YouTube: A Springboard for Stardom

So after watching the YouTube sensation GloZell for about a half hour with my roommates, it made me think of just how much YouTube is revolutionizing the Internet and really just how much people are profiting from it. (Along with how much time I actually waste watching them.)

GloZell, a woman who rants and raves about everything and anything in 900 videos of her “reality show life,” garnered an immense following. This relatively new comedian’s channel has led to numerous opportunities. She has performed at The World Famous Comedy Store, The Laugh Factory, Showtime at Apollo, and was a guest on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno, which is stated on her blog, among other performances.

What makes GloZell so famous, besides her hilarity, is how real her videos seem to be. Anyone can relate to her videos in some way or another and that is what makes many of these types of videos go viral and become so popular. It creates a sort of bond between people, further emphasizing a connection between users.

YouTube provides a window for talent to become noticed. Hey, it’s where Justin Bieber got noticed and look where he is now. It is a place where those with real talents benefit, and those who just benefit well, by chance.

I’m sure many people are familiar with ‘The Bed Intruder’ video; a recording of a WAFF-48 news report about an alleged attempted rape in Huntsville, Alabama that found it’s way on YouTube.

The newscast was then made into a song that was charted as a top song on iTunes, selling over 100,000 copies and has more than 35 million views on YouTube. The man in the video, Antoine Dodson, was interviewed for the Today Show on NBC and appeared on the BET Awards to perform his song as well.

It’s crazy how some find themselves in superstardom from something they posted on YouTube in their leisure. The site has truly become a springboard to stardom for those who possess the talent and want to be noticed. 

And I guess those who well, are just plain entertaining. 

Future of Sports Journalism?

Imagine having a passionate blog dedicated to your favorite sports team and being offered the same access to media and credentials as the professional journalists that are covering that team's beat for major print publications.

Well, currently one professional sports team is doing that, and I had the opportunity to witness and be involved with its growth.

After our discussion in class about the future of sports journalism, I immediately thought about my summer internship experience with the New York Islanders, and how they are currently utilizing bloggers in their NYI Blog Box.

One of the main focal points of the Islanders Hockey Club that Owner Charles B. Wang revealed to the interns during a meeting this summer was their ability to think outside of the box.

“When someone says to you, we always did it this way, well then that’s a great reason to change it,” he said. “To build something that is sustainable and long lasting you have to build the kind of foundation that’s going to be different, otherwise you’re just one of 30.”

And that is precisely their objective with the creation of the blog box.

There are currently 12 Islanders bloggers who make up this blog box, offering bloggers the opportunity to the team’s media availability and access to the press box while covering home games. The blog box is currently in its fourth season and allows bloggers to be situated high above the Nassau Coliseum ice in their own box, covering home games for their respected blogs.

In an article distributed on the Islanders website, Denise Karl, founding member of the blog 7^th woman and the Islanders blogger for Hockey Buzz, said that there was some concern about giving bloggers access and the quality of material being disseminated.

But now most of the mainstream media reporters are quickly accepting their roles and affiliation with the team. The bloggers and mainstream reporters have created a relationship and understand the boundaries of both of their roles.

I think what the Islanders are doing is a great opportunity for the bloggers to gain an immense following and serves as a catalyst for getting them so deeply involved with the sports industry. It provides them with a responsibility and duty while allowing them the once in a lifetime opportunity to do what they are most passionate about.