1 video + 2 paint covered San Diego boys = 5.5 million YouTube views
Meet San Diego's Ryder and Sawyer DiMario, the cutest kids to ever cover themselves with paint and have their dad sit them in a shower and interview them on camera to figure out what on earth happened. Meet them before everyone else does, which will happen pretty soon the way the video has gone viral.
Since being published on YouTube on Monday, the video has racked up 5.5 million views, or more than 1 million a day.
Stories in BuzzFeed and The Daily Mail identified the boys and explained the video was shot two years ago when Ryder was 3 and Sawyer was 2 and a face full of red and green paint seemed like a pretty great idea.
The classic Daily Mail headline? "Caught red (and green and blue) handed! Mischievous brothers caught head-to-toe in paint after finding art supplies - and their dad can't stop laughing to tell them off"
BuzzFeed shared the video Tuesday under the headline, "Facebook Has Gone Wild For These Two Guilty Children Who’ve Just Covered Themselves In Facepaint."
"THIS. IS. THE. CUTEST. THING," BuzzFeed wrote.
Alecia DiMario sent them an email soon after. It said: "I can’t believe how huge this has gotten. I’m amazed really! I’m glad people see the humor in this and that so many were able to reminisce and relate. Just a great reminder not to take ourselves or our children too seriously. These times will pass all too fast!"
She said her husband’s name was Cris, and the family lives in San Diego. She said the video was taken in May 2012 and put on YouTube for easy family access because it was too large to send to relatives in Vermont and Central California.
If you haven't watched it already, STOP READING AND DO IT. Here's what you'll see and hear.
Dad: "Whose idea was this?"
Boys: shrugs
Dad: "Did you think this was a good idea?"
Boys: head shakes
Dad: "Look at your brother's face."
Boys: looks
Dad: "Who got the paint out?"
Ryder: BEST BLAME EYES EVER
Dad: "Your brother did?"
Before too long, dad hilariously asks what the boys' punishment should be: "Do you think you guys should have timeouts?"
Boys: head shakes
Dad: "Do you think I should not give you guys anymore juice?"
Boys: more head shakes
At this point, and honestly, props to dad for delaying it this long, dad starts to lose it — and laugh.
Ryder: "What is funny?"
Dad: "Nothing's funny. You guys have paint everywhere."
Sawyer: "In our hair daddy?"
Dad: laughs
Sawyer: "In my face?"
Dad: more laughs
Sawyer: "In my ears?"
Viewers love it, obviously.
The Daily Mail reader mollypop94 wrote: "Really makes you wish you could relive your childhood...Things were so easy and simple and purely happy. I love the way this father handled it, and their little innocent caught-out faces...so adorable, I don't know how I would've been able to tell them off with a straight face..."
BuzzFeed reader Mikki Roadcap wrote, "My two year old approves of this post, and I am worried she will use it as inspiration for future mischief. Signed, parent of secret baby evil genius."
YouTube viewer Michael Flynn wrote, "good work dad - handled like a pro."
I won't spoil the rest of the video for you. It is four and a half minutes of hilarity and maybe the best five minutes you'll have all day.
Enjoy. And stay awesome, San Diego.
