[MUSIC PLAYING]
[MUSIC PLAYING]

BEN LASHES: Brad O'Farrell kind of
BEN LASHES: Brad O'Farrell kind of

started this whole thing.
started this whole thing.

BRAD O'FARRELL: Oh yeah, I guess.
BRAD O'FARRELL: Oh yeah, I guess.

BEN LASHES: The internet, he started the internet.
BEN LASHES: The internet, he started the internet.

BRAD O'FARRELL: My name is Brad O'Farrell, and I posted
BRAD O'FARRELL: My name is Brad O'Farrell, and I posted

the first Keyboard Cat video and started the meme of
the first Keyboard Cat video and started the meme of

mashing up Keyboard Cat to fail videos so he's playing
mashing up Keyboard Cat to fail videos so he's playing

people off.
people off.

So the actual video of the cat was filmed in 1985, I think.
So the actual video of the cat was filmed in 1985, I think.

And I was born in 1986, so I didn't film the video.
And I was born in 1986, so I didn't film the video.

The original video was made by a guy named Charlie Schmidt.
The original video was made by a guy named Charlie Schmidt.

And he's an artist who does lots of different mediums.
And he's an artist who does lots of different mediums.

He's kind of like an old hippie.
He's kind of like an old hippie.

It sounds mean that I said that, but that's very much
It sounds mean that I said that, but that's very much

what he is.
what he is.

CHARLIE SCHMIDT: You're not getting anything done on this
CHARLIE SCHMIDT: You're not getting anything done on this

spray paint thing.
spray paint thing.

Look at this mess.
Look at this mess.

If you want to see weird, just be it.
If you want to see weird, just be it.

BRAD O'FARRELL: Completely unrelated to Keyboard Cat, he
BRAD O'FARRELL: Completely unrelated to Keyboard Cat, he

has a nose that he can move like an elephant.
has a nose that he can move like an elephant.

He can move it in directions, and he used to be in Japanese
He can move it in directions, and he used to be in Japanese

commercials and stuff.
commercials and stuff.

And he has an agent for his nose.
And he has an agent for his nose.

And that was his job at some point.
And that was his job at some point.

I can't remember exactly how I came across it.
I can't remember exactly how I came across it.

I was looking at a lot of videos at the time.
I was looking at a lot of videos at the time.

Every day, my job was to look at videos.
Every day, my job was to look at videos.

So somebody sent it to me, but I can't remember
So somebody sent it to me, but I can't remember

who sent it to me.
who sent it to me.

The first video that I made was just a fail video of a guy
The first video that I made was just a fail video of a guy

trying to go up an escalator on a wheelchair, and then he
trying to go up an escalator on a wheelchair, and then he

tumbles backwards.
tumbles backwards.

And then Keyboard Cat plays him off.
And then Keyboard Cat plays him off.

-You OK, man?
-You OK, man?

-Yeah.
-Yeah.

BEN LASHES: So that's when all of a sudden this video that no
BEN LASHES: So that's when all of a sudden this video that no

one had cared about started exploding, going viral, and
one had cared about started exploding, going viral, and

turning his life upside down a little bit.
turning his life upside down a little bit.

BRAD O'FARRELL: And I was originally going to do a
BRAD O'FARRELL: And I was originally going to do a

series of them, so I sort of made it into a template of--
series of them, so I sort of made it into a template of--

I can easily repeat this template later, like a
I can easily repeat this template later, like a

knock-knock joke type template.
knock-knock joke type template.

BEN LASHES: And why it was smart and why it
BEN LASHES: And why it was smart and why it

caught on so well was--
caught on so well was--

so much about the internet that's about shocking people
so much about the internet that's about shocking people

as much as you can.
as much as you can.

BRAD O'FARRELL: Then I saw people starting unprompted
BRAD O'FARRELL: Then I saw people starting unprompted

doing parodies.
doing parodies.

I was like, whoa.
I was like, whoa.

BEN LASHES: A lot of these videos that it got put with,
BEN LASHES: A lot of these videos that it got put with,

you almost don't know if it's right to laugh.
you almost don't know if it's right to laugh.

It could be the most awful thing that you've ever seen,
It could be the most awful thing that you've ever seen,

and if you put Keyboard Cat at the end of it,
and if you put Keyboard Cat at the end of it,

then you can smile.
then you can smile.

BRAD O'FARRELL: When it was happening, I was like, yeah.
BRAD O'FARRELL: When it was happening, I was like, yeah.

I was talking to people about that all the time.
I was talking to people about that all the time.

Because something I did was on MTV Movie Awards, and Bill
Because something I did was on MTV Movie Awards, and Bill

O'Reilly said that Keyboard Cat was a patriot.
O'Reilly said that Keyboard Cat was a patriot.

I just wanted to talk about it, because it was an
I just wanted to talk about it, because it was an

interesting thing that was going on in my life.
interesting thing that was going on in my life.

BEN LASHES: About a year and a half into it, we'd already
BEN LASHES: About a year and a half into it, we'd already

done a Wonderful Pistachios commercial.
done a Wonderful Pistachios commercial.

-Keyboard Cat does it purrrfectly.
-Keyboard Cat does it purrrfectly.

BEN LASHES: Movie trailer from "Exit Through the Gift Shop,"
BEN LASHES: Movie trailer from "Exit Through the Gift Shop,"

but he did it with all cats and he called it "Exit Through
but he did it with all cats and he called it "Exit Through

the Pet Shop." Still getting some cool deals coming across
the Pet Shop." Still getting some cool deals coming across

that was making Keyboard Cat a household name.
that was making Keyboard Cat a household name.

BRAD O'FARRELL: Most of the stuff that's popular on
BRAD O'FARRELL: Most of the stuff that's popular on

YouTube isn't bloggers trying really hard to be popular.
YouTube isn't bloggers trying really hard to be popular.

It's a baby biting another baby.
It's a baby biting another baby.

-Charlie, that really hurt.
-Charlie, that really hurt.

Charlie bit me.
Charlie bit me.

BRAD O'FARRELL: You know, all these people that do things on
BRAD O'FARRELL: You know, all these people that do things on

the internet, there's two different categories.
the internet, there's two different categories.

There's some people who ended up doing internet stuff, and
There's some people who ended up doing internet stuff, and

they don't know how they got there, Like "David After the
they don't know how they got there, Like "David After the

Dentist," where the little boy was at the dentist, and then
Dentist," where the little boy was at the dentist, and then

he was on drugs.
he was on drugs.

And he's in the car, and he's like, is this real life?
And he's in the car, and he's like, is this real life?

-Stay in your seat.
-Stay in your seat.

-[SCREAMING]
-[SCREAMING]

I don't feel tired.
I don't feel tired.

-You don't?
-You don't?

-Uh uh.
-Uh uh.

BRAD O'FARRELL: You ever seen Tron Guy?
BRAD O'FARRELL: You ever seen Tron Guy?

He's this guy in a latex Tron costume, but he's really old
He's this guy in a latex Tron costume, but he's really old

and fat and has a pot belly.
and fat and has a pot belly.

TRON GUY: I will never again be anonymous.
TRON GUY: I will never again be anonymous.

And one of these days, somebody's going to come up
And one of these days, somebody's going to come up

with a way to synthesize 3D images from
with a way to synthesize 3D images from

pictures on the internet.
pictures on the internet.

And 3D models of me are going to float around known space
And 3D models of me are going to float around known space

until there isn't any more.
until there isn't any more.

BRAD O'FARRELL: You know "Where the Hell is Matt," the
BRAD O'FARRELL: You know "Where the Hell is Matt," the

guy who dances all over the world?
guy who dances all over the world?

His wife is somebody at Google.
His wife is somebody at Google.

I've met him like eight times and never on purpose.
I've met him like eight times and never on purpose.

I'll be traveling to a place, and he'll just happen to be
I'll be traveling to a place, and he'll just happen to be

also in that place, because we both go to
also in that place, because we both go to

internet videos things.
internet videos things.

People I've met on the internet and at internet
People I've met on the internet and at internet

conferences and stuff is like an alternate set of high
conferences and stuff is like an alternate set of high

school alumni friends, where you just follow where everyone
school alumni friends, where you just follow where everyone

is and you vaguely keep in touch.
is and you vaguely keep in touch.

Do you guys know about meme characters at all?
Do you guys know about meme characters at all?

So Scumbag Steve is one of those.
So Scumbag Steve is one of those.

It's a photo of a guy in a really obnoxious hat.
It's a photo of a guy in a really obnoxious hat.

And he just looks like a douche.
And he just looks like a douche.

And people caption it stuff like, borrows your lighter and
And people caption it stuff like, borrows your lighter and

never gives it back.
never gives it back.

Your girlfriend's drunk, I'll take her home--
Your girlfriend's drunk, I'll take her home--

stuff like that.
stuff like that.

He turned out to be a real person.
He turned out to be a real person.

BLAKE BOSTON: Yo, what's up?
BLAKE BOSTON: Yo, what's up?

This is Blake Boston aka Scumbag Steve.
This is Blake Boston aka Scumbag Steve.

[MUSIC PLAYING - BLAKE BOSTON, "SCUMBAG STEVE OVERTURE"]
[MUSIC PLAYING - BLAKE BOSTON, "SCUMBAG STEVE OVERTURE"]

BLAKE BOSTON: Scumbag Steve is that guy you do not want
BLAKE BOSTON: Scumbag Steve is that guy you do not want

around, all right?
around, all right?

He'll steal your lighter, he'll steal your girlfriend,
He'll steal your lighter, he'll steal your girlfriend,

he'll steal anything that you have.
he'll steal anything that you have.

You have him sleep over at your house,
You have him sleep over at your house,

he's taking your mama.
he's taking your mama.

BRAD O'FARRELL: He's also not a scumbag at all, but he has
BRAD O'FARRELL: He's also not a scumbag at all, but he has

the demeanor of a scumbag.
the demeanor of a scumbag.

He talks and makes jokes like he's a scumbag, but he's
He talks and makes jokes like he's a scumbag, but he's

actually super nice.
actually super nice.

[MUSIC PLAYING - BLAKE BOSTON, "SCUMBAG STEVE OVERTURE"]
[MUSIC PLAYING - BLAKE BOSTON, "SCUMBAG STEVE OVERTURE"]

BRAD O'FARRELL: I think I've run out of things really with
BRAD O'FARRELL: I think I've run out of things really with

Keyboard Cat.
Keyboard Cat.

I'm sort of just sick of doing stuff related to Keyboard Cat.
I'm sort of just sick of doing stuff related to Keyboard Cat.

I don't care about it that much anymore, but it's
I don't care about it that much anymore, but it's

interesting that it happened to me at some point.
interesting that it happened to me at some point.

[MUSIC PLAYING]
[MUSIC PLAYING]