What are thooooose? Well, they’re my Vines, the six-second videos that helped mint a generation of famous comedians and also kicked off the era of endlessly looping vertical video that has consumed us all ever since. If you weren’t there at the time, most Vines might seem utterly nonsensical. But if you were on the internet when Vine burned brightest — a much briefer moment than you might remember — you probably still find yourself saying “look at all those chickens” more often than you should.
For this episode of Version History, we tell the story of Vine from beginning to end. It takes longer than six seconds… but not that much longer. David Pierce, Sarah Jeong, Mia Sato, and Marina Galperina chart the app’s early rise, its acquisition by Twitter, the fights between platform and creators that ultimately cost Vine its most important performers, and the app’s all too early end.
Ultimately, Vine’s story is mostly about its legacy. Not only did it help kickstart the careers of the Paul brothers, Shawn Mendes, Zach King, Lele Pons, and so many other well-known creators and celebrities, it also created a format and an interface that are now absolutely everywhere. (It was so influential that there is perpetually someone trying to bring it back, but so far to no avail.) Without Vine, would we have TikToks, Reels, and Shorts? Maybe. But they’d be different. And probably worse.
This is the eighth episode of Version History, and the last episode of our first season. Thanks so much to everyone who has watched, listened, sent us feedback, and given us ideas for future episodes! Season two is already in the works, and will kick off in a couple of weeks. Going forward, if you want to find the show, there are two places to go:
And if you want to know more about the history of Vine, and some of the platform’s best moments, here are some links to get you started:
