Here is a bit of an off-beat post.  It is about Québec’s most trending YouTube video of the last couple of weeks.

Ever since Le Petit petit gamin re-posted this Québec video a couple of weeks ago, I soooooo badly wanted to re-post it myself!  (A colleague walked in when I was watching it at work, and he must have seen the look on my face because his question to me was “Are you watching a hamster give birth to an elephant?”).

But in good consciousness I couldn’t re-post it here (…until today).  Why?  The video was obviously stolen from the person who made it, and was posted on YouTube without their permission.  There was a line under the original YouTube posting stating the person who posted it did not know who it belonged to, and that they were more than willing to take it down if the owner comes forward asking for its removal (not very ethical in my books).

In the couple of weeks since the video has been posted, the views are rapidly approaching a million across various internet sites — a number which is very large for Québec.

A couple of days ago the maker of the video (Octavie Côté) finally came forward and has begun to do interviews.  She just gave an interview to Monette on CHOI FM (Québec City).   So I can finally re-post the video with a clear conscience.

Octavie Côté actually made this video as a serious project with friends, with the sole purpose of seeing just how close they could make it to the original Jason Derulo video with a budget of, well… ZERO (Gee, I never would have guessed).

She filmed the video at a bar she works at named Savini on the Grande Allée in Québec City (Phew!!  I would have been concerned if she worked in and filmed it in an old folks home or the National Assembly).

All participants in the video were her friends.   The guy dancing with her in the video is Zachary, her friend and a local gym trainer in Québec City.

With both of them having become so well known, they now get approached whenever they walk down the street in Québec City (the power of YouTube) — and it has apparently been great for Zachary’s gym training business.

Today Octavie laughs about the video, but she didn’t at first.   The reason:  Their first (and only) draft filming was accidentally posted online without anyone (even Octavie) having first viewed it.

Her first reaction when seeing the video online was of sheer horror.  The rest of the group in the video also just about died when they saw it.

Her friend who posted it on to YouTube only did so because it was too large a file to email to Octavie for her to review for input on possible changes during subsequent takes.  He thought it would be easier to simply post it to YouTube for Octavie to vet (I guess this guy has never really understood what YouTube is actually for).   When Octavie saw it, her friend took it down immediately (I wonder if they’re still friends).

But it was too late.   Within just a few minutes of being posted, the world grabbed it, copied it, and the rest is history.  I mean, with those perfect notes, that perfect rhythm, and such an innate ability to put words to a beat, this is not a talent which comes easy (And the Grammy goes to… ??).  Octavie has shown us just what kind of a skill set is actually required.

(Kids, don’t try this at home with a budget of … ZERO!!!)

The video has been the subject of every insult and ridicule you can imagine.  Yet Octavie has been an incredibly great sport about it, laughing it off like the rest of us.  She simply says “It is what it is.”   That’s pretty big of her.

When asked what she believes was the funniest or most disgusting comment, she said it would have to be (my closest translation):  “It was so bad that it made me selfie-vomit back into my own mouth.”  :0  (C’était tellement mauvais, que je me suis autovomi dans la geule!! — Gotta love how French is such a versatile and beautiful language!).

Octavie has since been receiving many offers of professional help (for making a new video, that is).  She’s likely going to take up the offers of help (Yes Octavie… take the help!), and I have a feeling we’re all going to see more of her in the near future.

A star is born?  Well, she’s already known to everyone.  So now the question is “What will she be known for ?!?!”

Gotta love YouTube!

And Gotta love Octavie!   You’re a great sport Octavie!  We’re all waiting for your next project!  Hammer it!

P.S.  Oh!  And more thing… pay attention to the “other” guy in the video — the one in the blue shirt.  Apparently his dance moves have caught everyone’s attention, starting a new dance trend… La danse Longueuil, sans la coupe!   It’s all the rage in the bars now !  (bounce bounce…er, kinda).   Give’er man!!

P.P.S.  And one more thing… I hear the bar Savini has never been more packed following the spotlight gleaned from this work of magnificence.   Talk about publicity and the power of the net !!!  I swear the next time I pass through Q.City, I’m gonna stop in to Savini with some buddies, and we’re going to request “Take me to the other Side” by Jason Derulo (a little mood music never hurt anyone).  But I won’t dare film it!!  Bounce, Bounce… kinda… I say with an out of tune screech!