Vine is dead, RIP Vine

Yesterday, Twitter announced that it was killing off its much-loved video-sharing platform Vine. The social media site, which is reportedly in the midst of some serious financial cutbacks, stated that the six-second looping video app would be “discontinuing” over the next few months. “Nothing is happening to the apps, website or your Vines today,” a spokesperson revealed in a blog post. “We value you, your Vines and are going to do this the right way. You’ll be able to access and download your Vines. We’ll be keeping the website online because we think it’s important to still be able to watch all the incredible Vines that have been made.”

Over its fleeting four-year existence, Vine managed to create one of the most creative corners of the Internet. It rewrote the ‘viral’ rulebook, encouraged DIY storytelling, and offered a versatile platform for young people of colour. Now, despite drawing in 100 million people every month, its life has come to an end. For the last 24 hours, the world has been in mourning – and for good reason. As a tribute to the app’s ever-looping legacy, the Dazed team round up the six-second masterpieces that changed their lives.

BRISK CUTS

“I know it’s not very woke to use the term ‘spirit animal’, but I think this strange unicorn prancing to “Ounces” by Migos is mine. Bye Vine, I'll miss you.” – Ted, Fashion Writer

KICKED TOO MUCH

“What happens when you take things too far? When you don’t listen to your friends? When you kick the air loads of times for no reason? This clip is a parable for our times.” – Dominique, News Editor

FIVE PENCE BAG CHARGE

“The success of Vine lay in its uncanny ability to capture the feeling of a time. No other Vine hit the cultural nail on the head more than this amazing 5p bag charge clip. In ten seconds it summed up the behaviour of a nation more willing to carry their shopping over their arms and under their pits rather than part with a little change. Props to the creator for dubbing Wizkid’s sunny “Ojuelegba” over a man carrying water on his head.” – Kemi, Digital Assistant

DUCK ARMY

“This is an obvious choice, but I'm pretty sure it had a really profound effect on my life when I first saw it. So here you go.” – Dominique, News Editor

I WANNA BE A COWBOY

“Vine was pretty much the perfect medium for my sense of humour – its six-second running time gave everything a strangely hypnotic quality and encouraged the sort of invention and creativity that the app developers themselves probably never envisioned. I’ve watched a lot of Vines from people who built up their own unique styles on the platform – the VHS archives of Everything Is Terrible, the warped and incredibly on-point political edits by Vic Berger – but my favourite thing was just getting a glimpse into the mishaps, dumb jokes, futile moments, and unexpected plot twists that arise from people’s everyday lives. One thing I’ve watched a lot recently is “I wanna be a cowboy!” There’s no deep reason for it, it just makes me happy knowing this was a real moment that actually happened.” – Selim, Music Editor

BLOCKING OUT THE HATERS

“Where do you turn when life hands you a pile of dog shit? Drink? A lover’s embrace? Dido’s iconic album Life For Rent? I turn to this Vine, and it's never failed me yet. RIP Vine.” – Ted, Fashion Writer

WHY THE FUCK YOU LYING

“Unbuttoned blue shirt, one foot on a completely detached toilet in a garden and side eye. All the ingredients for an absolutely legendary clip. Set to the backing track of Next’s accidental boner anthem “Too Close”, this is probably the handiest vine of all time for calling people out for their obvious bullshit.” – Kemi, Digital Assistant

IN ME MUM’S CAR

“We live in a world where a mere sentence can propel you to unprecedented, dizzying heights of meme stardom (cc Ken Bone). So was the case for Huddersfield teenager Tish Simmonds, who uploaded a Vine of herself in July 2014 in which, with her thick Yorkshire accent, she uttered the line ‘I'm in me mum's car, broom broom’. Her mother then appeared, requesting the young Simmonds ‘Get out me car’. She declined. A brief but powerful performance of teenage rebellion, the Vine was remarkable in its naivety, an internet kitsch expression of Susan Sontag's idea of camp as ‘art that proposes itself seriously, but cannot be taken altogether seriously because it is ‘too much.’’ 

“Simmonds' words were simply too much. Soon the video went viral, but with dire consequences – Tish was cruelly bullied, driving her to remove the post. Thankfully, that was not the end of the story, which is truly a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. The subsequent parodies and remixes breathed new life into the Vine (this is a particular favourite) giving Simmonds a catchphrase she has since applied to vans and trains, not just to cars. Two years later, she continues to ride the wave of her own notoriety. You can pre-order the single on iTunes.” – Emma, Fashion Features Editor

THANK YOU