March 22 | 9:40 | Huynh posts his first ten-minute rant since "YourSpace(s)". |
| 39. "The Sketchbook Diaries: Flame On" | April 2 | 1:03 | Shortest Video |
| 40. "Randomly Yours" | April 11 | 5:47 | The first in the Randomly Yours series, which consist of various commentaries with no common theme. |
| 41. "Dreaming of You[Tube]" | May 14 | 12:01 | Longest Video; intro parodies Smosh's "Shut Up!" intro |
| 42. "The Grudge(s)" | May 28 | 9:59 | Huynh explains how he got to be the way he is today. |
| 43. "Summer / Bike Rides" | June 7 | 6:52 | Huynh explains why riding bikes in summer may not be such a good idea. |
| 44. "YouTube Video Awards Acceptance Speech (?!)" | June 19 | 6:12 | Huynh receives his official YouTube award, thanks fans, and breaks the award. |
| 45. "The Sketchbook Diaries: I'll Be..." | June 27 | 1:48 | The second video in the "Sketchbook Diaries" series. |
| 46. "TWK in LA, CA" | July 16 | 9:59 | Documents Huynh's visit to California. Features smosh, TheHill88, and DaxFlame. Film actually shot in Monterey Park and some parts of Alhambra. |
| 47. "Klone Talk" | July 31 | 8:45 | A follow up to a previous video "Cults, Clones, and A Capella Vol. 2" A blooper reel was posted in his second channel, thewinektwo. |
| 48. "From Geeky To Creepy" | August 23 | 7:19 | Huynh responds to the claims that he has changed from a sweet geek to a creepy pervert. |
| 49. "Signature For A Skater" | September 7 | 5:36 | Huynh describes an encounter with a fan. |
| 50. "TWK in Niagara Falls" | September 18 | 5:40 | Documents Huynh's visit to Niagra Falls. |
| 51. "YouTube Canada, Eh?" | October 1 | 1:36 | YouTube asks Huynh to represent Canada on their new Canadian-themed site. This video was either removed or marked as private. |
| 52. "Yours Randomly" | October 7 | 6:45 | A follow up to a previous video "Randomly Yours". |
| 53. ""A Stern Warning" From An E-mail I Sent To Myself" | October 17 | 3:40 | A hoax by Huynh himself of a letter from YouTube detailing how he has violated their 'terms of use' in the past six months and warned him of a possible ban from the site. The video was taken off of Huynh's account page, but was reuploaded under the username Thewiinekone.[17] |
| 54. "It Was A Hoax" | October 17 | 4:15 | A follow-up to ""A Stern Warning" From An E-mail I Sent To Myself" explaining that the previous video was a hoax. The video has turned private. |
| 55. "Troublemaker" | October 26 | 9:59 | A follow-up of his previous video "It Was A Hoax". |
| 56. "Halloween (Not-So-)Special 2007" | October 30 | 7:29 | Made for Halloween. |
| 57. YouTube Party In Toronto, Ontario | November 2 | 1:50 | Invitation to YouTube party about launch of Canadian version of YouTube. |
| 59. YouTube Canada Launch Party Afterthoughts | November 29 | 7:46 | A follow-up to his previous video in which Huynh describes his experiences at the Launch Party. |
| 60. Hot Facial... Hair | December 10 | 3:14 | Huynh runs into some problems while trying to shave. |
| 61. Deep & Profound | December 17 | 5:47 | Music video. |
[edit] 2008
| Title | Release Date | Length | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62. A Broken Heart | January 11 | 3:44 | Huynh talks about how it feels to be hurt by a loved one. |
| 63. Five Freakin' Facts | January 21 | 9:26 | After being "tagged" fourteen times, Huynh posts five facts about himself and then tags back the others who tagged him. |
| 64. Snow Day | February 20 | 4:56 | Huynh plays in the snow. |
| 65. Freakin' Moviegoers! | February 29 | 5:17 | In response to the 2008 Academy Awards, Huynh talks about what annoys him about moviegoers. |
| 66. Randumlee Yores | March 21 | 9:32 | Third video in the Randomly Yours series. |
| 67. Viral Video Failure | May 8 | 9:02 | Huynh spoofs a few popular/viral videos |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Kornblum, Janet. "These guys draw a YouTube crowd", USA Today, October 30, 2007. Retrieved on 2007-11-02.
- ^ YouTube - Broadcast Yourself
- ^ YouTube Awards
- ^ "YouTube Awards the Top of Its Heap" - Virginia Heffernan, The New York Times, March 27, 2007
- ^ "The Delaware Boy" - The Wine Kone on YouTube
- ^ "Hotness Prevails / Worst Video Ever" - The Wine Kone on YouTube
- ^ The FIZZ Official Website - cast
- ^ Barenaked Ladies' Official Website - News section
- ^ Save The Internet Website - Videos section
- ^ "The YouTube Anti-Racism Collaboration: We Can Make A Difference" - kwaichi of YouTube
- ^ "Dare to Dream - YouTube Community" - Digitilsoul of YouTube
- ^ "YouTube and Coca-Cola Introduce Video Greeting Cards for the Holidays" - Press release from YouTube and The Coca-Cola Company, December 8, 2006
- ^ "YouTube, Chevrolet and Warner Music Group Present New Year's Eve Countdown Around the World"
- ^ "YouTube Elevates Most Popular Users to Partners" - YouTube blog, May 3, 2007
- ^ YouTube's list of partners
- ^ The Wine Kone on Blogger.com (Archived March 2, 2006)
- ^ "A Stern Warning" re-upload
