Barely Political Goes Tech

Next New Networks’ Barely Political, which struck online video gold with Obama Girl, is hoping it can mine technology for an equally successful sister franchise. And so…”Barely Digital” launches tomorrow.

It’s not like political parody was a novel genre, but tech parody? It’s been done. You’re not a full-fledged gadget or social networking site until someone has written an ode to you and filmed themselves singing it. Here are three about Facebook. There’s Digg and Twitter and Internet Party. Microsoft Surface and plenty about Apple. Don’t even get us started on video games.

Still, much of tech comedy is pretty geeky, and Barely Political seems to be aiming for a more mainstream audience. Early videos include one of Batman playing Batman on Xbox, an infomercial for a special kind of iPod that gives the impression you listen to pretentious music, and a dramatization of people behind their keyboards fighting in the YouTube comments section. But sadly, no laughing out loud for me yet. We’ll embed a sample here once they upload it to YouTube later tonight; for now, go to the site. Update: YouTube video is up.

Barely Political was bought by Next New Networks in Oct. 07, and since then it has been the online video startup’s highest performing franchise in terms of views.

Barely Political writer Mark Douglas has starring roles in the early Barely Digital videos. We’re told that the pipeline has a song sung by Obama Girl singer Leah Kauffman as well as guest appearances by Obama Girl actress Amber Lee Ettinger. Next New Networks says the new site will emphasize regular shows more than the Barely Political-type one-offs.

These guys certainly do know how to rack up views on the web — but can they do it without boobs? We shall see!