When Celebrity Spouses Go Off-Script
Fan obsession over celebrity spouses mirrors anxieties about our performative selves in the age of influencers.
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The Pornification of Everything
In this attention economy, where shock pays dividends and subtlety is a liability, the stripper is a cultural archetype, the influencer a high priest of exposure.
People Like This? Metallica’s Crossover Contribution to Reaction Videos
Watching Chris&RheasiaTv’s reaction video to Metallica’s “Master of Puppets” illustrates the power of these crossover connections.
‘Famous People’ Splashes in the Puddle of a Shallow Pop Star
When our protagonist is calm and reflective in Justin Kuritzkes' Famous People, there's a sense of potential intelligence beneath the shiny surface.
Video-idiocy? No, ‘Videocracy’ Celebrates the Bright Side of YouTube Indulgence
Against the constant distaste for and dismay about social media, Videocracy gives readers a series of anecdotes that connect YouTube to the goodness of being human.
Could YouTube Help Bernie Sanders — and Hurt Hillary Clinton?
Hillary Clinton may be the Democratic establishment's favorite, but on the Internet, social media users are feelin' the Bern.
Optical Illusions: The Problem with OK Go’s Accidental Legacy
They started out with great songs. Then they made amazing music videos. Now, their songs serve as soundtracks to viral meme-fodder and little else.
YouTube to Indie Labels: Pay Up or Get Out
The press is buzzing about YouTube's threat that it will remove content by labels that do not agree to the terms of its forthcoming subscription-based service. Is this good for YouTube?
Art Is a Lie, Nothing Is Real: An Interview with Bo Burnham
Bo Burnham’s third standup special was one of his most popular to date. Then he decided to release the entire thing on YouTube for free.
Daley Pearson Gets Some Strange Phone Calls
Australian writer and director Daley Pearson is funny in all of his creations and conquers every type of comedy he tries.