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October 20, 2015 10:16 AM   Subscribe

The Story of Technoviking. July 8, 2000. Matthias Fritsch put down the camera on his lap on the back of a DJ van at Berlin's Fuckparade. Unknowingly, he recorded a dancer that became one of the first massively popular internet video memes, at a time downloading stamp-sized MOV and RM files was still norm. But TECHNOVIKING was not pleased, and a lawsuit left Fritsch bankrupt. This is the full story, as told by the creator of the original video with guest artists, sociologists and lawyers, how he (and Technoviking) lost control of their images, the implications of remix culture, the propagation of internet memes, and the impact of the internet on privacy rights. (Slightly NSFW censored private bits, 5 minutes in.)
posted by lmfsilva (27 comments total) 27 users marked this as a favorite
 
I was JUST thinking about the Technoviking video the other day, out of the blue. It's gotta be one of my favorite pieces of viral silliness out there.

I loved the thought that people like that guy exist. Too bad he didn't have more equanimity about the video ... but I guess equanimity isn't a Viking strong suit.
posted by jayder at 10:29 AM on October 20, 2015


Wow, this is fascinating.
posted by odinsdream


Unfortunately, it was a Thor subject for him.
posted by Celsius1414 at 10:36 AM on October 20, 2015 [31 favorites]


Too bad he didn't have more equanimity about the video
I can understand why the guy feels a bit embarrassed about the video. Yeah, it's not people are mocking him (unlike other pre-YouTube viral video stars, such as the Star Wars Kid), and he's almost unanimously portrayed as a cartoon superhero. But beyond that, that's one guy that will live forever on 4 minutes where he was dancing on speed, like thousands were on that day.
posted by lmfsilva at 11:02 AM on October 20, 2015


Some NSFW images in the video starting at around the 5 minute mark.
posted by christopherious at 11:03 AM on October 20, 2015


Unfortunately, it was a Thor subject for him

I love a good low key pun
posted by Jon Mitchell at 11:05 AM on October 20, 2015 [16 favorites]


I love a good low key pun

You're all going to Hel.
posted by Faint of Butt at 11:15 AM on October 20, 2015 [8 favorites]


Mod note: Added NSFW note per OP request.
posted by LobsterMitten (staff) at 11:25 AM on October 20, 2015


I love a good low key pun

I'm a Freya there'll be a lot more of them coming.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 11:29 AM on October 20, 2015 [3 favorites]


I love a good low key pun

Well you won't see any from me. Heimdall that way.
posted by jklaiho at 11:50 AM on October 20, 2015 [2 favorites]


Great. Now we'll have to Sif through loads of puns to find the insightful comments.
posted by The Nutmeg of Consolation at 11:55 AM on October 20, 2015 [2 favorites]


I was JUST thinking about the Technoviking video the other day, out of the blue.

A lot of people don't realize what's really going on. They view life as a bunch of unconnected incidents and things. They don't realize that there's this, like, lattice of coincidence that lays on top of everything.

Give you an example; show you what I mean: suppose you're thinkin' about Technoviking. Suddenly someone'll say, like, techno, or viking, or Technoviking out of the blue, no explanation. No point in lookin' for one, either. It's all part of a cosmic unconciousness.

Srsly, I had been thinking of him just the other day too. So looking forward to watching this later...
posted by Ogre Lawless at 12:00 PM on October 20, 2015 [4 favorites]


Suddenly someone'll say, like, techno, or viking, or Technoviking out of the blue, no explanation. No point in lookin' for one, either. It's all part of a cosmic unconciousness.

You eat a lot of acid, Ogre Lawless, back in the hippie days?
posted by The Tensor at 12:43 PM on October 20, 2015 [3 favorites]


one guy that will live forever on 4 minutes where he was dancing on speed

It's a little-known fact that "dancing" (as it is popularly known; other "street" names for the phenomenon include "the frug," "grooving," "waltzing," and "paying your taxes") did not exist prior to the discovery of amphetamines and allied compounds.

Stay vigilant, and alert your local authorities whenever you see a "dancer". Together we can all stamp out this subversive menace.
posted by aramaic at 1:14 PM on October 20, 2015 [5 favorites]


It's all part of a cosmic unconciousness.

Let's get lutefisk and not pay!
posted by Esteemed Offendi at 1:56 PM on October 20, 2015 [2 favorites]


Wasn't Technoviking in Weezer's Pork and Beans video with all the other internet memes? Or was in an alternate version and later taken out? Is that addressed in the video? Why don't I just watch the whole 50 minute video and find out for myself?
posted by yhbc at 2:08 PM on October 20, 2015


> But TECHNOVIKING was not pleased

Is he ever?
posted by The Card Cheat at 2:25 PM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]


Loki out for bad puns.
posted by njohnson23 at 2:36 PM on October 20, 2015


I haven't been able to watch this yet but does the video establish whether the Technoviking video was staged or impromptu?
posted by jayder at 2:46 PM on October 20, 2015


Loki out for bad puns.

There was Norn need to call out the quality of the puns. But you just Edda go there.
posted by Hairy Lobster at 3:07 PM on October 20, 2015


I can't a-fjord to get involved in this thread.
posted by Artful Codger at 3:56 PM on October 20, 2015 [3 favorites]


Wasn't Technoviking in Weezer's Pork and Beans video with all the other internet memes? Or was in an alternate version and later taken out?

Apparently they wanted him to participate but couldn't find him; but there was a 2009 remix version where he's posted into some of the final parts.
posted by progosk at 4:07 PM on October 20, 2015


does the video establish whether the Technoviking video was staged or impromptu?

Definitely not staged - there'd be no lawsuit to make a film about, otherwise.
posted by progosk at 4:15 PM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]


But beyond that, that's one guy that will live forever on 4 minutes where he was dancing on speed, like thousands were on that day.

It seems more likely now that he will only live on in public court records, and vague recollections of "that guy who didn't like people watching him dance that one time, years ago, because of... I don't know... probably money or something. I think it may have been part of the reason why unauthorized memes were made illegal in 2025 without the proper government license if shown to more than 20 people. Actually, I'm not even sure it's legal to remember what he looked like. Wait... He wasn't a cat, was he? Yeah, cats sure were a big thing back then."
posted by chambers at 4:40 PM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]


Yep. It's going from bad to norse.

OK guys, we've had a Gudrun, but it's Offa now, Lief it alone
posted by Jon Mitchell at 5:19 PM on October 20, 2015 [6 favorites]


Do you think he'll be Asgard-ed in the future about videos taken of him?
posted by The Michael The at 7:39 PM on October 20, 2015 [1 favorite]


Leif it to those damn technovikings to be up in arms about this sort of thing.
posted by oceanjesse at 7:48 PM on October 20, 2015


Previously.
posted by brokkr at 3:28 AM on October 21, 2015


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