Sisikat na ‘kooooo! YouTube: Paving the Way to Internet Stardom
Sisikat na ‘kooooo! YouTube: Paving the Way to Internet Stardom
This study took a look at how YouTube can be used as a path towards fame and popularity for future potential YouTube stars, why YouTube is used in attaining online celebrity status, and to see what characteristics of YouTube, from the point of view of its users, make them utilize the site as a method for being famous, specifically in the Philippine setting.
Three famous Filipino YouTube celebrities were interviewed, namely Ramon Bautista, Marco Ho, and Mikey Bustos, and the first 100 comments on their respective “Most Viewed” videos were analysed. Using elements from Bruns' Produsage theory and Richard Dyers' Star Theory, several similarities and differences were seen between the process of becoming famous in the mainstream media (TV and radio) and in the online world. Although there were no differences in the production processes offline and online celebrities go through to make themselves popular through their viewed material, the attack on the content of the videos made these celebrities famous through an alternative way, thus increasing the paths for many more content creators to become celebrities as well. Seven ways were also discussed on how one can be famous online, based on the experiences of the interviewed celebrities.
Keywords: YouTube, celebrity, online, fame, Star theory