YouTube bans shred parodies

 
I got into writing about music because I generally enjoy talking to musicians. For the most part, they’re a fairly interesting, good-humoured bunch who can appreciate a good dose of irony. But, evidently, this personality trait is not shared universally by all musicians.

Case in point - someone’s been complaining to YouTube about the work of parody artist Santeri Ojala, who specializes in taking videos of guitar gods (Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, Slash, etc.), erasing the original audio and overdubbing his own guitar playing with hilarious results.

According to a recent article on Wired:

YouTube said it received three complaints of copyright infringement and automatically suspended Ojala’s account.

YouTube has a standing policy to suspend accounts after three complaints from copyright holders, whether the complaints are valid or not. YouTube declined to say who filed the complaints, but it was likely the guitar gods themselves — or their representatives.

Regrettably, Ojala’s going to comply with YouTube’s decision. It’s yet another sad case of the guy who’s not really hurting anybody being much, much poorer than the folks who control everything. He just can’t afford the legal fees. Ojala has no idea who filed the actual complaint with YouTube, but strongly suspects it was Scandinavian shred master Yngwie Malmsteen. But seriously, look at that video: even with the original audio, it’s a sublime comic masterpiece.

Okay, I’d like to quickly recant my previous statement about Malmsteen being a “sublime comic” genius. I took a moment to reacquaint myself with his recorded legacy, and I’m now firmly rooted in reality when I say he’s a humourless, pompous, self-centred meglomaniac who may have amazing dexterity but that’s about it.

I only wish someone had gotten a picture of him in his bathrobe after he was taken down after his four hour standoff with the cops in August 1993 (he was holding his then 18-year-old girlfriend captive with a shotgun - what an a**hole).