Block’s Gymkhana Three Lands with a Thud
It was the video that launched a new career for a rally driver relatively unknown outside of the skate fashion world: Ken Block. Simply titled "Gymkhana Practice," his first driving video ignited a firestorm of emails amongst car enthusiasts. "Incredible driving video!" Was the subject line of a hundred emails to hit our inbox within hours of its release. Since that day in late 2008, the first Gymkhana video has racked nearly 8 million views on Block's official YouTube channel. Even more views tallied if you count the pirate re-loads to YouTube and other video sites.
Rappers? Where's the car?
Based on the overnight success of this "Practice" video, Ken Block upped the production value and the product placement for the follow-up, called Gymkhana Part 2: The Infomercial. This took the developing series in a new direction. It was heavy on slow-motion effects, featured pyrotechnics that would make Jerry Bruckheimer blush and spawned a number of variant edits, such as the "artists remix." The latter being put together for the Fantasy Factory TV show, featuring flying hot dogs, Monty Python-inspired heads and more hallucinogenic-inspired imagery.
On the growing success of the Gymkhana video series Ken Block's star has been rising. With sights set on a career in the World Rally Championship, the father of two quickly signed a deal with Ford and launching the Monster World Rally Team. He appeared not once, but twice on the hit British TV show, Top Gear. All the while, he was competing in both the American and World Rally Championship with mixed results. Talk about a busy schedule!
Block runs into something. Even we can do that.
This is a trajectory many drivers would commit grand larceny for. Ken did it by merely having fun over a couple days, putting it on film and posting it on YouTube. Go figure.
Now, it's August 2010 and today Ken's latest magnum opus has landed with the longest title ever: "Ken Block's Gymkhana THREE, Part 1; The Music Video Infomercial (feat. The Cool Kids)." Within minutes the comments started piling into the Driving Sports TV Twitter account:
@enamelizer: I want my three minutes back.
@willlangford: the first video was and always will be the best video. Sadly, they are trying too hard, and the second one was kind of meh.
@claralubans: I am so disappointed.
@rtrally: Is it too soon to use the term "jump the shark?" Fonzi would be proud.
@jackbaruth: Lamest fucking thing since the CueCat. (I don't believe Jack had actually even watched the video yet, so Jack's point was probably ideological. I'm not sure if he really used the real CueCat, either. Because it was actually kind of cool.)
Wait -- what does this have to do with Gymkhana?
There are others, but I think you get the general idea.
Immediately, the negative sentiment started to pile on YouTube, in fact, within an hour it racked up 171 "likes" and 91 "dislikes." That's a pretty ugly ratio. By comparison, Gymkhana 2 has only 1,000 "dislikes" compared to 44,000 "likes." Why? This response on the YouTube page sums it up best:
pteharrison: If they told us a music video was gonna be released, that would have been fine.
But to say Gymkhana 3 pt1 is coming, makes fans of the first Gymkhanas assume it was going to be an ACTUAL gymkhana video. Fair warning is all that was needed.
When we interviewed Block back in January, he promised something "different." He didn't know what "different" would be at the time, but that was his intended direction. If this first part of the new series is any indication, he certainly did achieve something different. Hopefully, Part 2 (coming in September) will be less different and will actually feature the car and the crazy hooning antics we've come to expect from "Flat Out" Ken Block.
Update - Probably not surprising, Ken Block updated his Facebook page the next day (8/25/10) with the following message:
And for those who were less than stoked on Part 1, don't fret, the stuff you really want to see is on its way.
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pteharrison is right on the money. If it was billed as a rap video I would have watched it and shrugged. But I bought into the hype and the video was as deflating as a puncture when you are leading the rally on the last stage of the last leg.
part1 music video
part2 gymkhana... its coming just wait
I hope you realize that is not the gymkhana 3 video, that is the music video, you should all slap yourselfs for thinking that is the video. If you watch the DC website the gymkhana video still says coming soon.
Watch here.
http://www.dcshoes.com/gym3/#/videos/infomercial/
I can understand that this may not be the real Gymkhana video, however, being that it is explicitly called "Gymkhana Part 1" that does, by its own definition make it part of the Gymkhana series. And, on that account, what was delivered wasn't what we bought.
Does the header not explain that is part 1 of 2 ? what did you buy? there is alot of complaining about a video that you watched for free, that is 2 series video, and this only being part 1.
Block is playing it smart, he got you to watch his video with you thinking it was going to be " the gymkhana " video and since its not, there is going to be tons of people that get to see the "teaser" and are still going to turn around and watch the part 2 weather there disappointed or not.
Way too much hype for a rap video. If by pissing off his fans by "playing it smart" I would hate to see him play it dumb.
To much negative noise about this.
Ken obviously knows how to drive and promote himself. So it's a promotional music video that features Ken and the rappers. Still gets attention and in this culture that is all that counts and it equates to big bucks.
You go Ken.
needs to go back to Subaru !
that ford doesn't do him justice .
i think by "wasnt what we bought" was to say, what we expect? or something along those lines... which is telling me, you didnt watch it before you sent it out... i LOVE the stuff you guys send out (most of the time) but you'd have to imagine most of us arent going to get excited about this sort of video.. you could have at least put the title of the email to be "Ken Block Gymkhana Three: Part 1 The Music Video" or something... you had me excited there for a min :(
and yes, he needs to go back to the subi :)
If your pissed about a gymkhana video, you have some problems. What is there to be pissed about for a FREE video your watching on youtube?
Who said I was pissed?
Thanks for the personal attack tho, you stay classy obama!
So you don't want to see KB run in the WRC then?
ugh - why when they combine my two favorite things, they do it without respect for either? back when I was in the studio I had lines like "the builds simple, electronics? complicated / shops for service search for compensation" or "wait.... here's my advice for the ricers.... the ones who go for 'look nice' and don't touch the pistons / before they vocalize an have the protested sit-ins / learn with greased hands, earn division.... ya feel me?" - too deep for the average hip-hop head that didn't dig cars, an yet too lyrical for the average gearhead that didn't dig hip-hop........so I moved on
or peep the MPistol channel on you tube for a few drops - although I'm still hard at work backing up the lyrics with the right car footage.......... it's always something right?
wanst trying to make it a personal attack, I was just trying to understand what everyone is so upset about. It is a free video right? I understand they said it was to be realeased that day, but it was a part one of two deal and that just how I thought it would turn out, I knew this wouldnt be the REAL video.
Sorry, Enamelizer, if you took it as an attack, that wasnt what I was trying to accomplish.
Good man Obama... It came across as an attack, but if it wasnt.... good man an the apology.
Horrible! Since when was Gymkanna a rap video advert? What a dissappointment!
Ken Block Gymkhana what? *sarcasm*