Online video has long provided a novel way of ordinary people to find a bigger audience, deservedly so or not. But the latest YouTube phenomenon, the JK Wedding Video, is a step too far for me, because it signals that people are now playing the system to seek fame and fortune.
Famous For?
There was a time when people became famous for doing something noteworthy and deserving of attention by a bigger audience than just their friends and family. Like being a famous writer, philosopher, artist, or politician. Then it became actors and musicians. Then porn stars and reality TV contestants. And now? Now we have people who do something slightly funny and upload the video of it to YouTube.
JK Wedding Video
You’ve probably all seen the JK Wedding Video by now. If not, head on over to WebTVHub and do just that. The video shows the procession down the aisle at the wedding of Jill Peterson and Kevin Heinz. They and all their guests dance their way into church to the accompaniment of Chris Brown, the guy who is alleged to have beaten up his ex-girlfriend Rihanna not so long ago.
There’s no doubt that the video is a lot of fun. It turns a local wedding in Minnesota, which could have been dull, boring, and very conservative, into an event which clearly gives everyone present a good laugh, and has also entertained millions of people on the Web who have seen it since. So why do I hate the video and everything it stands for?
Why The Hatred?
The JK Wedding Video is just the latest in a long line of YouTube clips to break out from the online video niche and enter the mainstream. But this feels different, like it was staged, like it was performed, videoed, and uploaded to YouTube with the express intention of finding fame and fortune for its makers.
My hatred for it doesn’t spring from a desire to keep the sanctity of marriage pure or anything. In fact, I wish weddings were less formal and less traditional, although I’m not sure dancing down the aisle to crappy pop music is quite the way to achieve this. My hatred springs instead from the way the couple have had fame foisted upon them as a result of uploading a mildly amusing video to YouTube.
Copycats Coming
It’s pretty clear to me that Jill and Kevin saw the fame and fortune afforded to other stars of other online video phenomenons and decided they wanted a piece of the action. The most obvious video to point the blame at is the Baby Got Back first dance video from 2007. The couple behind that little video went on to appear on chat shows and perform their little skit all around the world.
Now, the same is happening to Jill and Kevin, although I fear they had planned that route to stardom all along. I don’t mind the video on its own merit but even on the first viewing I smelt a bit of a rat. The fact that the couple have since appeared on The Today Show bears out my fear that this was all done as a way of getting famous. Which sucks, in my opinion.
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i agree with you on the point that pursuit of fame for the sake of fame is not a route i would ever take, and i certainly don’t have a favorable opinion of famous people without talent (i.e. paris hilton, etc). But even you admitted in your article that this video is entertaining, isn’t it? And would you have rather that they didn’t post it and bring joy to people around the world? They were somehow able to capture a real human emotion that no hollywood bullshit could ever fabricate and it was frickin beautiful!!
Lastly, isn’t writing a blog an attempt at having your voice heard? there’s nothing wrong with that, and I think you’ll agree as someone who just wrote and posted an article on this topic! I welcome your thoughts on all this, and thanks for reading!
Another point: how is someone like Paris Hilton any more deserving of fame than these people? Or any of the talking heads on news networks that make a living out of stoking political rage? This video did the exact opposite. Sorry, just forgot to mention this as well!
-James
i know what you mean… the gall of them staging a wedding, pretending to be in love and having the time of their lives AND someone just happens to be videotaping it? i don’t buy it….
its like they had their trip to the today show booked weeks in advance. personally, i think evil genius matt lauer set the whole thin g up…….
oh, shoot, i almost forgot this: you’re an idiot. drink your hemlock and shut the eff up.
You are so wrong!! If they really planned it thinking it could be viral, they should have uploaded it as soon as possible after their wedding last June 20 but alas they uploaded it only a month after the wedding at the request of the bride’s father who wanted to share it with relatives who weren’t there.
Who cares if they are making money of of youtube. What’s ur problem, let these people do them, you mean to tell me if you couldnt find a way to make money you wouldn’t? Seems like your just bitter over nothing, why would you care. I have seven words to say to you, “get a life, or “get a talent!
Christ! I bet it’s a laugh a minute in your house mate! Miserable bugger.