9/08/2006
YouTube Fame: Not All It’s Cracked Up To Be
YouTube, the country’s leading video-sharing site, is a portal for individuals who want an outlet to express their thoughts and views. But opening up your life to the rest of the world may not be what some expected from their newfound YouTube fame. Especially for the young 16-20 year old crowd that the site seems to regularly attract. YouTube has gained popularity over the last few years and has projected an almost monopoly over the rest of the online video sharing industry. According to Joshua Gamson, author of Claims to Fame: Celebrity in Contemporary America, “YouTube is less artificial. I think there is a really strong sense that much of American celebrity culture is PR generated. That creates a market for so-called real people. People enjoy cutting through the nonsense.” And YouTube has grabbed the market with both hands.
Following the blogging trend, video blogging is becoming extremely popular and acquiring a good fan base can increase your popularity quite quickly to the point of making you a sort of Z-list internet celebrity. But along with every kind of celebrity status, there comes a downside. For just as many fans as you have, you’ll have that many or more people who don’t rock the good intentions. And YouTube video stars are beginning to find that out the hard way.
One such teen, Emmalina, an 18 year old who had a weekly video blog, has deleted her content from YouTube claiming she feared for her safety after her computer was hacked and personal files and information were dislayed on the internet. She said in a farewell letter on YouTube forum, YouTubetalk “Every day I logged in and discovered more and more cruel spoofs, harassing videos, death and rape threats, incredibly nasty comments and God knows what else. I can’t take it anymore. YouTube’s ‘popularity’ is hell unless you’re a f---ing saint with nothing to hide or you have indestructible confidence.” As more and more people transition into video outlets, the hacking and the stalking is bound to increase. “People forget that I’m a real, normal young girl with a life, feelings and a right to privacy” Emmelina also said in her online forum. However, some people believe that it’s something you have to deal with if you choose to publicize your private life for viewers to see. And we’re not talking thousands. YouTube gets on average 19 million visitors per month. Celebrity agent, Mark Markson warned “the openness of the internet represented a double edged sword for those seeking noriety. If you put yourself out there on YouTube or MySpace you are moving into open area and giving your privacy away. If all of a sudden fame comes upon you, all of the negatives as well as the positives come with it.”
YouTube can be a great way to express yourself, promote yourself or even jumpstart a career. But like all things fameworthy, there’s a price to pay. And for some hardcore YouTubers, the negatives are outweighing the positives.
Here are some our favorite videos via Youtube for your viewing pleasure:
- Noah takes a photo of himself everyday for 6 years.
- Psycho complains to city about "rogue helicopter pilot"
- Breakin' - Turbo Broom Scene
- One-Handed 3x3x3 Rubik's Cube solve (20.09 seconds solve)
- Stevie Ray Vaughan - Testify - MTV Unplugged 1990
- YouTube's Most Viewed (All Time)
A PimpWiz Exclusive By, Lauren Fairbanks
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YouTube
prevents viewers from downloading files off their site. But there
are ways around this. Here's a step-by-step tutorial on how to
rip video files off YouTube.com and convert them for your Video
iPod.
Wicked Lasers named their new flashlight the TORCH... and for good reason. The "TORCH" is technically a flashlight. It looks like a flashlight. Operates like a flashlight. But this is no ordinary flashlight. The TORCH is so bright that its beam can ignite flammable objects as fast as fire. 
The average teenager these days probably has no idea who poor old Wilford is. But if you grew up during the 80's, then you probably remember Wilford from movies like Cocoon, The Natural and his many Quaker Oats Oatmeal commercials. Does Wilford Brimley really look like a cat? You decide.
As Twitter continues to gain in popularity and users, those of us already on Twitter might find ourselves in a position where we have to explain Twitter to a non-techie type person like Grandma. So what do you say when someone asks you something silly like "What is the Twitter?" or "Are you taking the Twitter?"
Bugs tend to freak us out. Mosquitoes, spiders, wasps, centipedes... you name it. If it crawls, bites or buzzes anywhere near our faces, then we squirm, swat and run. But what's worse than a little bug crawling on or biting you? How about a really, really big one? Here are some of the biggest bugs on Earth. Enjoy!. 
Instead of having to go to a separate site or use a specific application like Second Life, ROCKETON turns the entire Internet into a virtual world for browser based avatars. 
If you're looking for an inexpensive, lightweight pair of earbuds with fantastic bass, then Radius' Atomic Bass earbuds are the earbuds of your dreams.
In a time when so-called MC's rap about their bank accounts or invent the latest dance craze to sell records, Lupe Fiasco is on the other side of the spectrum. It's refreshing to find a mainstream rapper dealing with non-commercial issues with the passion and sheer lyrical skill that Lupe exemplifies.
Want
to upgrade the RAM in your
Mac Mini? You can definitely save a few bucks by buying a stripped
down Mac Mini and upgrading the RAM yourself. But before you
can install that extra RAM, you'll need to take a walk down to
your local hardware store and grab a couple putty knives.
Need
something to watch on your iPod or iPhone? Here's a tutorial that
explains how to use a program called Handbrake to rip DVD's
into iPod compatible MPEG-4 video files.
Is a weak arm or physical stamina keeping you from taking your Nintendo Wii gaming experience to the next level? Perhaps you should look into getting the Nintendo Wii Nunchuck Controller. This accessory adds even more innovation to the next generation of gaming and does it all with less physical movement.
Are
you trying to eject your iPod from your computer but the "Do
Not Disconnect" won't go away? Don't worry, this is a common
problem with a fairly easy solution.
So
Napster's gone pay, KaZaA is chock-full of viruses and spyware,
and you need someplace to get your file sharing on. Luckily
for you, there's BitTorrent! Here's a
tutorial to get you started. 
