February 2010

Drag queens. Amateur UFC-ish fighting in someone's front yard. Seven blurry minutes of caged parakeets. A hodgepodge of creativity, tension, and even beauty—such is Pueblo on YouTube.

An hour online is easily wasted. Stock reports, pornography, Facebook—just pick your poison. However, searching for Pueblo, Colorado on the largest video-sharing website out there isn't simply mindless entertainment; it's a cultural education.

Before you scoff, consider some facts about Puebloans from the Pueblo County GIS (Geographic Information Systems) Center. In 2008, Puebloans spent 13 times more money on recreational vehicles as they did on video cameras and the like. They spent nearly twice as much souping up their rides as they did their computers.

Puebloans are also 18% more likely than Coloradoans in general to use the Internet less than once per week. When they are online, Puebloans are more likely to look for used cars than they are to Instant Message someone. So, who are these Pueblo people posting on YouTube?

The short answer is an interesting mix. There are, in no special order:

Cliff jumpers: Pueblo Reservoir cliffs are gut-wrenching launch pads, it seems.

Free runners: Practitioners of Parkour—an athletic activity that involves running, jumping, leaping, and vaulting stunt-man style over everyday objects like cars and buildings—parlay Pueblo landscapes.

River surfers: The kayak park between the Union Avenue and Fourth Street bridges isn't just for kayakers.

Unicyclists: Extreme feats performed on area attractions, to the chagrin of a few mean ladies.

Stoners: What else is there to do on a hot summer night, they ask?

Fighters: See Stoners.

The Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce: President, Rod Slyhoff, hosts victual tours of downtown eateries and local chile establishments.

Bands: Punk, hip-hop, country, and metal can be found, plus lots of Riverwalk events.

And, of course, amateur filmmakers. Among the athletic, musical, and gastronomic talents of Puebloans, there are artists, too. A few are entries from past P.U.L.P. 24-hour Film Fests: The Happening and The Red Couch, for example. A Tragic Story, the winner of the Steal the Scene @ Pueblo Library teen movie contest, is worth watching. The anime fan might find the Avatar: The Last Airbender videos available on the waterbendingwrath channel enjoyable. Or, if you are into Public Service Announcements, the PuebloGirl channel has a few nicely-produced, updated versions of that classic commercial about government information.

Not all of Pueblo on YouTube is so pretty, though that might not need to be said. But some of Pueblo is definitely and powerfully online, and they are engaged with the world in ways that give the Steel City more credit than many residents are willing to admit.

In the microcosm, Puebloans on YouTube are often young, alternative, and active. There may not be many of them, but they do some pretty interesting stuff when they get together. The videos may just be some guy dancing to a Soulja Boy song in front of OfficeMax, but they say something about the town and its residents—and that's worth watching.

Free Movies in Town

Online: Sita Sings the Blues, a “musical, animated personal interpretation of the Indian epic the Ramayana,” available at www.sitasingstheblues.com

Out and About: “The Eyes of Me,” a PBS Independent Lens feature about blind high schoolers figuring out the seeing world. Showing Wednesday, February 10th at 7pm at the InfoZone News Museum at the Robert Hoag Rawlings Library as part of their Community Cinema program. 719-553-0205

@ the Library: Food, Inc. A startling and thought-provoking documentary about the U.S. food industry. Check it out with a library card at www.pueblolibrary.org or at any library location.

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