Every Second Counts (video parodies)
Every Second Counts is an Internet meme in which comedians outside of the United States were challenged to produce parody videos of U.S. President Donald Trump's 2017 inaugural address that "From this day forward, it's gonna be only America first! America first!" The first parody video was produced by Dutch comedian Arjen Lubach within two days after Trump's inaugural address. The second comedian to produce a parody video in the same format as Lubach's video, Jan Böhmermann of Germany, challenged comedians around the world to produce similar videos in the same format of introducing one's own country with a dose of self-deprecating humour and requesting to become 'second' after America.
History
Origins
The first parody video, which inspired all the other parody videos, was produced by Dutch comedian Arjen Lubach's show Zondag met Lubach. Lubach's parody video, titled "The Netherlands welcomes Trump in his own words", was broadcast on 22 January 2017. In the video, Trump's speeches and actions –mostly from his election campaign– are imitated and mocked by voice actor Greg Shapiro, who gives a short description of the Netherlands using some self-mockery as well, finishing with the request that the Netherlands may come 'second' if America is to be 'first'. A semi-serious undertone is formed by fears that Trump's announced "America First" policy signifies isolationism, including withdrawing U.S. support for NATO: "If you screw NATO, you're gonna make our problems great again." The video went viral, being discussed by multiple international newsmedia and reaching over 73 million views worldwide by 3 February.Challenge launched
On 2 February during Neo Magazin Royale, Jan Böhmermann questioned the Dutch's role as second to America, broadcasting a rival video that claimed 'Germany second' whilst making fun of the Netherlands and Germany itself as well. Then, he encouraged other satirical talkshow producers in all European countries to make similar videos parodying Trump, themselves and questioning the Netherlands' second place behind America. Production teams in at least eleven other countries committed to making their own parody videos, and by 3 February, versions for Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Portugal and Lithuania had been released; these would all be gathered on the website everysecondcounts.eu.Shaun Streeter did the voice for the videos produced by Switzerland, Portugal, Germany, Luxembourg, and Denmark.
Beyond Europe
By 6 February, Italy, Luxembourg, and Morocco had joined the fray. On 8 February, the website of Every Second Counts changed the original layout from a virtual 360° NATO council room with national flags of all European countries plus Morocco and Namibia next to each seat, to a clickable world map divided into the continents of "Europe", "Middle East", "Africa", "Oceania", "North Asia", "South Asia", "North America" and "South America", with "North Asia" and "North America" currently being unavailable.Common elements
Though widely varying in contents specific to each country's presentation, and the way in which they criticise and/or ridicule President Trump and his ideas and actions, the videos often share common elements. Many revolve around taking pride in or mocking their own country's history, and comparing it to Trump's actions or American history in general, and how the latter is better, equal or worse.- Criticism of Trump's immigration policy
- *Criticism of Trump's electoral promise and since 25 January 2017 plan to build a wall along the U.S.–Mexican border, and make Mexico pay for it, including comparisons to countries' own "walls" such as the Afsluitdijk and the Berlin Wall
- *Criticism of Trump's electoral promise and since 27 January 2017 decree to halt immigration from several Muslim-majority countries
- Criticism of Trump's treatment of women, especially the grab them by the pussy incident
- Criticism of Trump's mockery of Serge F. Kovaleski, an investigative reporter at The New York Times with arthrogryposis.
- Criticism of Trump's apparent lack of commitment to NATO
- Criticism of Trump's alleged tax evasion
- Ridicule of Trump's appearance: his allegedly "tiny hands" and "orange" skin colour
- Mockery of Trump's use of "the best words" and the way he says "huge".
- Comparisons between Trump's towers and famous architectural structures within the country.
- Criticism of the Trump administration's usage of the terms "fake news" and "alternative facts"
- Joking that nobody knows where their country is located, and pointing to a different country if Trump might ever want to strike it with a nuclear attack
Lists of videos
Countries
The table below lists 117 videos for 80 unique countries. At four videos, there are more videos for Algeria than for any other country listed. The website features 38 of the videos, only one per country.| Country | Date | Creator | Title | Listed at ? | Link |
| 22 January 2017 | Zondag met Lubach | "The Netherlands welcomes Trump in his own words" | Yes | ||
| 2 February 2017 | Neo Magazin Royale | "Germany second | Yes | ||
| 2 February 2017 | "Denmark second | Yes | |||
| 2 February 2017 | 5 Para A Meia-Noite | "Portugal Second" | Yes | ||
| 2 February 2017 | ' | "Switzerland Second " | Yes | ||
| 3 February 2017 | ' | "America First, Belgium Second" | Yes | ||
| 3 February 2017 | ' | "Lithuania welcomes Trump" | Yes | ||
| 5 February 2017 | Studio Ben | "Luxembourg Second " | Yes | ||
| 6 February 2017 | Amiroo | "America First... but what about Iran? #everysecondcounts" | Yes | ||
| 6 February 2017 | Casa Surace | "Italy Second - Reaction to Trump's America First" | Yes | ||
| 6 February 2017 | Marouane Lamharzi Alaoui | "Morocco Second " | Yes | ||
| 7 February 2017 | Willkommen Österreich | "Austria Second - Willkommen Österreich" | Yes | ||
| 7 February 2017 | Gospodari Na Efira | "Bulgaria second | Yes | ||
| 7 February 2017 | ' | "America first, Czech Republic FIFTY FIRST! " | Yes | ||
| 7 February 2017 | Emisiunea Lumina | "AMERICA FIRST, MOLDOVA SECOND " | Yes | ||
| 7 February 2017 | Coolbox Cinema & EES TV | "America First /NAMIBIA FIRST | Yes | ||
| 7 February 2017 | ' | "America first... Slovenia second " | Yes | ||
| 8 February 2017 | The Weekly with Charlie Pickering | "The Weekly: Make Australia Second" | Yes | ||
| 8 February 2017 | Jono and Ben | "America First, New Zealand Second" | Yes | ||
| 8 February 2017 | "AMERICA FIRST, POLAND FIRSTER!" | Yes | |||
| 9 February 2017 | News Bar | "Croatia Second | Yes | ||
| 9 February 2017 | Nútíminn | "Iceland Second " | Yes | ||
| 9 February 2017 | ' | "America First, Finland Second " | Yes | ||
| 9 February 2017 | Late Motiv | "LATE MOTIV - America First, Spain Second. Official Vídeo" | Yes | ||
| 11 February 2017 | Tá no Ar | "America first, Brazil second!" | Yes | ||
| 12 February 2017 | Gav Ha'Uma | "Lior Schleien - America first, Israel second" | Yes | ||
| 13 February 2017 | ArmComedy | "Armenia Second | Yes | ||
| 13 February 2017 | Njuz.net | "America first, Russia also first, and Serbia first after that #everysecondcounts" | Yes | ||
| 13 February 2017 | "America First, Slovakia Second/ Slovakia Welcomes Trump In His Own Words " | Yes | |||
| 14 February 2017 | Sooperfly | "America First, India Second - Welcome President Trump" | Yes | ||
| 15 February 2017 | Lovin Malta | "America First, Malta Second" | Yes | ||
| 16 February 2017 | Joe Tube | "America First | Yes | ||
| 16 February 2017 | C8 | "America first, France second " | Yes | ||
| 22 February 2017 | Radio Arvyla | "America First. GREECE SECOND! " | Yes | ||
| 25 February 2017 | Cyprify Cypriots | "America First, Cyprus Second " | Yes | ||
| 28 February 2017 | Kfm Breakfast | "America first, South Africa second -by KFM Breakfast" | Yes | ||
| 21 March 2017 | NANO | "America First, Chile Second" | Yes | ||
| 23 March 2017 | iMedia HUB | "Georgia Second Official" | Yes | ||
| 3 February 2017 | Hans-Martin Leopold | Switzerland First - Who Wants To Be Second? | No | ||
| 4 February 2017 | Mr. Kapuzo | "KAZAKHSTAN SECOND America First | No | ||
| 5 February 2017 | Daniel Muukkonen | America First but Finland Second! #Everysecondcounts | No | ||
| 5 February 2017 | Valentin Guerin | "France welcomes Trump in his own words / America First - France Second" | No | ||
| 6 February 2017 | friendlyjordies | America First, Australia Second/ Australia Welcomes Trump In His Own Words | No | ||
 Bosnia and HerzegovinaHRV |