Andy Warhol said, “In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes.”
Warhol didn’t account for the future being so social, though. Nowadays, thanks to the power of social media, everyone can be world-famous IN 15 minutes. Viral fame is a sudden movement on a permanent platform. That kind of infamy lasts a lot longer than a few minutes.
Here are some sudden celebrities and how they reached their fame overnight:
Overly Attached Girlfriend
It’s 2012. Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend” comes out, and it’s super stalker-y. Bieber’s creepiest venture yet: “If I was your boyfriend / I’d never let you go / Keep you on my arm, girl / You’d never be alone.” Get your swag away from us, Biebs.
One girl, Laina Walker, or YouTuber “wzr0713,” makes a fan video — a parody of how creepy the song is — on YouTube.
Almost immediately, the memes pour in, using her face as the “Overly Attached Girlfriend,” an international phenomenon that becomes internet history – and she’s banking on it. Laina, now known as OAG, tours college campuses, sells OAG merch, has a Twitter following of over 200K, and is a YouTube sensation. Sometimes paying attention to Justin Bieber is worth it.
Tish Simmonds: Broom, Broom
Okay, this is one I don’t even understand. This summer, a Brit named Tish Simmonds sits behind the driver’s seat of her mother’s car and somehow becomes a Vine star. The video plays out as such:
Tish: I’m in my mum’s car. Broom broom.
Mother: Get out me car!
Tish: Aww.
That’s literally it. Not really entertaining. Somehow, though, people loved the video – whether it’s her accent, involving her mom in a Vine, or just how dumb it really is – and it’s now a Vine staple, remixes all over the place (our favorite here). The poor girl actually dealt with some bullying for a while, but she’s making the most of it with her newfound fame. She continues with the nonsensical Vines and everyone’s eating it up. Good for you, Tish.
Gratata, #SWAG
Another viral Viner: Bryan Silva is a rapper, bodybuilder, and former adult-film star who started posting Vines of his “sick rhymes” while in his underwear and quickly gained a following. He ends his videos with his signature sendoff, “gratata,” a sound supposedly mimicking a machine gun. So hood. It wasn’t the rapping that got him famous, it was the ridiculous gratata finger gun move, and he’s now all over the place.
The Vines are everywhere, gratata is a meme, and his Twitter, @OutterSpaceSWAG, now has over 7,000 followers. He even had his own Web Redemption on Tosh.0 — on a boat aptly called the Yachtata.
Forest Nymph
There are few words for Gio Volpe, known as Forest Nymph. A man with a rainbow lei around his head complains about not finding his berries and then licks an orange. It’s one of those “you had to be there” things, I think. Regardless, he now has over 500,000 followers, and the forest nymph appears in his Vines every so often. He still hasn’t found his berries.
So what do these viral celebs have in common?
You’d think nothing, other than they’re all strange. But it really comes down to some clever personal marketing (remember the last time I talked about this?). These strange little nuggets have become so popular because they are truly one of a kind. By picking unique things to post that no one else would EVER think of, these internet stars have placed themselves in the realm of infamy. It takes a certain level of creativity and definitely a certain level of oddity to make yourself stand out online — and that’s what gets you remembered.
#GRATATA.
Who are your favorite viral video stars? Let us know in the comments below or tweet to us @mettermedia.
Metter Media LLC is a Boston-based social media management company that implements community-based, localized social engagement strategies for small businesses and corporations alike. Need help with your social media? Email Lauren today.
