AS IT IS 2016-05-24 This Chewbacca Video Broke Facebook Live's Record

AS IT IS 2016-05-24 This Chewbacca Video Broke Facebook Live's Record

This is What’s Trending Today:

Since Facebook Live became a part of Facebook earlier this spring, some people and broadcasters have been making videos.

There are many live videos each day. Some show people test-driving cars. Others show people how to do exercise routines or yoga poses.

Back in April, the website Buzzfeed produced a live Facebook video showing two employees trying to see how many rubber bands they could put on a watermelon before it exploded.

That video had about 800,000 viewers at its live peak. After about 30 minutes, the employees had 500 rubber bands around the watermelon. After almost 45 minutes and 700 rubber bands, the watermelon finally exploded, delighting the crowd.

Once a video ends, it stays on the Facebook user’s page. Until recently, the watermelon video was the all-time leader in Facebook Live views, with about 10 million.

That is until 37-year-old Candace Payne of Texas posted a video last week from the front seat of her car. By Monday, it had over 135 million views.

Payne is unwrapping a box that says “Star Wars,” but she is hiding the rest from the camera. She is laughing and giggling¹. She can barely get the words out.

At one point, she has trouble pronouncing “confiscate²” because she is so excited to make the video showing off her new toy.

What could it be that has her so excited?

It turns out to be a Chewbacca mask from the "Star Wars" movies.

Chewbacca is a wookie who is the partner of Han Solo, the pilot of the Millennium³ Falcon⁴ space ship. He is tall and furry⁵ like a dog. Chewbacca does not talk, he just makes different kinds of noises. The noise he makes is somewhere between a roar and a moan.

The Chewbacca mask is not just any mask. It is a special mask that roars when the person wearing it moves her mouth.

Payne tries it on and makes Chewbacca noises with the mask. She is having so much fun. She cannot stop laughing! She says “Oh, I’m such a happy Chewbacca!” and keeps laughing.

The video lasts just over four minutes. She ends by saying, “That is the best birthday present ever to myself. Wow!”

Why did Payne’s video get so many views? A few people tried to explain.

One columnist⁶ for Slate⁷.com says “it is impossible to watch the video without smiling.” She also says Payne’s video is special compared to other internet videos because she is not complaining about something.

Another viewer wrote, “Her laugh is so contagious⁸! I love her personality! We gotta have more people like her in this world.”

Apparently⁹ the mask is now sold out at most stores because of the video’s popularity.

And that’s What’s Trending Today.

Words in This Story

roar – v. to make the loud sound of a wild animal

moan – v. to make a long, low sound because of pain, unhappiness, or physical pleasure

confiscate – v. to take (something) away from someone especially as punishment or to enforce the law or rules

giggle¹⁰ – v. to laugh in a nervous or childlike way

delight – n. a strong feeling of happiness : great pleasure or satisfaction

routine – n. a series of things that are repeated; a regular way of doing things

pose – n. the position in which someone stands, sits, lies down, etc., especially as a model for a photograph, painting, etc.

peak – n. the highest level or degree of excellence¹¹, quantity, activity, etc.

1 giggling   

v.咯咯地笑( giggle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• We just sat there giggling like naughty schoolchildren. 我们只是坐在那儿像调皮的小学生一样的咯咯地傻笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I can't stand her giggling, she's so silly. 她吃吃地笑，叫我真受不了，那样子傻透了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

2 confiscate   

v.没收(私人财产)，把…充公

参考例句：

• The police have the right to confiscate any forbidden objects they find.如发现违禁货物，警方有权查扣。
• Did the teacher confiscate your toy?老师没收你的玩具了吗？

3 millennium   

n.一千年，千禧年；太平盛世

参考例句：

• The whole world was counting down to the new millennium.全世界都在倒计时迎接新千年的到来。
• We waited as the clock ticked away the last few seconds of the old millennium.我们静候着时钟滴答走过千年的最后几秒钟。

4 falcon   

n.隼，猎鹰

参考例句：

• The falcon was twice his size with pouted feathers.鹰张开羽毛比两只鹰还大。
• The boys went hunting with their falcon.男孩子们带着猎鹰出去打猎了。

5 furry   

adj.毛皮的；似毛皮的；毛皮制的

参考例句：

• This furry material will make a warm coat for the winter.这件毛皮料在冬天会是一件保暖的大衣。
• Mugsy is a big furry brown dog,who wiggles when she is happy.马格斯是一只棕色大长毛狗，当她高兴得时候她会摇尾巴。

6 columnist   

n.专栏作家

参考例句：

• The host was interviewing a local columnist.节目主持人正在同一位当地的专栏作家交谈。
• She's a columnist for USA Today.她是《今日美国报》的专栏作家。

7 slate   

n.板岩，石板，石片，石板色，候选人名单；adj.暗蓝灰色的，含板岩的；vt.用石板覆盖，痛打，提名，预订

参考例句：

• The nominating committee laid its slate before the board.提名委员会把候选人名单提交全体委员会讨论。
• What kind of job uses stained wood and slate? 什么工作会接触木头污浊和石板呢？

8 contagious   

adj.传染性的，有感染力的

参考例句：

• It's a highly contagious infection.这种病极易传染。
• He's got a contagious laugh.他的笑富有感染力。

9 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

10 giggle   

n.痴笑，咯咯地笑；v.咯咯地笑着说

参考例句：

• Both girls began to giggle.两个女孩都咯咯地笑了起来。
• All that giggle and whisper is too much for me.我受不了那些咯咯的笑声和交头接耳的样子。

11 excellence   

n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德

参考例句：

• His art has reached a high degree of excellence.他的艺术已达到炉火纯青的地步。
• My performance is far below excellence.我的表演离优秀还差得远呢。