I have to confess: I am in love with original content. In a world where the recycling of pop-culture and multimedia leaves so much to be desired, it is refreshing to see anything original being produced, especially when it comes to multimedia content. YouTube has been a phenomenal tool when it comes to original video content on the Internet and that being said, the Arabian-sphere’s Ikbis seems to be following suit. This is actually good news. We have all this technology and all these tools – be they software or hardware – at our disposal, yet half the material out there is just copy-pasted. Even blogs are becoming a wasteland of recyclables. So when original content comes my way, especially if it attempts to highlight something or anything Jordanian, I can’t help but pay attention.
With that in mind, I’ve been following Mike Derderian and Mohammad Jaradat on their Ikbis-hosted show, Ground Zero, which is rounding up its first season. It is surprisingly good not to mention funny, creative and above all, original. For those who haven’t heard of it yet, the show is just under 15 minutes, which means its long enough to grab your attention and short enough not to turn sour on you. Cut up in to four main parts, it starts off with an intro where Mike and Mohammad do a little newsy-segment, followed by my favorite part: “Doblage”, which aims to ruin some of your favorite classic movie scenes, followed by “Lost in Translation” with Professor Eshmael and his priceless vocabulary lessons and ending with “Pirates of Down Town Amman: The Curse of the One JD DVD” a bit of a movie review from the balad. The show leans heavily on the pop-culture but I think (and hope) that in times-to-come it will evolve into a more broader program without getting boring. Maybe Ramadan will prove an ideal time to develop that.
So kudos to these guys for making something pretty unique and original. And if you haven’t seen it, now is the time to check it out.
I hope that the web 2.0 generation of the Arab world will really start utilizing the full potential of the technology at their disposal. Everyone seems to carry around the latest cell phone and I see the cameras being used all the time, but nothing is ever produced. Blogs, vlogs, podcasts: these things are in shorter supply than what I would expect from this part of the world, even though people in other countries who are not as connected and yes, even worse off than we are, can be seen producing great and original content. I don’t have a solution, but I think it may be, at this point, just a matter of encouragement that’s required. The arabized platforms we were missing a few years back are now available.
And with that in mind…for the love of God, would someone please bring back jameedkast!
….
Are you serious?
There are like millions of websites that offers comedic shows with better content and original lines than these guys, no offense but after watching some of the episodes of this show, it is best to be polite and described it as “seriously lacking”!
Original content my @$$!
Anon: it would be great if you can post some links to arabized and jordanian comedic shows that have some original content. i have to admit, i spend too much of my online time reading newsy things so i’d like to check them out if you have them on hand. thanks
It’s not as funny as jameedkast, although it’s good enough to make me follow up on it. It looks like they’re putting too much effort into it so something good may come out of it.
My honest opinion? It’s not funny. I tried following it but I just found it lacking and in some cases really lame.
Good luck for the guys in any case , maybe they will evolve in the future 🙂
I would have to agree with Anon and 7aki, I watched about 3 episodes and I did not think it was that funny. moderate at best. What hareega said is true, they’re trying too hard. and it doesn’t seem natural and spontaneous. for example, two of its segments i absolutely loathed, lost in translation and pirates of down town, they’re horrible and the rest is just meh.. watchable.
come on u really found that stuff funny o_0
i mean sure give them credit for trying .. but lets not get carried away 😐
http://www.talasim.com/
Shoof Mosalsal ..Mohannad o Nour 😀
Mo: you know what’s funny? that the people who commented before you, who also voiced their disinterest in the show, did just that, as opposed to telling me that I’m essentially wrong for finding it funny. it’s just something that I couldn’t help observing.
but i’ll follow your advice and give you full credit for trying. 😀
oh no .. i dared to criticize ur judgement
get over urself
ah, well argued
The real comedic show is being called down to customs at the airport because your mom is trying to send your 3 year old daughter 2 copyrighted DVD’s and Jordanian customs wanting to charge you 75 JD to bring them in.
That is live, everyday, Jordanian comedy right there.
I’ve been a great fan of this wonderful & full of surprises show. It was ORIGINAL Indeed.
It was an example for great talents to be used in the right direction.
Best of luck & hope to see more of such types of shows.
Thanks Naseem for this blog post & I am glad you liked the show.
MOhammad Jaradat aka Neo7th
Good luck and before filing and excellence
naseem … mohammed jaradat
you two guy’s are deserving the best wish’s and the whole support to do the best in your blog’s and really i mean it i were following mohammed jaradat in ikbis and i saw that videos that he were share . maybe there some people followed him there but they did’t know him until they watched his videos and there some of them they don’t know him till this moment but am sure that some day ( naseem and mohammed ) you will the most interactive in our society coz you 2 do have that awesome ambition’s and the awesome idea and the awesome solution …. good luck guy’s and god bless you 2