Celebrity Rebellion in 2008?
December 31, 2007 by Mike Abundo
Filed under Computers
Will offline video celebrities jump into online video before the studios do? Kevin Maney thinks so.
Pundits and bratty little Web billionaires have long been predicting the demise of the entertainment-industrial complex. Finally, at the dawn of 2008, their predictions have proved correct. Basically, we’re talking about a gargantuan realignment, like the fall of Communism, though possibly not as important.
It’s one thing when unknown Wisconsin dudes lampoon Darth Vader with Chad Vader spoofs on YouTube. It’s more profoundly symbolic when stars such as Radiohead, Madonna, Spike Lee, Trent Reznor, Morgan Freeman, Danny DeVito, and even Larry the Cable Guy join the uprising. Losing faith in the old guard, these celebs are using the internet to distribute their work directly to consumers and experimenting with business models that don’t have anything to do with Universal Studios, Viacom, NBC, Warner Bros. Records, or any other media powerhouse.
Perhaps in 2008, even celebrity-worshiping douchebags will follow their idols onto the Web. Since online video has a fat long tail, there’ll still be lots of room for born-and-bred online video celebs when these offline celebs make the transition.
(Via Mark Robertson.)
After much consideration i’d have to say … yup.