Rick Rolling is an Internet prank whereby users are enticed to click on a misleading link, only to have it direct them to Rick Astley's music video for the 1987 hit, "Never Gonna Give You Up." Rick Rolling is a variation on a similar Internet prank called Duckroll Duckrolling, in which a picture of a duck on wheels is substituted or disguised as a link to a news item or popular celebrity. Rick Rolling has since become a major Internet "meme", and the basis for numerous pranks, hoaxes and April Fools' Day jokes.Los Angeles Times: Astley, king of the 'Rickroll,' talks about his song... (March 25, 2008)
Quote
"It's a bit strange anyway, to be honest, to have videos of when you were a young guy out on the internet, do you know what I mean? I'm 42 years old now, so it's a little bit weird anyway. But it's funny. It makes me laugh -- I'm sure it really annoys a lot of other people -- but it's made me laugh occasionally."Wired: Rick Astley Addresses the Rickroll Phenomenon (March 26, 2008)
References
Fast Facts
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Fact:
Astley said that he won't produce a remix version of the song, but wouldn't mind if other artists didLos Angeles Times: Astley, king of the 'Rickroll,' talks about his song... (March 25, 2008)
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Fact:
On April 1, 2008, all the videos on the front page of YouTube redirected to the Astley video
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Also on April Fools' Day 2008, the [http
//daily.mahalo.com/2008/04/01/md090-steve-jobs-interview/ Mahalo Daily] podcast featuring Veronica Belmont Rick Rolled their audience
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Fact:
In February 2008, the anti-Scientology group, Anonymous, Rick Rolled The Church of Scientology by playing the song loudly during their Project Chanology protests
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Fact:
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Fact:
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Rick Rolled viewers of her "Speaker Pelosi Presents Capitol Cat Cam" video, which was uploaded to her YouTube channel on January 13, 2009 YouTube Video: Speaker Pelosi Presents Capitol Cat Cam (Time: 1:12)
