A Gift from the Interwebs
I think the placement of Marilyn Hagerty’s Olive Garden review against the upbeat “Oh My Dayum” video was a smart choice. We live in a world in which everything is so auto-tuned and high tech that even a guy reviewing a burger in the front seat of his car can become a hit song. Marilyn Hagerty, however, lives in a small town in which the opening of a chain restaurant was a huge sensation and inspired her to write a sweet and heartfelt review. What makes her article so special is that very few things on the internet can be considered sweet or heartfelt these days, yet this woman manages to pull of an adorable Olive Garden review? This creates a distinction between what one person may find amazing to which another may be completely indifferent.
As well as geographical, a generational gap is something to consider when regarding “internet fame.” In the CBS interview, Hagerty admits that she had no idea what the term “viral” meant before she went viral herself. The Gregory Brothers, on the other hand, most likely put out this video in the hopes of going viral. The main impression I got from this is that nearly anyone can go “viral” on the Internet, even an 85-year-old woman from North Dakota who can’t get enough endless breadsticks.
One response so far
I love how you noted that on the Internet, anyone can become an overnight celebrity with their own works, even a cute little old lady from North Dakota. The Internet has become commonplace and made people so interconnected that we often forget that there was a time when it did not exist and that there are still many people who do not even know how to fully use it.