It's been really interesting to see the response from the media and the Internet to the swine flu issue. It's certainly a very serious issue to those people who have been affected by it and there's a good reason that many people are afraid of the problem. However, the fear of it has also been hyped up by the news and the result is that many people are finding creative ways to make fun of the fact that people are so scared of swine flu right now. Those people who are interested in taking swine flu lightly - or at least looking at the funny side of human fears - should find the following ten videos funny.

This set of video clips is from the 1970's when swine flu was also a problem. The video clips are funny although they aren't meant to be just because the old-fashioned filming and acting that takes place in these videos makes you laugh. It's one of those things where the issue could be anything serious but the way that it's filmed can't help but be funny since it was made so long ago. Gotta love the '70's!!

This is a short little musical about what's going on with swine flu right now. It pokes fun at the fact that people have gotten so "freaked out" about swine flu. It's a musical that makes fun of the media and the way that the media creates and exacerbates the fears that we have in this society. And, you know, the tune in this clip is actually kind of catchy.

There are actually a whole lot of songs out there about swine flu but this one caught my attention because it's a cumbia. That's a nice little nod to the problems that people are facing in Mexico with the swine flu. It also adds this bit of humor to it. Many of the lyrics are depressing and scary but they're set to this fun little Latin tune and that makes you kind of just want to dance and be happy about it. That disconnect between the words and the music makes it have a silly side to it. And, again, it's a little bit catchy.

This short little video pretty much sums up why many people on the Internet think that the media hype and fear surrounding swine flu is blown way out of proportion. It points to many different things like this that we've seen in the recent past (bird flu, mad cow disease, SARS) and suggests that swine flu is just another in a long line of things that people are inflating to get media attention. The format of the video is kind of fun - it shows post-it notes with different conditions (and other unrelated silly things) and then shows still photos that go with the notes.

This clip is slightly longer than the others and is designed in true parody format where it looks like it's a real news update but the sarcasm within it reveals that it's just a parody. Anyone who enjoys parodies of real news will probably get something of a kick out of this. Like all good parodies, there are comments that could be offensive to some but it properly toes the line between funny and rude.

I can't quite pinpoint why I find this video so funny. It's two characters talking to one another about swine flu, dispelling the myths that have cropped up surrounding it. There's just something about the way that the characters speak that comes across as funny. The voices are done with a speech-to-text program that makes them sound serious in a way that can't quite be taken seriously.

Like with any kind of stand-up comedy, this clip is going to be funny to some and not to others. And it's also got some moments that are funny and others that aren't. But overall, this is a decent little stand-up sketch about what's going on with swine flu. If you find stand-up comedy funny then it's worth the few minutes to check it out although it's probably a lot better live!

This one is actually a rant about the way that the media has handled swine flu reports. It discusses the "fearmongering" that's happening in the mainstream media surrounding swine flu. And it mentions the role that Twitter has played in adding to the swine flu fears.

This song is all about how swine flu really isn't caused by pigs. It has funny lyrics about all of the pig characters we're familiar with (like Miss Piggy) who aren't to blame for swine flu. It includes actual news video clips which adds to the humor because of the way its juxtaposed with this upbeat-sounding song.

If you didn't catch the commentary on the Colbert Show then you can watch this clip of it. As would be expected from the show, it provides the news about swine flu in a way that's saracastic and funny and entirely mocking of the traditional news media outlets that are reporting on the issue.