In an age where people are constantly given public attention and exposure for seemingly idiotic things, it becomes very easy to desire one's own chance at addressing or entertaining the public. Every day we see reality television stars who enter the public eye and remain there for doing very little. If you have a talent or an idea, such as a comedy routine, an anime review show, or a cooking blog, you may wonder how you can get the attention that seems to come so easily for reality tv stars.
Back before the Internet existed or was widely available, people often dreamed of breaking into the public eye through cable access shows. These are shows broadcast on local cable networks which provide airtime to the public for free or at a very low cost.
The popular 1990s Saturday Night Live sketch Wayne's World was a satire of this phenomenon, featuring two high school students with dreams of becoming famous through their cable access show. The movie of the same title, which grew out of the sketch, followed Wayne and Garth as their show was picked up by a national network.
Cable access is still around, but not as many people us it anymore. These days, a more popular option is YouTube. Sometimes YouTube users have notions similar to those of the Wayne's World characters: getting famous by sharing their opinions. Other times, they have a serious message they want to convey. Regardless of the purpose, YouTube gives users the opportunity to connect with the public and make a statement.
When a particular video suddenly picks up a lot of traction on the web, and is circulated by many people through email and social networks, it is deemed a "viral video." Some of these videos, like "Friday" by Rebecca Black, have been designed to go viral in the first place. Others happen as the result of people finding humor in an interview or a news broadcast, like Antoine Dodson's comments to a news reporter which were eventually turned into a video called "Bed Intruder."
For those who do not necessarily want to perform in front of the camera, blogging can be a way to enter the public eye. Some bloggers, like Nate Silver, have achieved fame and fortune very quickly, causing people to call them an "overnight success." Silver developed a formula that predicted baseball stats, and eventually used it to predict election results through a blog about politics. This made him famous and made him millions of dollars.
One reason the internet has become a preferred venue over cable access is that it provides the chance to reach an exponentially larger audience. Cable access may expose users to people in their immediate, local surroundings, but the internet can connect them with people across the world. Even in the fictional situation portrayed in the Wayne's World movie, the characters' concept was changed and manipulated when it was adapted for a national audience. On the internet, however, one can maintain control of production while still reaching millions of people.
However, the internet has provided a wide open window to the world, through which anyone can display their ideas and talents. You can say what you want through a blog on Tumblr or Wordpress, or in a comedy routine or anime review show that you share on YouTube. Perhaps your fifteen minutes of fame actually are within your reach.
Back before the Internet existed or was widely available, people often dreamed of breaking into the public eye through cable access shows. These are shows broadcast on local cable networks which provide airtime to the public for free or at a very low cost.
The popular 1990s Saturday Night Live sketch Wayne's World was a satire of this phenomenon, featuring two high school students with dreams of becoming famous through their cable access show. The movie of the same title, which grew out of the sketch, followed Wayne and Garth as their show was picked up by a national network.
Cable access is still around, but not as many people us it anymore. These days, a more popular option is YouTube. Sometimes YouTube users have notions similar to those of the Wayne's World characters: getting famous by sharing their opinions. Other times, they have a serious message they want to convey. Regardless of the purpose, YouTube gives users the opportunity to connect with the public and make a statement.
When a particular video suddenly picks up a lot of traction on the web, and is circulated by many people through email and social networks, it is deemed a "viral video." Some of these videos, like "Friday" by Rebecca Black, have been designed to go viral in the first place. Others happen as the result of people finding humor in an interview or a news broadcast, like Antoine Dodson's comments to a news reporter which were eventually turned into a video called "Bed Intruder."
For those who do not necessarily want to perform in front of the camera, blogging can be a way to enter the public eye. Some bloggers, like Nate Silver, have achieved fame and fortune very quickly, causing people to call them an "overnight success." Silver developed a formula that predicted baseball stats, and eventually used it to predict election results through a blog about politics. This made him famous and made him millions of dollars.
One reason the internet has become a preferred venue over cable access is that it provides the chance to reach an exponentially larger audience. Cable access may expose users to people in their immediate, local surroundings, but the internet can connect them with people across the world. Even in the fictional situation portrayed in the Wayne's World movie, the characters' concept was changed and manipulated when it was adapted for a national audience. On the internet, however, one can maintain control of production while still reaching millions of people.
However, the internet has provided a wide open window to the world, through which anyone can display their ideas and talents. You can say what you want through a blog on Tumblr or Wordpress, or in a comedy routine or anime review show that you share on YouTube. Perhaps your fifteen minutes of fame actually are within your reach.
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