The Animated GIF - An Appreciation

You know what artform doesn't get any respect? The animated GIF. Because I'm tired, somewhat sickly and lazy, I'm just posting some GIFs I've scrounged up over at ONTD. I know that makes me a total lazybones but have you tried uploading to PhotoBucket on a sluggish computer during dire economic times? The guilt that goes into procrastinating my ongoing job search is eating away at my soul.

Let's look at some GIFs, shall we?

Here's a cheerful little GIF. Ah-hee!



I am "smiling with my eyes," like Tyra.





Arnold, dealing with California's multi-billion dollar deficit.




Bunk and Kima, working Homicide in Baltimore, could care less.




Let's lighten up with a little GIF dancin'! You can never have enough Paul Rudd dance GIFs in your possession. Call it Paul Rudd GIF hoarding syndrome.









Kathy Griffin is all, "Hey wait a minute! Don't forget me! I've got my own dancin' GIF style too, you know!" Kathy, I respect your life of comedy and your GIF dancin'.










Is this the ultimate GIF to date? If you've found anything better, let me know.



I don't know who created any of these (except if it's Tyra Banks, it most likely came from Rich at FourFour--the expert on all things Tyra). That's the beauty of the form. It's an anonymous, cheap, pop-culture thrill within a tiny animated format. To GIF-makers everywhere--thank you for filling a void we didn't know existed.