Double Rainbow was a 2010 viral video featuring Paul “Bear” Vasquez’s euphoric reaction to a double rainbow at Yosemite, epitomizing internet joy and sincerity.
The Video
Uploaded January 8, 2010, the 3.5-minute clip showed Vasquez filming a vivid double rainbow while providing breathless commentary: “Double rainbow… oh my god… it’s a double rainbow all the way across the sky!” His genuine awe escalated to tears and philosophical wonder (“What does this mean?”).
The video gained traction slowly until Jimmy Kimmel tweeted it in July 2010, calling it “the funniest video in the world.” Within days, it exploded to 10+ million views, eventually reaching 48+ million.
Cultural Moment
Vasquez’s authentic emotional response — unfiltered joy at natural beauty — struck a chord in cynical internet culture. Remixes, Auto-Tune versions (Gregory Brothers’ songification), and parodies proliferated. Microsoft used it in ads; talk shows flew Vasquez out for appearances.
The video represented early YouTube’s capacity for accidental celebrity. Vasquez embraced minor fame while maintaining his hippie lifestyle in Yosemite. He became “Double Rainbow Guy,” attending conventions and selling merchandise.
Legacy & Tragedy
Vasquez died May 9, 2020, at age 57 from COVID-19 complications. Tributes flooded social media, with people sharing the video as memorial. The double rainbow became symbol of his life philosophy — finding transcendent meaning in everyday moments.
The video remains a time capsule of pre-cynical internet, when earnest enthusiasm could go viral without irony. It influenced later wholesome viral content and the “pure joy reaction video” genre.
Sources:
- YouTube: Original Upload and View Metrics
- Los Angeles Times: Paul Vasquez Obituary (May 2020)
- The Atlantic: “What Does This Mean? The Philosophy of Double Rainbow Guy” (2012)