The Wall Street Journal (subscription required) explains how YouTube is following in the steps of Google and TiVo: It’s now a verb and an adjective. Politicians are calling this midterm election “the first YouTube election.” They are posting videos to YouTube that show their opponents’ less-than-impressive moments. Never before have we had such an easy way to see politicians using insulting racial terms or falling asleep at hearings. But it gets better…
Lee Gomes (the WSJ editor of the article mentioned above) wanted to catch up on television coverage of the recent scandal on Capitol Hill. In his own words, “I did what millions of Americans do and tuned in to ‘The Daily Show.’ But I YouTubed it, going to the site and searching for ‘Daily Show and Foley.'”
He then talks about how he was able to catch up on Jon Stewart’s take on the affair, which Stewart called “The Crisis in America’s Pants.” It was only after watching the coverage that Gomes thought that he might have been able to see the same clip at The Daily Show’s website via ComedyCentral.com. Just for fun, he tried but explained that “…the site was slower and froze up on me a couple of times.”
So there you have it: A Wall Stree Journal editor YouTubeing “The Daily Show” and giving up on the show’s official site. I suppose once you’re worth $1.6 billion, becoming a verb and adjective is free of charge…
Here’s the real question: is it present participle “YouTubeing” or “YouTubing”? I think I’ll vote for the candidate that has the more persuasive answer to that.
Good question, Logan… Too bad the WSJ didn’t use it for us in that way (I had the same question when writing it for the first time). I’m usually fine deferring to whatever they think unless I see an obvious reason to disagree.
But I agree with you… I’m totally voting for the cadidate who has the more persuasive explanation on how to use the verb!