The viral animation 'Badger Badger Badger', also known as 'The Badger Song', has been officially preserved by the British Film Institute (BFI). Created by British animator Jonti Picking, known as MrWeebl, the clip first appeared on B3ta.com in September 2003 and quickly became an online sensation. A version posted to YouTube 17 years ago has amassed over 35 million views.
Preservation Process
The BFI's digital curatorial archivist, Will Swinburne, explained that obtaining the original file from creators is often the most challenging part. 'People have to dig through old hard drives, look in old cupboards, on old laptops that might be defunct, to try and find what they uploaded to a website in 2001.' Once obtained, the BFI checks technical specifications, builds metadata, and stores it in robot-operated tape libraries. A separate copy is kept 50 miles away for disaster recovery.
Other Viral Videos in Archives
'Badgers' joins other internet classics like 'Charlie Bit My Finger', which was once YouTube's most-watched video. In March, the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia preserved the 'Democracy Manifest' video featuring the late Jack Karlson.
This initiative aims to recognize early internet culture as historically significant. The BFI continues to seek and preserve such works to ensure they remain accessible for future generations.
