I've decided that I'm finally going to tackle LonelyGirl (no pun intended). I think her popularity on YouTube is incredibly indicative of the power of user generated video and the format by which videos are generally watched online.
LonelyGirl is of interest to me mostly because her videos are not, in any way, entertaining or of artistic value. I am certain that a LonelyGirl TV series would not gather even a fraction of the attention it has gained on YouTube as the most watched channel. To me, this means that the method and setting of delivery has all to do with its success.
I intend to explore ways in which LonelyGirl promotes online voyeurism through the medium through which it is delivered. That is, I believe the display of videos on streaming websites makes us believe we are watching something very private and that no one else will ever see it. Additionally, the ability to react to online video by posting response videos seems to be greatly contributing to the popularity of user generated videos.
I think...this is the same girl/videos you are referring to?
The article outlines who LonelyGirl really is (apparently not just a bored, lonely girl) and the people behind the creation of these videos. The creators were aware that with online videos, unlike television, it is easier to get watchers to believe that what is happening is reality. We, the audience, are always the asking the question of "Is that real?" And the creators used this to their advantage.
Basically, the creators came to realise what the watchers on Youtube wanted to see, and fed it to them, similar to the way producers of television shows try to predict the same of viewers for the upcoming season. Only with Youtube, the feedback was much more immediate.
Does this change your focus in any way?
I was hoping somebody would write about LonelyGirl or some other form of viral media. I'm particularly interested in the contradiction inherent in the form: on the one hand, there's a kind of DIY, grass-roots-based quality to these videos, which presents the possibility of disrupting the center of contemporary communication; on the other hand, if viral forms are being used in the service of getting a Hollywood contract, how disruptive can they really be? Is there a connection in this contradiction to some of the readings we've done on hypertext?
BBC article