A couple of weeks ago I was amused like many others about the new videos from You Tube’s flavor of the month Chris Crocker.
Earl Carter first blogged about a recent photo shoot of Crocker at Steele Creek Park in Bristol and although I’m not sure exactly where Chris lives, we know he’s from somewhere nearby. Earl later retracted some of his details after an AP story broke nationwide about this native – his celebrity requiring some degree of anonymity.
Chris’s mug is about as striking as Andy Warhol. He’s androgynous, refers to himself as the “Ghetto Queen” and recently attracted the attention of the Internet via his You Tube production and rant labeled “Leave Brittany Alone!” Crocker’s comments are part personal and part entertainment, although some may argue the only entertaining component is the instant curiosity that either allures or offends you into other parts of his work.
I’m not sure what Chris is going to have to say about the latest movement to take Brittany’s children away from her after the uber-coverage she has seen of late, but his first video is a brilliant and egoic rant with tears and seemingly sincere retort against the media’s onslaught against his pop star hero. My only gripe is the fact he lists his website as “Art.” I think that’s a stretch!
Regardless of opinion, there’s a phenomenon at work here that continues to play out in the Web 2.0 instantaneous world of celebrity. Crocker’s videos are now among the top 10 videos of all time on You Tube and he now reports the following accolades (from You Tube);
#12 – Most Subscribed (All Time)
#9 – Most Subscribed (All Time) – Directors
#1 – Most Viewed (This Month)
#12 – Most Subscribed (All Time)
#9 – Most Subscribed (All Time) – Directors
#1 – Most Viewed (This Month)
#1 – Most Viewed (This Month) – Directors
#15 – Most Viewed (All Time)
#8 – Most Viewed (All Time) – Directors
(more)
Chris’s success has depended largely on viral marketing and it’s blog posts like this and others that have helped jetison him to the top of pop culture for a while anyway. Along with the AP story, he’s also appeared on several news programs, entertainment weeklies and I even noticed a flash of his image on the Stephen Colbert Show on Comedy Central last week. He stated, “If people on the Internet get to vote, this is gonna be your candidate!.” He flashed to the moment where Crocker’s face was imploring everyone to “Leave Brittany Alone!.”
This kind of success if well and and good for the moment. Crocker’s new “cyberlebrity” is temporal though and before long he’ll wind up in a Top 100 list of Internet phenomenons that include the likes of the dancing baby, the guy dancing with the light saber – you know the list ? What he does after that will probably be determined by anyone who may hire him because the only real “aha” factor on his website is the notice for “Business Inquiries.” I can imagine Chris on some remote music video channel complaining about the attire at hollywood functions, but to consider him as any real relevance for our lives – I doubt it.
Crocker’s rise and fall will more than likely be a short-lived blip in our Internet conscious. He’s not creating any content that enhances our culture, but he’s a handful of cotton candy if anything that satisfies our boredom, so rock on Chris. Make the most of your moment too. Squeeze every bit you can and the the best of luck with the “schtick.”
We’ll watch Chris. For a moment at least. In this age information and celebrities pour out of the tube like a fire hydrant. Our short attention spans only allow 15 minutes just like Andy Warhol echoed in 1968 – “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.”
Parental advisory: Chris has an opinion and a marginal vocabulary sprinkled with street talk. Your journey and his incremental benefit begins here. Click here…