Seeing YouTube’s “Black” Side
April 16, 2011 1 Comment
Have you heard about Rebecca Black’s video on YouTube?
Well if you haven’t, crawl out from under that rock you have been living under. This is the latest video to skyrocket to viral status. It is also quickly becoming a center-point of increasingly spiteful comments from people who have viewed this. As of this writing the video has been watched over 100 million times. It is also one of the most downloaded songs on iTunes right now. This tells me a couple of things.
First, I have listened to the song, and I have to agree with her own comments. She is absolutely not the worst singer I have ever heard (heck I would listen to this over Christina Aguilara’s national anthem performance any day), nor is she the best. In interviews she seems to be very well grounded and understanding of her abilities and limitations.
Secondly, I think that this is a case of some supreme envy going bad on the part of those that are bashing on her. After all, at least she has made the effort to put something out there. Some of the comments made have included suggesting she hurt herself, or that she needs to lose weight, among other comments. What I find amazing about this is that these people who supposedly “hate” this song so much feel compelled to unleash their wrath on YouTube. I guess I was always taught if I didn’t like something, to just not listen to it, or view it or whatever.
Regardless what anyone thinks, I commend this young woman for her courage. Her courage to actually do something like make this video in the first place. The courage to understand her own limitations. Finally, the courage to ignore the ruthless comments and insults of others that hide behind their keyboards rather than taking a creative risk of their own.
Hmm, I do wonder how perceptions of the song will change when it is featured on an upcoming episode of “Glee” (supposedly the the prom episode for you “Gleeks” out there).
Related Articles
- Rebecca Black’s “Friday” Hits 100 Million Views on YouTube (mashable.com)
- This week’s Trends: Black and Beckham (youtube-global.blogspot.com)
- Why Do YouTubers Despise This Animated Copyright Video? (fastcompany.com)
