Carmen Sandiego
Carmen Sandiego | |
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Original YTMND: [http://googlefoundcarmensandiego.ytmnd.com Carmen Sandiego has been FOUND AT LAST |
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by oracle402 | |
June 23, 2005 | |
Worthy spinoffs: | |
Used Music: | |
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Carmen Sandiego is the eponymous character of a series of educational video games and TV shows. In them, she is a master, globe-traveling thief whom nobody knows is. Thus, the phrase "Where in the world is Carmen Sandiego?"
The mini-fad began when user oracle402 created a site called Carmen Sandiego has been FOUND AT LAST!!!. Though other Carmen Sandiego YTMNDs existed at the time, this one was the first to have garnered much attention. With a combination of an (at the time) unknown Google inside joke and a nostalgia factor created by an original recording of the theme song from the TV game show, the site took off across the net. The site was linked to on such humor sites as Entensity and College Humor, helping it to launch into the number 1 spot in the Top Viewed Sites and Top Rated Sites. It kept its spot for almost a week before it eventually drifted off both lists.
Unfortunately, the original creator of the YTMND deleted it, as well as his entire created YTMND collection, about three weeks after it's original creation. It resurfaced about a week later when it was created again by the original author as the only YTMND he would recreate. It's had moderate views and votes since then. As of 07/13/06, it's the highest rated 'Carmen Sandiego' YTMND at 4.11/5.00
This mini-fad consists of a screenshot of a Google web or map search that turns up unusual results, typically by running a search on phrases in pop culture. Typing in 'Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?' brings up such a result, as does 'The answer to life, the universe, and everything'. This screenshot is then edited in MSPaint (or any other picture editing program) to have the result circled or otherwise having it pointed out with silly internet jargon beside it, such as 'WTF?' or 'WHOAMG!' As an inside joke to the fad, the jargon and arrow beside the result is often the exact same arrow as the original Carmen Sandiego YTMND. The sound source is typically a theme song from where the phrase originated, though any sound source is acceptable with preference to fad music that relates to the search result in question.
Attempting to Google for proof of the YTMND being real will result in not having Google search locations.