Internet Celebrity
Posted on November 3rd, 2008
Sometime in the ’80s a couple of geeks decided to link their computers together. Yada, yada, yada, then the internet came along. Soon after this people began to ‘post’ things using this new medium. Opinions, thoughts, criticisms and conspiracy theories soon began to reach the masses with little to no filter. Almost immediately the pros and cons of this phenomenon were apparent. On one hand, people could share their view points and engage in meaningful discussions much more easily. On the other hand, idiots with no educational background in anything were able to make grandiose claims, attack people behind a shield of anonymity known as the ‘screen name’, and generally be douche bags on a large scale.
It’s these people that I want to talk about today.
We are in the midst of a revolution on par with the Industrial Revolution. Everything we do and every way we interact is changing before our eyes. One of the most noticeable and strangely compelling things that’s happened through these changes is the creation of internet celebrities. People who are known for nothing other than being on the internet. They don’t really offer anything meaningful or further any kind of cultural gain. They mostly just expose their lives for all to see in some kind of train wreck fashion. Either that or they comment on others lives and how they are in a state of train wreck. It’s a phenomenon that I like to call the Gutenberg on Crack effect. If only old Johannes knew what the internet has made possible in the world of publishing today.
Here is one such example:
His name is Pruane2Forever and he’s become somewhat of a minor internet celebrity. He is young and obviously has no basis for his opinions apart from what the mass media has told him. He spouts his grand view of the world with a certainty that is both comical and a little sad. There are a couple videos where his step-father shows up and we get a view into his home life. It’s not pretty. Like the ‘Leave Brittany Alone‘ guy, Pruane is one of the sad examples of internet celebrity.
Here is another example of an internet celeb:
This is the second main type of internet celebrity. The “I’m young and kind of nerdy but still considered cool in the world of the internet” type. This particular internet celebrity has much more substance than the last but still relies on making fun of his Asian culture and traditional parents from time to time. The common thread between the two of them being an exposure of themselves that borders on exploitation. Are we laughing with them or at them? I do not know.
And finally we have even another type of internet celebrity:
These two are by far the biggest internet celebrities going. They’ve crossed over into mainstream media and are now, for lack of a better term – bonafide celebrities. Perez with guest appearances on almost every major talk show and Tila with her reality show “Shot at Love” which is basically a bisexual version of The Bachelor. Like Pruane and Kevjumba, both of these celebrities have made their names by boldly placing themselves on the internet and professing their opinions on the world. However, they’ve taken it one step further. They aren’t putting themselves out there as they are – they’ve become more than that. Personas of themselves. The main staple of internet celebrity is the anonymity factor. Neither of these people use their real names and their lives in general seem manufactured. Can it be that these people, growing up as they have in the age of celebrity have truley been prepared for the live they now live? That’s a scary thought I know. The fact that simply BEING famous can now be a dream for a child that can actually be realized. The internet has made it possible to make money simply by living your life visibly.
So, in closing, if you want to be an internet celebrity here is an easy 5 step program:
1) Abandon every fact you’ve ever learned about the world.
2) Form your own facts based on nothing more than what you like or feel on any particular day.
3) Attack other people in the limelight at their first sign of weakness relentlessly.
4) Always take the opportunity for exposure, no matter how small.
5) Exploit your own life in such a way that it seems like you’re being confident, but really you’re just desperately looking for some kind of validation wherever you can get it.
Voila! Internet celebrity.
Good luck out there kids.
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Tags: celebrity, internet, kevjumba, perez hilton, pruane2forever, shot at love, the bachelor, tila tequila, youtube
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5 Responses to “Internet Celebrity”
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Scott Says:
November 4th, 2008 at 12:31 amI smell the sweet smell of jealousy in the air…
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bob Says:
November 4th, 2008 at 10:41 amNot so much jealousy but injustice. How can these people do what they do and get thousands upon millions of views and yet there is quality, written entertainment available out there that is being totally ignored?
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bob Says:
November 4th, 2008 at 12:33 pmThese people are the Kenneth Banias of the internet.
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Phoenix Says:
November 4th, 2008 at 1:46 pmAdmit it, Bob… you totally want to be an internet celebrity. Witness this blog. And your videos. Wannabe!
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bob Says:
November 4th, 2008 at 2:08 pmOf course, I want internet success. But I do not want to be an internet celebrity. I mean, I’d take it, but I don’t seek it.