Paying the price for digital notoriety
This weekend I was introduced to “Iowa Gurls,” a brilliant and hilarious music-video parody of the Katy Perry song “California Gurls.”
This song was produced by the Cedar Rapids radio station Z102.9. While the video may be visually Hawkeye-centered, anybody who was born and raised in Iowa can enjoy the song’s message.
The video opens with an audio clip of Zach Morris from the television show “Saved By the Bell” saying “Iowa, the land of farmers’ daughters.”
The song goes on to describe drinking on a party bus, and includes the lyric “Midwest represent, now throw your corn up.”
I can’t do it justice, you just have to watch it.
“Iowa Gurls” isn’t alone on the list of ridiculous homemade videos that have become YouTube sensations.
YouTube is a video-sharing Web site where viewers upload, share and view videos, and literally anything can be found on it.
There’s the famous character named Kelly, who is played by a comedian in drag, who goes on a quest for shoes.
If you get a kick out of watching people unintentionally hurt themselves, there’s the “Scarlet takes a tumble” video. Falling off of a coffee table has never looked so awesome. I recommend also watching it in slow-motion.
Chris Crocker gives us the ultimate cry-fest in his “Leave Britney Alone” video. To fully understand this video, it’s important to remember the train wreck that was Britney Spears in 2007.
However, it’s not just adults who are putting themselves online. In the video, “David After Dentist,” one father tapes his son who is high off his rocker on novacaine.
These people are giving me endless hours of entertainment, but I wonder if the 15 minutes of fame is worth the lifetime of online infamy.
According to Pete Brantner, executive director for Crossroads Mental Health Center in Creston, people don’t always understand the implications of putting a photo or video on the Internet.
“When you’ve got something on video and tape, and you can replay it over and over again, there’s a lot less ability for those images to diminish with time,” Brantner said.
These types of images can hurt people’s daily lives, from applying for a job to even going out on a date.
“If you were drunk or doing something stupid at a party, it’s not very impressive,” Brantner said. “Once it’s out there, there’s no expunging it.”
Even with the warnings, people will still continue to take the chance to get their small share of the limelight.
The success stories are few and far between for YouTube sensations, but they give hope to every schmuck who thinks he or she can sing.
One example is Justin Bieber. He rose to stardom by posting himself singing online.
Then, there’s Greyson Chance, the preteen boy who gained fame by singing Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” at a school music festival and posting it the Internet. Chance is now signed to Ellen DeGeneres’ music label.
Brantner said he believes there’s a self-centered trend emerging in today’s society.
“Society-wise, I do tend to think we’re becoming much more self-centered,” he said. “I think that it does seem for some people that they are motivated to put themselves in positions to get more public notoriety.”
He added people will always be attracted to the idea of getting music contracts, reality-television deals and blogging sites.
There will always be that success story about a young ingenue rising from nowhere to take the entertainment world by storm.
However, the term 15 minutes of fame is correctly applied to the majority of the YouTube sensations. Once the clock ticks the end of time for one person, another person comes along to steal the spotlight.
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