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Grandparents with webcam become new online stars

McMINNVILLE, Ore. (AP) — It slowly began to dawn on Esther and Bruce Huffman that perhaps they were being filmed.

“Warning,” the gray-haired, bespectacled grandmother reads off the screen. “You must stop recording before trying to close cyber link.”

Pause. “Maybe this recorded us,” says the neatly coiffed, rosy-cheeked man next to her.

“Aw, gee,” Esther replies.

The realization came toward the end of a nearly three-minute video that has launched the retired Oregon couple to YouTube stardom. They had unwittingly captured their first attempt at learning how to work the webcam on a new laptop.

In the video, she plays the straight man as she tries to make a serious attempt at the request of their children and grandchildren. He’s bouncing in his seat next to her, making monkey faces.

Esther had bought a laptop late this summer. Already a Facebook user, she was asked by her family to try recording videos for the amusement of the grandchildren.

But their 21-year-old granddaughter, Mindy, saw the video’s potential. With their permission, she uploaded the file, dubbing it “Webcam 101 for Seniors.” By Thursday, it was nearing 3 million views on YouTube.

In mid-August, the couple sat in front of their laptop, fiddling with the controls of a video recording program. Somehow, they got the program running. Somehow, they pressed “record.”

 

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