Julian Smith’s “I’m Reading a Book”: Bookworm Gangsta!

This is one of those satire videos that works so well because it feels so authentic. Ignore the lyrics and Julian Smith’s “I’m Reading a Book” could easily be an MTV video chart topper. A lot of videos that could have been funny are ruined by actors, singers and directors who wind up trying a little too hard, mugging for the camera and generally just letting you know “hey this is comedy, here!” “I’m Reading a Book” plays it dead serious, and the end result is a video that’s sure to be one of the funniest of 2011, and definitely the most absurd so far.

With a hardcore gangsta tone, we see Smith instructing us to “never interrupt him while he’s reading a book!” insisting that if we continue to interrupt him, we’re going to be confronted with his “nasty side.”

This is one of those videos you’ll wind up watching again and again because it has everything that makes a catchy Youtube hit:

• Good Music

Really, the song isn’t bad. It’s a pitch perfect spoof of the modern style of hardcore rap. It could easily have come off of Rick Ross’s newest album. When you consider that the majority of music satire is pretty dated, with joke songs spoofing rap trends that haven’t been relevant in a decade or longer (see any video that’s still riffing on Puff Daddy, who hasn’t had a hit single in years), “I’m Reading a Book” has the potential to be enjoyed by rap fans and Youtube addicts alike.

• Short Playtime

Anyone who makes videos always tells you that once you break the three minute mark, you’re in the danger zone. The videos that go viral are the ones that are short enough to send your friends without telling them to “skip to halfway through for the funny part!” Every line in Smith’s video is funny, as he’s clearly refined the song down to just the good parts. It’s probably a good bet that there are a dozen verses written but left unused in the final mix for the sake of keeping it short and sweet.

• A Great Ending

It’s actually worth watching the video the end. Assuming you haven’t seen it yet, we’ll let you discover it for yourself, suffice to say that it’s as unexpected as it is the only way you can really end a video about a guy who hates being interrupted.

Julian Smith has had some hits before, but most of his videos have been slow climbers, taking a couple years to earn a few million views, in contrast to a song like “Bed Intruder” which explodes overnight. “I’m Reading a Book” has the potential to be his biggest hit yet, as even if you’ve found his previous videos a little obnoxious, you won’t be able to help but laugh out loud at this one. It also has a great hook. A lot of his previous videos, you don’t really “get” it until you’ve heard the whole song. “I’m Reading a Book” has that immediate catchiness that makes for a hot video.