Spreadability Is No Accident: Pants On The Ground
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
We've trained ourselves to recognize videos, images, and messages that will be most appropriate for spreading, repeating, and remixing. The concepts of "viral" and "memes," i.e. things that spread on their own without human control or volition, are dead (Read Henry Jenkins and co. if you don't believe me). And with each new Susan Boyle we discover, the creation of overnight internet celebrities becomes an even more deliberate and conscious act.
Case in point: this week's Internet Idol, General Larry Platt and his original performance of "Pants on the Ground"
Within 24 hours we had an official gangster remix (could it be the next Soulja Boy?).
Jimmy Fallon performed the song as Neil Young on late night TV.
It was part of Brett Favre's post-game celebration.
Even other American Idol contestants got in on the action.
You can even buy the t-shirt.
Content doesn't spread on the web by accident. Content spreads because real live human beings choose to spread it. We spread it because of what it means to us, and what it means to the people we want to relate to. And now we're even spreading it because we recognize it as something to spread.
Case in point: this week's Internet Idol, General Larry Platt and his original performance of "Pants on the Ground"
Within 24 hours we had an official gangster remix (could it be the next Soulja Boy?).
Jimmy Fallon performed the song as Neil Young on late night TV.
It was part of Brett Favre's post-game celebration.
Even other American Idol contestants got in on the action.
You can even buy the t-shirt.
Content doesn't spread on the web by accident. Content spreads because real live human beings choose to spread it. We spread it because of what it means to us, and what it means to the people we want to relate to. And now we're even spreading it because we recognize it as something to spread.
1 Comments:
This reminds of how what has happened to reality TV in general. Contestants (participants? Amateur actors?) now know what "role" they are supposed to play (I'm the wildcard, I'm the slut, I'm the smart one). It takes away from the authenticity and is now just part of the package.
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