From The Daily Bruin
October 2, 2000

Site offers nibbles of entertainment
INTERNET:  Online radio, student creations part of fun for aspiring youth
By Barbara McGuire
Daily Bruin Senior Staff

If you are hungry for digital entertainment on the Web, feast on nibblebox.com to fill your stomach, as well as your time.

Nibblebox.com is an entertainment Web site that is dedicated to providing current college students and recent graduates with an arena to air their creative talents. The site features eight weekly shows, solely created students. The site also offers links to live college radio and NBX radio, nibblebox's own entourage of what it considers to be the best in college radio.

Though the shows are only available for broadband users to access, the site is still useful for dial-up users to get access to a wide variety of college radio stations ranging from the University of Utah to Northwestern University.

Amazingly enough, nibblebox even provides viewers with the chance to listen to the radio station from England's London School of Economics, Pulse.

Just for kicks, additional information is provided about this U.K. school, which appears to have been written by the British students. A few comical tips are provided. According to the author, these are essential for Americans to maximize their listening experience.

The first of these tips makes reference to the spelling discrepancy between the American "color" and the British "colour," while others point out other cultural differences. Nos. 5 and 6 are exceptionally sarcastic:

"5. If you'd only just called it American Football like the rest of us, you'd never have had to invent the word 'soccer.'

"6. If you think your petrol (gasoline) is expensive, we pay $6 a gallon."

Nibblebox.com provides web viewers with eight different shows to snack on, all of which are new this season. These shows are both animated and filmed, providing something for everyone to enjoy.

"Muffin Films" is a cartoon created by Amy Winfrey, who hails from UCLA, and provides a look at muffins in a way few viewers have ever seen. Content ranges from alien muffins that are invading the earth, to a little girl who is being eaten by her own yummy baked goods.

"Dot Comic" by Jared Stern of Brown University, has an "America's Funniest Home Videos" appeal to it, and features the comedy of students from across the country. Apparently Stern traveled from college to college filming various students in an attempt to discover the funniest college student in America.

Other shows with crazy titles such as "100% Ground Beef," "Sorority Crime Fighters" and "Spatula City" promise just as much bizarre and fun entertainment, while at the same time appearing nothing alike.

"Virtual Bob," for instance, isn't even a show, but more a barbie dress-up video game, where viewers are allowed to control Bob's actions by clicking on any part of his body or on anything in his apartment. "Physical Comedy" is promised, as opposed to the virtuality of messing with Bob's movements.

Nibblebox.com features more than just access to college-created shows and radio stations. There are numerous affiliate channels which come complete with their own entertainment programming and content.

Founded by Doug Liman ("Swingers," "Go"), Dave Bartis and Liz Hamburg, nibblebox.com aspires to be more than just a tool which provides links to radio stations.

The site's founders are more concerned with the underlying ideals of their creation: providing student affiliates with equipment and industry experts to help them on their way.

Mentors of the past have all heralded from the entertainment industry and nibblebox guarantees to have many more such as "Clueless" director Amy Heckerling, and actor Minnie Driver.

These mentors assist students whose content is chosen to be featured on the site, just to ensure the resulting program is unique and funny.

Additionally, the site would not be complete without its share of promotional contest opportunities. Site-goers currently have the chance to win a trip to Europe and to have lunch with Matt Damon and Doug Liman while they are on the set of "The Bourne Identity," which is currently in production.

The founders of Nibblebox are not just about sitting behind a desk and updating the site. On Oct. 2, they will be launching their first bus tour which will travel to 30 different campuses across the nation. The tour will have music by live DJs who are Nibblebox radio affiliates, prizes, various interactive entertainment, and even offer the opportunity for some fame.

Nibblebox.com is more than just a Web site. For those just interested in some entertainment, the site has more than plenty to offer; however, for those interested in creating the entertainment, the nibblebox experience can actually lend a helping hand in the process.