MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:
If you find yourself feeling a bit down this holiday season or maybe just today...
(SOUNDBITE OF TV SERIES, "THE OFFICE")
BLOCK: Then we've got just the thing for you.
MEGS SENK: My name is Megs Senk, and I created the website emergencycompliment.com.
AUDIE CORNISH, HOST:
Emergency Compliment automatically generates flattery. It's easy. Just go to the site and a compliment's waiting for you. Need more than one? With the click of your mouse, you get another. We asked Senk to read off a few of them about your unfailing sense of humor.
SENK: All your friends worry they aren't as funny as you.
(SOUNDBITE OF DRUMBEATS)
BLOCK: Not good enough? Try this.
SENK: You're funny, like LOL style.
(LAUGHTER)
CORNISH: And then there's your high standard of cleanliness.
SENK: Your dental hygiene is impeccable.
(SOUNDBITE OF BRUSHING)
SENK: Eight out of 10 coworkers agree your desk is the cleanest.
(SOUNDBITE OF A DING)
BLOCK: And a few more of our favorites.
SENK: You're the best at making cereal.
(SOUNDBITE OF CEREAL)
SENK: Every other country is super jealous that you're a citizen in this country.
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC, "THE STAR-SPANGLED BANNER")
SENK: You could be an astronaut if you wanted. NASA told me so.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: This is Houston. Say again, please.
SENK: I'm not telling you what to do, but you could pull off orange corduroy.
(SOUNDBITE OF WHISTLE)
CORNISH: Emergency Compliment started as a side project to amuse creator Megs Senk and some of her friends. But the site's gotten more than one million views since it launched back in late October. And Senk says that just proves everyone needs a pick-me-up now and then.
SENK: It's just hitting people in areas that I never thought it would. I think it's a nice little thing to make them smile throughout the day. Which I think is, you know, all you need from the Internet sometimes, just a little reminder that someone's out there saying nice things about you.
BLOCK: Saying nice things and also doing nice things.
(SOUNDBITE OF VIDEO, "NICEST PLACE ON THE INTERNET")
(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)
BLOCK: This is a video from a different website called the Nicest Place on the Internet. And it may actually live up to its name.
CORNISH: It doesn't dole out emergency compliments. Instead, it offers hugs. It's a video site that shows people closing in on the camera then wrapping their arms around it. The huggers are old and young, some are in pairs.
BLOCK: There's even a group hug. As it says on the website: Come on by to turn the sad into happy and the happy into a celebration because this is a nice place to visit on days like today.
CORNISH: So here's to feeling good courtesy of the Internet.
(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "FEELING GOOD") Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
