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

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

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

Honey Badger Don't Care
AuthorRandall;
Christopher Gordon
LanguageEnglish
GenreHumor
PublisherAndrews McMeel Publishing (Hardcover edition)
Publication date
2011
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (Hardback)
Pages72
ISBN978-1-4494-1965-3

Honey Badger Don't Care

In January 2012, Andrews McMeel Publishing released a book featuring comedic commentaries about the honey badger and ten other animals.[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

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

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

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

  1. ^ A Chat With Randall: On Nasty Honey Badgers, Bernie Madoff And Fame Forbes
  2. ^ Honey Badger Don't Care: The Best Nature Video Of All Time HuffPost
  3. ^ Hanson, Laura (January 24, 2017). "Beyond the Badger". Willamette Week. Retrieved August 24, 2018.
  4. ^ Honey Badger Voice Guy Randall Seen in New Video by TMZ Gather Celebs
  5. ^ Meet the Honey Badger Don't Care! His name is Randall. My Northwest.com
  6. ^ Honey Badger Don't Care…About New TV Show The New York Observer
  7. ^ Does Randall Exist? Meet the Man Behind the Honey Badger Phenomenon (Video) The New York Observer
  8. ^ Chasing the elusive honey badger Columbus Dispatch
  9. ^ Red Mango to Offer New Froyo Flavor and Honey Badger Don't Care Foodbeast
  10. ^ 'Honey Badger' Creator Randall Responds To 'Amazing' Praise From Taylor Swift Yahoo News
  11. ^ Building a 'Honey Badger' Empire CNBC
  12. ^ Hyman, Dan (August 16, 2012). "'America's Got Talent' Recap: YouTube Show Winners". Rolling Stone. Retrieved October 4, 2020.
  13. ^ 'Honey Badger Don't Care', but we do USA Today
  14. ^ Randall the Honey Badger guy made an 'anti-old-school animal book' Zap It
  15. ^ "Review: Randall, of Honey Badger Video Fame, Pens Book About More Crazy Animals". Audubon Magazine. Audubon Society.
  16. ^ Booher, Emilee (January 18, 2012). Honey Badger Don't Care Willamette Week. Retrieved January 1, 2013.
  17. ^ Honey Badger Don't Care app MEDL Mobile, Inc.
  18. ^ 'Covey Spreader'
  19. ^ Gonzalez, Sandra (2011-09-30). "Honey Badger sure likes pistachios". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 2020-02-23.
  20. ^ Randall's 'Honey Badger Don't Care' spinoffs RedEye Chicago
  21. ^ Honey Badger Goes Dancing With The Stars: A Brief Meme History Forbes
  22. ^ Smith, Jami. "Honey Badger Says, "Read This Book, Stupid"". Advocate. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
  23. ^ Greenfield, Rebecca (25 January 2012). "The Man Behind the Honey Badger Is a Creature of the Internet". Yahoo. Retrieved 8 May 2014.