Is It An Online Phenomenon If You Don’t Know About It?
If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it, does it really happen?
If a superstar is created in a niche part of the Internet and you’re not aware of it, are they really a superstar?
Even though the first is considered a paradox, I have no problem actually answering yes to both of those questions.
The LA Times just ran an article on Fred which is an Internet sensation that I was completely unaware of until this afternoon. Who is “Fred”? He’s a 14-year old named Lucas Cruikshank who creates videos where he pretends to be a 6-year old with a temper problem. Lucas uses video software to chipmunkafy his voice to make it sound high-pitched like a 6-year old’s would sound, and then makes videos in this “Fred” persona and uploads them to his YouTube account.
What makes him a sensation? Well he’s got nearly 250,000 subscribers which puts him 4th on the all-time list above notables like LonelyGirl, Soulja Boy, Miley Cyrus, and, well, everybody else. His videos routinely get a few million views and thousands of comments. He’s an Internet superstar with the younger generation. Here’s one of his most popular videos: in this episode, he loses his medication:
What does it take to be an Internet phenomenon like Fred? Well it takes some talent, a lot of entertainment value, and the ability to identify with your audience. His audience happens to be in the tween segment so it’s no wonder it flew under my radar. Did it fly under yours, too?
Scrivs # —
I give the kid props because it is entertaining, but I can see it getting old quick and his humor is based off a gimmick so if he wants to carry this long term he will have to change it up eventually.
Since we basically live on the web you would be surprised how much stuff we are aware of that others aren’t and vice versa. The adult/teenager gap is so huge with regards to what is hot in culture it’s no suprise advertisers can never get it right.
Designkai # —
Uuuuh… This is a phenomenon I’m glad flew under my radar. Its pretty annoying, personally.
And as Scrivs said, there is a pretty huge gap, although I have this feeling things like Facebook may be acting as a bridge to that gap in many situations with the growing amount of both younger and older generations using social networking tools. So maybe we will see this becoming a lesser occurrence? Probably not, but its an interesting thought.
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