WORLD WIDE WEIRDERNET — Sometimes you get lost as you dig into the dark bowels of the internet. You find things people probably wished had stayed buried forever, but our lust for treasure hunting is insatiable.

It's that same curiosity and need that likely led Neil Miles to this bizarre gem.

Miles posted this old commercial for the "Illustrated Encyclopedia of Wildlife," and it's fantastically odd and mildly off-putting.

Miles tweeted, "Well that got unexpectedly bleak" along with the video and his assessment is fitting.

I'm all about avoiding spoilers, which you'd know if you've ever read any of my movie reviews, so in an effort to let you experience the strange I won't ruin the ending of this short commercial. I just have to assume the advertising team behind this commercial had one directive: make encyclopedias cool. Not really an easy feat, but I've got to give it to the people working on this commercial because they sure did try. I don't believe they succeeded, but they did try.

Instead of being cool and interesting, the commercial just got awkward and kind of depressing. I mean, how does your heart not break for this odd child when he says, "It must be a wonderful place." Also, this kid counted all the pages, does that mean he's a prisoner? What is happening? I can't handle this.

Anyway, watch at your own risk, because things are about to get weird.

Yesterday's Have You Seen This?

Have You Seen This? How to control an army of bugs with your voice

In a video captured at Nellie Lake in California's Kaiser Wilderness area, we see a lake come alive for a split second as tiny creatures respond to the sound of a backpacker's voice.

Related topics