Watch CBS News

Double Rainbows on YouTube: Exclusive Video Interview with Hungrybear9562


Watch CBS News Videos Online


Meet YouTube's latest viral overnight comedy star, Paul Vasquez, otherwise known as on his account as Hungrybear9562. Since January his video - "Yosemitebear Mountain Giant", featuring him "freaking out" over of a double rainbow outside his home in Yosemite, Calif. - had been posted online, getting a few views here and there. But a tweet from Jimmy Kimmel on July 3 lit the spark for Hungryman9562 and the video has exploded to over a million views and counting in just over a week.

I did an exclusive Skype video chat with Vasquez - or Bear as he likes to call himself - to find out what really went on the day of the "double rainbow", why and he and Kimmel are pals, and why he's not surprised about his newfound YouTube fame. Watch the video above and read some of the transcript below:

What exactly were you shooting on that day?

That day I was finishing a note to a friend telling her I was like Noah because I'm building what seems to be like an arc here. I have greenhouses and gardens and fern trees and lots of animals here. Right after finishing that email, I look out there and the colors. I walked out with my camera. What you see in the video is what I experienced. That rainbow lasted over an hour. My camera only captured about 40 percent of the color. It was a lot brighter than you see.

You seemed pretty excited about this rainbow...

Because you could actually feel the rays down from the sun but it was rainbow rays. You can't describe it. It was so powerful that it knocked me down.

The rainbow rays knocked you down?

You couldn't see me on the ground, but at one point I had been knocked on the ground. But the rainbow was a double rainbow and then it turned into a triple rainbow. You can't see it on my camera but the whole thing was filled in with color. It was a giant disc of color. It looked like a giant eye looking at me.

Is that common to be knocked down by rainbows?

I don't think it's common, but it happened. It was pretty amazing!

Are you surprised this video has made it big and gotten a lot of attention?

I used to always see viral videos and always think, when am I going to go viral because I know my videos are pretty interesting. I think that people are connecting to this video because there's a lot of honesty and purity in it. People can relate to me connecting to spirit on this one. The spirit of the universe connected to me and that's my reaction to it.

What do you think about all the remixes popping up now?

Some of them I really like. A couple I've favorited.

I need to approve them to be linked to my video. Some of them are rip-offs and I bide them as inappropriate because they're content infringement.

What was your reaction when you started seeing the views increase?

I had had less than 50 views on the video and then I starting seeing comments ... and then someone said Jimmy Kimmel tweeted my video and then I said I get it now. Because Jimmy and I have a history. I went on his show and he called me his boyfriend on TV, and I recorded that and put it on my page. So I always knew Jimmy was going to get back a hold of me, because he really loves me.

What does the future hold for Paul Vasquez?

I kind of like to spread the message that people should be aware that they should walk more lightly on the earth. There's a whole message in this. That the rainbow has some power and there's a message here for humanity.

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.