Magnet, Microsoft's Polar Bear Employee | Esoteric Internet

I talk about a polar bear and an internet contest from 2001 for ten minutes...
 
Support: https://www.patreon.com/Pseudiom [Selected from the Patreon poll "Internet/Popular Culture"]
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pseudiom

Magnet was a very popular polar bear from The Maryland Zoo in Baltimore. Though, he was nationally (and perhaps internationally) famous for another reason. Magnet somehow found himself an "unoffical" employee of Microsoft and his likeness appeared in 2001's "Zoo Tycoon". In those two odd ways, this quirky polar bear was immortalized for internet eternity.

But how? Magnet's fame stemmed from just more than being the Maryland Zoo's main attraction. He had won Microsoft's now forgotten "Beast in Show" contest back in 2001. A fierce competition between zoos across the United States to have one of their animals appear in Blue Fang Games' "Zoo Tycoon". A contest, and game, with a very unique internet legacy. Time to plunge back in time 2001 to examine a contest literally nobody remembers. And the only reason to remember is because of Magnet. He did land the job.

Lets see why, to this day, Magnet still has such ursine magnetism.
—————
Video Sources (Support the creators/uploaders):
-Polar Bear's Footprints: https://bit.ly/37pm5k7
-Polar Bear Keeper Chats @ The Maryland Zoo: https://bit.ly/36otlxF
-Magnet at Play: https://bit.ly/3qim763
-Zoo Tycoon/Trailer (2001): https://bit.ly/3mofxsA
-Blue Fang Games Logo: https://bit.ly/3o2YBbs
-Zoo Kingdom for Facebook: https://bit.ly/3qeXlUy
-Zoo Tycoon Gameplay Trailer: https://bit.ly/3o9kwgZ
-Zoo Tycoon TV Commercial: https://bit.ly/2JqtQhA
-Polar Bear on Ice: https://bit.ly/2HSyXqj
-Polar Bears during the Earthquake @ Maryland Zoo: https://bit.ly/3fYU9aP
-Polar Bear Swimming at the Maryland Zoo: https://bit.ly/33tgkkA
-Kung Fu Bear: https://bit.ly/2HS8eKu
—————
Music:
Zoo Tycoon (Steven Serafino) - "Zoo Tycoon Complete Collection Theme" (00:00-01:20)
Frédéric Chopin — "Galop Marquis", preformed by Aya Higuchi (01:20-01:29)
Zoo Tycoon (Steven Serafino) - "Zoo Tycoon 1 - Theme (Menu Music" (01:29-02:49)
Zoo Tycoon 2 (Steven Serafino) - "Tycoon 2 Marine Mania Theme (02:48-07:03)
Zoo Tycoon 2 (Steven Serafino) - "Zoo Tycoon 2 Music - Ultimate Collection Theme" (06:58-10:16)
Kevin MacLeod - "???" (10:16-10:48)
—————
All copyrighted media, images, and music respective owner(s).
—————
Sources:
-Magnet | Zoo Tycoon Wiki: https://bit.ly/2IzyVnT
-Why Care About the Polar Bear? Economic Analysis of Natural Resources and Policy: https://bit.ly/2HUyvbh
-Beast In Show: https://bit.ly/3kD3xSn
-Zoo Tycoon - "Beast In Show Contest": https://bit.ly/37fHITW
-Zoo Tycoon - "Beast In Show Votes": https://bit.ly/33xvTHL
-Zoo Tycoon - "Downloads": https://bit.ly/2HTbPrM
-Zoo Tycoon - "We've got a winner!": https://bit.ly/33teqQY
-Magnet, a polar bear from the Baltimore Zoo to be featured in Zoo Tycoon: https://bit.ly/2UA1NPa
-Animal Magnetism The Baltimore Zoo's 13-year-old polar bear...: https://bit.ly/36KXgyK
-Report: Zoo Tycoon Dev Blue Fang Lays Off Development Staff: https://bit.ly/38QpISG
-The Death of Zoo Tycoon Dev Blue Fang: https://bit.ly/3px9d3Q
-From Console to Facebook: Blue Fang Games and the Big Pivot: https://bit.ly/3f49OVQ
-Animals Across America Compete to Be “Zoo Tycoon's” Beast in Show: https://bit.ly/3puCNHj
-Showdown in Texas as National Finalists Compete For “Zoo Tycoon” Ultimate Zookeeper Title: https://bit.ly/3lDMuAO
-Microsoft Game Studio Gets “Totaly Wild” Announces Five Finalists in “Zoo Tycoon 2” America's Favorite Zoo Contest: https://bit.ly/3pzL8JA
-Tulsa Zoo is Crowned King of the Jungle in “Zoo Tycoon 2” America's Favorite Zoo Contest: https://bit.ly/38JQw78
-Magnet The Polar Bear Celebrates 22nd Birthday: https://bit.ly/3f3Udpp
-The Zoo Says Goodbye To Iconic Polar Bear, Magnet: https://bit.ly/2IyfpYT
-Magnet the polar bear dies from kidney disease at the Maryland Zoo: https://bit.ly/2UAVsmx
—————
A Beast In Thanks For Watching!

Видео Magnet, Microsoft's Polar Bear Employee | Esoteric Internet канала Pseudiom