The Crazy Nastyass Honey Badger
The Crazy Nastyass Honey Badger is a YouTube viral video and Internet meme that first appeared on the Internet in January 2011.[1] The video features commentary by a narrator identified only as "Randall", dubbed over pre-existing National Geographic Wild footage of honey badgers.[2][3] Accompanying the narration is the Prelude from J. S. Bach's Cello Suite No. 6 in D major, BWV 1012. Since its release, the video has gained more than 100 million views.
Background
[edit]Randall stated he chose to redub the National Geographic footage because "this animal eats King Cobras, demolishes animals, and this narrator that is so boring, so I said, 'we need to spice this thing up.'" Randall also stated that he would be overjoyed if he had the honor of meeting a real honey badger. "If I met a real one, I would, probably like, let it bite my balls off if it wanted to," states Randall in a 2014 interview with Celebs Daily.[4] Randall has also stated he first gained an interest in animals by way of his father, a cameraman for Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom.[5] While not much information has been officially released about the narrator, the New York Observer has claimed a press release for a potential television show based on the video reveals Randall as "Christopher Gordon."[6] Gordon's Twitter account, however, lists him as Randall's assistant.[7]
Response
[edit]The video received much attention in early 2011, garnering over 90 million views since its release. References to the video have appeared in American Pickers, Hot in Cleveland, and Glee,[8] with frozen yogurt chain Red Mango offering a flavor named "Honey Badger".[9] The video has been listed as a favorite by Taylor Swift and Olivia Wilde.[10][11] In 2012, Randall appeared on an episode of America's Got Talent, where he narrated over footage from the show.[12]
Spin offs
[edit] | |
| Author | Randall; Christopher Gordon |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Humor |
| Publisher | Andrews McMeel Publishing (Hardcover edition) |
Publication date | 2011 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 72 |
| ISBN | 978-1-4494-1965-3 |
Honey Badger Don't Care
[edit]In January 2012, Andrews McMeel Publishing released a book featuring comedic commentaries about the honey badger and ten other animals of the wild kingdom.[13] In addition to the honey badger, the book also includes chapters on the aye-aye, the Tasmanian devil, the emperor tamarin, the pink fairy armadillo, the tarsier, the opossum, the solenodon, the wombat, the American bullfrog, and the sloth.[14] Reception to the book has been mixed to positive, with Audubon Magazine writing that the book was "memorable".[15] Willamette Week called the book "amusing, but much of the humor of the video is lost without Randall's narration".[16]
Mobile app
[edit]Collaborating with MEDL Mobile, Randall launched "The Honey Badger Don't Care" app in 2011 with an updated version relaunched in 2013.[17] The app was made available on both the Google Play store as well as the Apple iTunes Store.
Internet video
[edit]In October 2020, The Lincoln Project released an online advertisement 'Covey Spreader'[18] featuring a voiceover by Randall. The ad is a parody of the 'Honey Badger Don't Care' video, spotlighting members of the Trump campaign who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 during the campaign.
Television
[edit]Randall has voiced several commercials for products such as pistachios and virtual phone systems.[19][20][21] In 2012, Randall stated that he was developing a television show with Six Eleven Media entitled Honey Badger U.[22] The show would be a mixture of live action and animation.[23] However, no further developments ensued.[citation needed]
References
[edit]- ^ A Chat With Randall: On Nasty Honey Badgers, Bernie Madoff And Fame Forbes
- ^ Honey Badger Don't Care: The Best Nature Video Of All Time HuffPost
- ^ Hanson, Laura (January 24, 2017). "Beyond the Badger". Willamette Week. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
- ^ Honey Badger Voice Guy Randall Seen in New Video by TMZ Gather Celebs
- ^ Meet the Honey Badger Don't Care! His name is Randall. My Northwest.com
- ^ Honey Badger Don't Care…About New TV Show The New York Observer
- ^ Does Randall Exist? Meet the Man Behind the Honey Badger Phenomenon (Video) The New York Observer
- ^ Chasing the elusive honey badger Columbus Dispatch
- ^ Red Mango to Offer New Froyo Flavor and Honey Badger Don't Care Foodbeast
- ^ 'Honey Badger' Creator Randall Responds To 'Amazing' Praise From Taylor Swift Yahoo News
- ^ Building a 'Honey Badger' Empire CNBC
- ^ Hyman, Dan (August 16, 2012). "'America's Got Talent' Recap: YouTube Show Winners". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
- ^ 'Honey Badger Don't Care', but we do USA Today
- ^ Randall the Honey Badger guy made an 'anti-old-school animal book' Zap It
- ^ "Review: Randall, of Honey Badger Video Fame, Pens Book About More Crazy Animals". Audubon Magazine. Audubon Society.
- ^ Booher, Emilee (January 18, 2012). Honey Badger Don't Care Willamette Week. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
- ^ Honey Badger Don't Care app MEDL Mobile, Inc.
- ^ 'Covey Spreader'
- ^ Gonzalez, Sandra (2011-09-30). "Honey Badger sure likes pistachios". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
- ^ Randall's 'Honey Badger Don't Care' spinoffs RedEye Chicago
- ^ Honey Badger Goes Dancing With The Stars: A Brief Meme History Forbes
- ^ Smith, Jami. "Honey Badger Says, "Read This Book, Stupid"". Advocate. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
- ^ Greenfield, Rebecca (25 January 2012). "The Man Behind the Honey Badger Is a Creature of the Internet". Yahoo. Retrieved 8 May 2014.