All Vice, all the time
Vice TV gives you yet another way to waste your life on the Internet
Anthony Augustine


Vice TV —www.vbs.tv — Starting Vice Magazine on some Quebec government money that was part of an unemployment program, Montrealers Suroosh Alvi, Shane Smith and Gavin McInnes have managed to turn that initial investment into a miniature media empire. Along with a magazine and record label, Vice is expanding its reach on the web with a new venture with buddy Spike Jonze. Aiming to “rescue you from television’s deathlike grip,” Vice is hoping the magazine model (it’s funded by ads rather than subscriptions) can be adjusted and used on the web to pump out a video vision. The group has taken the first step with its successful travel series on DVD, and Vice TV is an extension of the magazine and an exploration of how to deliver high-quality video content on demand. Considering the contacts Vice has developed since 1994 and the cutting-edge journalistic style of its contributors, I’m betting Vice TV will be around for the long haul.

24: Aqua Teen Hunger Force—tinyurl.com/32sob4 — It didn’t take long for someone to take the recent Aqua Teen Hunger Force promotional scare and turn it into the latest hit video on YouTube. Taking segments from Fox’s hit show 24 and samples from the Adult Swim cartoon, this hilarious video mashup is just another example of the power of viral marketing. While makers had to cough up $2 million US to keep the government happy after the Boston terrorist scare caused by the Aqua Teen guerrilla-marketing ploy, the upcoming release of the film and the TV show got more exposure from the furor than could have been given by a whole block of Super Bowl ad time.

DJ WiiJ— DJWiiJ.com — Not content just to hammer virtual golf and tennis balls with his Nintendo Wii, DJ ! (pronounced DJ Shift 1) decided to see what else he could do with his motion-sensing Wiimotes. After reading up on some Wii hacks on the web, he was able to map out the functions needed to use virtual DJ software Traktor with Nintendo’s new remote controls. It’s hard to believe he pulled it off, but DJ ! has uploaded two video clips and will be making a debut performance in a couple of months at San Francisco mashup night Bootie.

Been a Gunner Since…— www.myspace.com/riddimkilla — Member of the legendary London Posse, Rodney P is considered by many as one of the godfathers of British hip hop. With an impressive pedigree that includes time on BBC radio as well as a string of influential singles, Rodney P is a fan of both hip hop and football. A big supporter of Arsenal Football Club (aka The Gunners), P recorded this track for an album called We Love Arsenal, which was released last year on Sanctuary Records. Even though the song is about his love of the British team, lines such as “trying to find a wife who feels the same/so on Saturday I don’t have to explain” will resonate with fans of Hockey Night in Canada.

Anthony Augustine is a freelance music, technology and pop culture writer. He can be heard every Tuesday morning at 9:00am on Hot 103 discussing the web. Got a site you think he should see? E-mail him at anthony.alloneword@gmail.com.