00:00There's a handful of sacred videos that constitute the canon of classic YouTube.
00:08Undoubtedly among them is Double Rainbow.
00:10Imagine it's January 8th, 2010, and Paul Bear Vasquez, a firefighter turned trucker
00:15turned Yosemite farmer, spots a double rainbow stretching majestically across the sky.
00:20With a heartfelt, whoa, Bear begins his emotional journey, capturing the pure, unfiltered awe
00:25that would soon make him a beloved internet legend.
00:32Paul Vasquez caught something rare that day, and his reaction was nothing short of mesmerizing.
00:37For nearly three and a half minutes, he gazes at the vibrant arches, his emotions fluctuating
00:41between ecstatic joy and profound spiritual wonder.
00:45Between tears and laughter, he repeatedly asks, what does this mean?
00:51It's a question that resonated deeply with viewers worldwide, turning his simple moment
00:55of awe into a viral sensation.
00:57Before this iconic clip, Bear had been sharing snippets of his life on YouTube.
01:01However, it wasn't until July 2010 that his life took a turn.
01:04Jimmy Kimmel stumbled upon Bear's double rainbow and declared it the funniest video in the
01:08world, catapulting it from a modest 800 views to a staggering million in just a few days.
01:16Fast forward 14 years, and his excited whooping still resonates, with over 51 million views
01:21today.
01:22Schmoyoho created one of the first viral remixes of Double Rainbow when they auto-tuned the
01:26original clip into a song.
01:28It initially gained more viral traction than Vasquez's own video.
01:37While other viral sensations, like Rebecca Black's Friday, were often shared for their
01:40cringeworthy content, Bear's genuine joy made it nearly impossible to hate on him.
01:45His infectious enthusiasm became a beacon of positivity among the noise of the internet.
01:49But Bear wasn't just a one-hit wonder.
01:51Born in East LA to a bus driver father, he served as a firefighter before moving to Yosemite,
01:56where he worked jobs ranging from security officer to EMT.
01:59His life took another unexpected turn when he became a truck driver.
02:02Gaining 200 pounds, Bear decided to lose weight and pursue his dream of cage fighting, although
02:07he lost the only match he ever fought in.
02:09Despite the ups and downs, Bear remained dedicated to sharing his life on YouTube.
02:13His channel, HungryBear9562, offered viewers a glimpse into his serene farm life, his deep
02:18connection to Yosemite, and his loving relationship with his partner.
02:21Tragically, Bear passed away in May 2020 at the age of 57.
02:25The exact cause of his death remains unknown, but a post on his Facebook account a few days
02:29prior indicated that he had been tested for the coronavirus and was suffering from an
02:32undisclosed ailment.
02:34Another Facebook post from a few days before his death showed Bear joking about how excited
02:38he was to be reincarnated.
02:40In one of his videos from 2019, Bear estimates that he probably has over a decade's worth
02:44of videos scheduled for upload in the event of his death.
02:47And it's true, Bear's legacy lives on through his channel's near-daily uploads, allowing
02:51fans to continue following his journey.
02:53Important to note, Bear never monetized Double Rainbow and considered it sacred.
02:57Instead, he focused on authentic storytelling and connection with his fans through countless
03:01interviews and videos.
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