What are your thoughts on internet celebrities?

[onesteptwostep]

You know, like those people on youtube.

Spoiler

I didn't grow up with the internet in the sense that I always had it with me (my first contact with the web was like 2000; 56k modem.. it's odd that I had the patience to deal with it when I think back on it, but anyway), as time went by- like 2005ish and onwards, we, we as in the generation Y group, saw a lot of development in "media platforms" like myspace, facebook and so on. Personally- since I was a kid I was naturally drawn to gaming and flash entertainment sites- like albinoblacksheep, ebaumsworld, and gamefaqs and other niche gaming forums. But namely, among all the internet hangouts, it seems like youtube had the video sharing pie pretty much all to themselves.

With the development of forums and general social niches groups like reddit and 4chan came the development of what we now know as 'memes'. And along with these memes, the persons who were the subject of the memes sometimes, if they gained enough attention, seemed to be elevated to the status of the 'internet celebrity'.

I think to some degree the spiritual combination, if I may use the word, of the meme phenomeon and youtube created the internet celeberties we know of today- the ones lined up in our recommendation sections on youtube.

What are your general thoughts on them if you have any?

On the practical side of things they certainly seem to help with business, like product placement and the like (advertising). The political element is another facet to consider, I guess (TheYoungTurks and all those internet political pundit people). On art and entertainment, that's an obvious one. Music videos and the general postmodernistic 'burst of imagery' and video editing to enlargen effect; all these seem to help propell postmodernity.

The ideas here are sort of scatterbrained but hopefully the gists of it are there. Historically I think the they're like when the first printing presses were invented back in the middle ages- they have the power to sway people, whether for good or bad. But as for the internet celebs, I think it's mostly for the worse.. worse as it in feeds people too much so that it drives them to apathy and nihilism. Information age and data saturation. So yeah, I generally have a pessimistic outlook when I think about them hollistically. But I can't deny that they have their uses when they're viewed individually.

How do you feel about'em?

Spoiler

on the topic of memes

 

[StevenM]

Re: What are your thoughts on internet celebrties?

Meh, they're all right.

Although I only know of the ones I have preference for.

 

[paradoxparadigm7]

Re: What are your thoughts on internet celebrties?

Like all celebrities, they burn bright then fade away. Some have staying power depending on how they reinvent themselves and stay fresh. Overall I don't pay much attention to them and stay with the lectures that come from universities who have actually something to say/learn. How great is it that I don't have to pay for a class at Stanford U and still 'attend'.

 

[redbaron]

Re: What are your thoughts on internet celebrties?

Who fucking cares?

 

[TBerg]

Re: What are your thoughts on internet celebrties?

I am a Sinophile, so I watch a lot of channels listed as part of the NTDTV channel. They keep me wanting to try more Asian stuff. They are also not racist without all of the white guilt baggage associated with talking about ethnic issues. The Young Turks is okay sometimes too, but their sometime anti-Americanism is annoying, and they are also too enmeshed in political correctness. Bill Whittle and Prager University are nice counterpoints. Douglas Murray is also a fantastically incisive commentator to search for. Whether these people count as Internet celebrities is up to the eye of the beholder, and I don't always follow them all the time. Stratfor and Secular Talk are also good choices.

But I really enjoy it most when I am excited to follow university lectures, which allow me to escape the madness of the world for a little while. I really hate the media environment. My dad watches the junk morning show every morning. Even seeing it on drives me crazy.

 

[onesteptwostep]

Re: What are your thoughts on internet celebrties?

Who fucking cares?

Eh, I'll bite.

I'm guessing/predicting that the generation behind us who're growing up with these people are going to be heavily influenced by them. Everyone from grade school and up are hooked onto the web these days, especially in the developing world, and especially in western world. Internet celebs just might define their cultural milieu in the future, and in turn, the cultural milieu of the world.

The medium of writing is the prefered method of communicating ideas today, but I think videos might just triumph over that in the future. People don't sit down and read much anymore. They look at and listen to people on youtube.

 

[peoplesuck]

Re: What are your thoughts on internet celebrties?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdPPiTVMjmQ

 

[Giant Party Donut]

Re: What are your thoughts on internet celebrties?

Welcome back, like the creativity and story telling skills

 

[onesteptwostep]

Re: What are your thoughts on internet celebrties?

Welcome back, like the creativity and story telling skills

I don't know who you're talking about but okay o_O

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdPPiTVMjmQ

Yeah this is what I mean, these videos feed you that sense of apathy if taken the wrong way.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wjXJL6ZwLk

here's a niche internet-celeb documentary ^

 

[Ex-User (9086)]

Re: What are your thoughts on internet celebrties?

I don't care. If someone is popular, they are less likely to have something interesting to say to a wide audience, I prefer to escape from such boredom.

The process of forming celebrities and memes is worth investigating. Though I would attribute their virality and selling features to the appeal they have for someone who is to make a meme of them and in effect start a chain of information on their behalf.

Their image are the few bits of information that everyone recognises, the appeal for selling this image is what they do, the same on a different scale happens in real social settings with politicians and other people-turned-products.

I'm guessing/predicting that the generation behind us who're growing up with these people are going to be heavily influenced by them. Everyone from grade school and up are hooked onto the web these days, especially in the developing world, and especially in western world. Internet celebs just might define their cultural milieu in the future, and in turn, the cultural milieu of the world.

People who don't develop their sphere of independent thinking are figuratively dead. This is just another evolutionary challenge to overcome. Sure, let them live their dream.

 

[SNCSA]

Re: What are your thoughts on internet celebrties?

This is a non issue just by the topic title

If we are here not to do
What you and I wanna do
And go forever crazy with it
Why the hell are we even here?

 

[DrGregoryHouse]

Re: What are your thoughts on internet celebrties?

Most of the more famous ones I can think of are big ol' Extroverts and Feelers.

Meh...

 

[Pyropyro]

Re: What are your thoughts on internet celebrties?

I ignore these "celebrities" unless they provide me with useful knowledge. I don't find the value in following them unless they provide me with interesting data. Even knowing them is of little social value since a only a very thin slice of the population can relate to you.

The dudes that I subscribe to at youtube are either:
* comedy channels for the lols
* music playlists even if I only listen to said vids
* cool how-to's for interesting stuff/ personal development

Perhaps my only gripe with these celebs is the fanservice. Seriously, I just want to study how to make floating origami lanterns but half of the screen is covered by cleavage.

 

[KevIntp]

Re: What are your thoughts on internet celebrties?

I don't see Internet celebrities much different than other celebrities. People who gain notoriety far beyond the value of what they do, somehow making their lives outside of work a thing of interest for people who would rather live vicariously.

 

[Brontosaurie]

Re: What are your thoughts on internet celebrties?

i deserve their money

 

[TheManBeyond]

Re: What are your thoughts on internet celebrties?

i used to see a couple of gameplays by some youtubers, specially about minecraft, a long time ago. Now i don't watch anything by anyone. Perhaps it is Si but i admit i feel ankward entering their zone, that is a subculture of videogames, parties, nerdy stuff, technologie, skrillex, ambience in which i feel totally lost and beaten, intimidated perhaps, the new cool guys follow them and i feel better at home, pretending to be somehow different and perhaps because of not belonging, cooler than them.

 

[Polaris]

Re: What are your thoughts on internet celebrties?

I don't mind this one :

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DHHAR1S_eKA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV4vmqpiVag

I don't know whether to eat or dance - ah, the power of internet celebrities.

 

[Alias]

I despise those YouTubers who get millions of dollars for acting like children and playing minecraft (PewDiePie, SkyDoesMinecraft, I'm looking at you two morons.). Wow, you can play Minecraft? How original. I definitely haven't seen millions of pre-teens make stupid videos overrun with horrible memes. And then they're such heroes because they donate a small portion to charity. An example of a truly saint-like Internet celebrity is Cr1tikal. Until recently, all the proceeds from his videos would go to actual, verified charities. You may ask "Why did he stop giving it all?". Because he gave so much of his money he was impoverished. He had so little money that giving some to himself would count as giving it to the needy. The only other Internet celebrities I like are those who provide good comedy, and/or play Team Fortress 2 (my favorite video game, if you didn't already know). People who make millions by acting like an idiotic 12 year old need to grow up.

 

[INTPWolf]

Re: What are your thoughts on internet celebrties?

Who fucking cares?

said like a true intp. i concur, i never even gave this idea a second thought.
But in lue of answering your question. Good for them?

 

[onesteptwostep]

I'm going to conjure Moore's Godwin's Law here, but something like this should get the point across fairly well...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnpTWKKWQ1o

internet celebs would be able to sway micro communities, though they wouldn't have the national, macro reach that adolf hitler had (the music is somewhat distracting, but the man's rhetoric is still convincing)

 

[INTPWolf]

I despise those YouTubers who get millions of dollars for acting like children and playing minecraft (PewDiePie, SkyDoesMinecraft, I'm looking at you two morons.). Wow, you can play Minecraft? How original. I definitely haven't seen millions of pre-teens make stupid videos overrun with horrible memes. And then they're such heroes because they donate a small portion to charity. An example of a truly saint-like Internet celebrity is Cr1tikal. Until recently, all the proceeds from his videos would go to actual, verified charities. You may ask "Why did he stop giving it all?". Because he gave so much of his money he was impoverished. He had so little money that giving some to himself would count as giving it to the needy. The only other Internet celebrities I like are those who provide good comedy, and/or play Team Fortress 2 (my favorite video game, if you didn't already know). People who make millions by acting like an idiotic 12 year old need to grow up.

We never truly grow up, the most destructive thought process to people as a whole is that they have to, and in doing so we lose ourselves. To each their own, Unless you are wrong, then i will have a reason to comment. ~intp

 

[Yellow]

I don't think I was aware of internet celebrities. I mean there are some mentions here, but I was ignorant to their existence until now. The only example I can think of is razor1000 on Imgur who is known for saying "I always upvote ass", or something along those lines. I suppose you guys are the closest thing in my life to internet celebrities. Well you guys and the faces of people in memes. But do they count? Oh! there are some cats. These cats.

Spoiler

Maru [bimgx=250]http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qtXhesqBNHE/maxresdefault.jpg[/bimgx]
Tartar Sauce[bimgx=250]http://content1.promiflash.de/article-images/w500/grumpy-cat-und-eine-blume.jpg[/bimgx]
Snoopy[bimgx=250]http://www.inspirefusion.com/media/2013/snoopy_cat10.jpg[/bimgx]
Colonel Meow[bimgx=250]https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/3224911561/b4fdd5d4a95811c70cec1db1c1130389.jpeg[/bimgx]

 

[Seteleechete]

As a rule, much, much preferable to actual celebrities. At least internet celebrities all had to pass the court of popular opinion and were chosen based on what they provide/merit, they are less prone to turn into assholes. Also competition is more fierce allowing you to pick what you like, sommething I really enjoy.