The End of the World (video)

The End of the World (also known as End of Ze World) was a Flash animated viral video created by Jason Windsor of Albino Blacksheep in 2003.^[1][2] A copy of the animation uploaded by Albino Blacksheep to YouTube in 2008 had approximately 14 million views before being abandoned in favor of a higher-resolution version.^[3][4]

The End of the World
Starring	Jason Windsor
Release date	October 30, 2003 (2003-10-30)
Running time	1 minute, 31 seconds

Background

Around the time the video was created, the United States invaded Iraq, which ultimately led to the Iraq War. In an interview with the Daily Dot in 2017, Windsor said "I don't know that I really thought that the world was going to end...I guess that was kind of the first time I sort of had to comprehend that [the possession of nuclear weapons by foreign countries]."^[2]

Synopsis

The video depicts various countries reacting to nuclear threats, including the United States, France, United Kingdom, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Israel, and Australia. Ultimately, the entire world is nuked and subsequently destroyed by a nuclear winter. The video also features a caricature of then-US President George W. Bush.^[5]

Sequel

On January 20, 2018, Windsor released a sequel entitled "End of ze World...Probably for Real This Time". The video comments on the problems occurring during the presidency of Donald Trump.^[6][7][8]

External links

• The End of the World on Albino Blacksheep
• End of Ze World - The 2003 ORIGINAL - 4K! on YouTube

References

1. Kleeman, Sophie (November 17, 2015). "12 Years Later, Here's What Happened to the Viral Mastermind Behind 'The End of the World'". Retrieved June 24, 2017.
2. Covucci, David (January 20, 2017). "Hokay, so: What does the creator of 'The End of the World' think about Trump?". The Daily Dot. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
3. AlbinoBlackSheep (Apr 18, 2008). "The End of the World". YouTube. Archived from the original on 21 June 2020.
4. AlbinoBlackSheep (20 January 2018). End of Ze World [1080p]. YouTube. Retrieved 14 October 2021.
5. Hern, Alex (January 30, 2015). "Flash is dead, and YouTube dealt the killing blow". The Guardian. Retrieved June 24, 2017.
6. Puckett, Lily (January 20, 2018). "Remember 'End of the World'? Here's Its Sequel, 15 Years Later". NY Mag. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
7. Farokhmanesh, Megan (January 22, 2018). "End of Ze World gets a sequel more than a decade later". The Verge. Retrieved January 22, 2018.
8. Colburn, Randall (January 22, 2018). "An ancient viral video has received an unexpected sequel". The A.V. Club. Retrieved January 22, 2018.