Week 9: A) Burgess and Green argue that: ordinary people who become celebrities through their own creative efforts “remain within the system of celebrity native to, and controlled by, the mass media” (Reader, page 269).
It cannot be denied that popular web 2.0 application YouTube is emerging as a site with significant media power and is often discussed as a separate entity to existing media business models. In spite of its growing power and influence, when it comes to the creation of celebrities, YouTube still needs a little help from traditional media models.
Although YouTube allows for new forms of participation from the public and can be viewed as entirely distinct in relation to existing media forms, ultimately it is necessary for those individuals who emerge into the realm of celebrity through posting their content on YouTube to still conform to the original systems of celebrity that are controlled by the institutions of the mass media.
The idea that you can become an overnight success story and leap into fame, celebrity and fortune plays out in many of the discourses surrounding YouTube. For example, YouTube itself promotes this very idea through their many talent discovery competitions and initiatives. An example of this can be seen in 2006, when YouTube launched a channel purely for unsigned musicians with YouTube serving as a platform from which amateur content can be distributed (Burgess & Green 2009).
However, despite the many success stories of amateur content having millions of worldwide hits on YouTube, it remains a fact that traditional and mainstream commercialised media forms are still very much in control of the systems of celebrity. To reach celebrity status, the ordinary person must first upload their amateur content onto YouTube. In addition to this, they must also be represented and supported by traditional mass media forms.
In spite of the wisedpread popularity and reach that YouTube provides for its viewers, traditional media institutions such as recording labels still possess a great deal of power when it comes to the world of celebrity. This idea of DIY overnight celebrity stories is definitely restricted and cannot be achieved without navigating the pathways created by mass media outlets.
A transfer of media power does not necessarily occur between old åtraditional media systems such as the recording label and newer forms such as YouTube.
I agree with Burgess and Green’s argument that the system of celebrity still remains within the control of the mass media (2009). YouTube amateur video success relies on already existing media structures in order to produce celebrity. For example, whilst it is true that an amateur video may receive a lot of online attention and become incredibly popular through their number of hits, if the video fails to pass through traditional and well established media systems of celebrity such as a recording contract or more recently in the form of advertising campaigns, then only a limited and restricted online success and celebrity will be achieved, which will more often than not be short lived.
The simplest way to demonstrate this would be to research cases in which ordinary people have gained celebrity status through first becoming a YouTube sensation and then have progressed through traditional media forms.
Philipino born, Charice Pempengco, became a YouTube star through the posting of her performances in various singing competitions on YouTube. Despite her popularity on YouTube, her real success was achieved after being invited to sing on the popular American talkshow, Ellen DeGeneres in December 2007.
From here, traditional mass media forms took control and were the driving force behind her becoming an international celebrity. Pempengco is now a chart topping recording artist as well as acting on the second season of Glee.
REFERENCES
Burgess, J & Green, J (2009) ‘YouTube and the Mainstream Media’, YouTube” Online and Participatory Culture, Cambridge: Polity Press, PP.15-37.
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