This week, New Yorkers were gripped by an era-defining viral video: the one where a rat runs all over a subway car. But that footage was just part of a larger genre of modern outsider art: cell-phone videos of New York City rats. We dove into a simple YouTube search (“new york rat”) and uncovered hundreds of videos taken by everyday people who felt the need to document their rat sightings. Some are relatively mundane, at least for native New Yorkers (rats on the subway tracks, rats hanging out near garbage in broad daylight); but some can horrify even the most hardened city-dweller (three words: “rat in toilet”). After rooting through this huge trove of amateur video, we put together a little supercut to celebrate rat videos and the rodents who inspire them. Claw away!
Credit to the following YouTube users: Jinais Ponnampadikkal Kader, onionsandcheese, Arti999, mrahman876, amorello2709, NYCTheBlog, pjayone, stpmcd, NYCVlog, Jon Bernstein, SWEATLODGE, HoodratchednessTV, MaFuyi05, FisterMatha, Skywrath’s Subway Heaven, noturfriend421, Alexander Garcia, Vonyelle Bethea, MrWelschvideo, danmags, 81megaman, ZionistEntity, qwerty32, RomenRok, MrsMC1252, bellevilleguy1, tonystarksbx, foyola18, Cliff Ribeiro, NYFilmmaker32, WeeklyVideoable, Artur Bensel, Ashique Ashi, eka1510, Davell Martinez, nscalehobo, Evelin Iliev, candidcament. Oh, and the music is the timeless “Yakety Sax” by Spider Rich and Boots Randolph. Long may it yak.
