He's serious about the web!

David Hasselhoff might not be saving surfers on Baywatch Hawaii anymore, but he's just done a major favor for anyone who surfs the web. The official Hasselhoff site, davidhasselhoff.com, is finally up. The most impressive inclusion in the site is the multimedia section. Since he has yet to release an album in this country, Hasselhoff's American fans usually don't get the chance to see his music videos. Perhaps he had us in mind when he included two videos (in their entirety!) on his website. Think you won't be able to see them because you don't have the latest version of Quicktime, or your RealPlayer is always screwed up? Think again. The site includes its own viewer, so you don't even have to download a plug-in.

The first time I clicked on the "Hooked on a Feeling" video, I had no idea what I was in for. It starts with the words "hooga hooga ooga chakka" flashing on the screen, but don't let the slightly lame beginning scare you away. Moments later Hasselhoff appears. He's at a fancy party, dressed in a tuxedo, and singing his heart out. But what's this? Now he's in a polar bear suit, in a snowy, arctic location. And now he's in some tropical wilderness, dressed like Indiana Jones. Oh my god, he seems to be flying with a flock of birds and two little girls dressed like angels! I kid you not. This video had me astonished, which after years of MTV-viewing is quite a feat.

In my favorite part of the video, Hasselhoff sings "I'm high on believing that you're in love with me," while standing on a moving motorcycle. He then leaps off of it to fly Superman-style through the sky. If Hasselhoff is saying this is how it feels to be in love, then I've sure never been there. I want to feel what he's feeling!

Why won't he release this    stuff in the U.S.?

The second video on the site, "More than Words", is also quite good, but it was a bit of a let down after "Hooked on a Feeling". I had to try several times to get the video to play. When it finally did, I was disappointed that it mostly consisted of scenes from Hasselhoff's movie The Legacy, set to music. Since a preview of this movie is also included in the multimedia section, I felt like I had just watched something very similar. However, "More than Words" has a dramatic feel that was a relaxing change after the wild energy of "Hooked on a Feeling." Images of an Asian woman holding a red umbrella in the rain contrast nicely with shots of a tough-looking photographer (Hasselhoff, of course) singing about heartbreak.

Highlights of Hasselhoff's Baywatch career are also included in the multimedia section. Almost like a music video itself, this collection of clips is set to Baywatch theme song "I'll be Ready." So if you're feeling nostalgic for the good old days before Hasselhoff died in that underwater explosion, this is another chance to watch him in lifesaving action. But if you only have the time to watch one thing on the multimedia page, make sure you get a look at the "Hooked on a Feeling" video. Before you know it, you'll be hooked on Hasselhoff! --Lisa Beebe
11/19/00