Keeping boredom at bay: ClarkandMichael.com and Dorm-Life.com

Carrie Widder / Staff Writer / The USD Vista

Alright, what’s up this week in the World Wide Web? I know you’re desperate for more videos, but you’re sick of the “seven minutes of fame” videos. You’re stuck in a catch-22. Honestly, how many times can you hear Mr. Chi City call himself “The Dollar Menu Millionaire” before you want to shoot yourself in the foot? Though the answer isn’t important. I could listen to him say it over and over again and still giggle myself silly. But, to be honest, I can only watch dumb YouTube videos for so long until I reach the conclusion that these people have nothing better to do. And then I start imagining what would happen if I started my own video blog, a “vlog” if you will, and then I have to smack myself and end the delusions.

So what’s a gal or guy to do when they want to watch an Internet video with talent, direction, plot and (gasp!) perhaps some real acting? Is it so ludicrous to imagine that this sort of thing could exist in this technological day and age? No, friends, it is not. And hence, I hit you with a double whammy this week. I present my two favorites, discovered in the throes of my freshman year procrastination stage: ClarkandMichael.com and Dorm-Life.com.

My little obsession with Michael Cera has not exactly stayed under the radar. My friends from home are aware of my fantasy of running into him while perusing the racks of Amoeba (we both spy the same CD, eyes lock, awkward “Juno”-esque moment, he offers to let me have the album in exchange for a coffee and we have a humorous yet intelligent conversation over pumpkin lattes, delighting in our mutual love for seasonal flavored syrups). So, now that the entire student body is caught up with my far-fetched fantasies, I can proceed.

At the height of this obsession, roughly August of last year, I had discovered “Arrested Development,” God’s gift to great television. I was a little late in finding out about this show, so I practically cried myself to sleep when I finished the third DVD. Where was I to find the dry humor, the absurd plot lines and the innocent quips from George-Michael (Cera’s character, not the other George-Michael – you know, the singer-songwriter?). ClarkandMichael.com came into my life that day.

A little miniseries starring Cera and Clark Duke, the hilarious Dale on “Greek” and star in the new film “Sex Drive,” this show was created back in 2006 and has just 10 episodes, all under 15 minutes. Definitely long enough to keep you holed up for a while, but not as time consuming as catching up on, say, “Lost.” It’s funny, it’s different and I wish there were more. I guess the boys are both off to bigger and better things these days, but it’s always fun to find little gems like this from their past. Keep an eye out for great cameos from Jonah Hill, David Cross, Tony Hale and Martin Starr of “Freaks and Geeks.”

Fans of “The Office” will also love Dorm-Life. Taking similar character traits from the NBC show and applying them to people living together in a dorm, Dorm-Life is a real treat for the college folk. This site got me through some boring evenings in Founders (210 represent), and I am so excited to see that they are soon coming out with a second season! The episodes are even shorter than ClarkandMichael, sometimes as short as three minutes, and do a great job of making fun of the different stereotypes that can be found on dorm halls.

I’m desperate for more Internet “shows” like these. While I’ll be on the lookout myself, any suggestions would be much appreciated. Midterms are over and I’m back to wasting copious amounts of time. Send your favorite sites my way: cwidder-11@sandiego.edu.

In the meantime, enjoy your Halloween kids. Keep it safe, keep it classy, and for the love of God put some effort into your costumes this year. Throwing on a football jersey and a pair of high heels at the last minute does not mean you get to tell people you’re a “sexy athlete.” You’re just lazy. Bonus sitecostumeideazone.com. Use wisely.