Online video offers a chance for fame, a chance that some people really can’t resist taking hold of. But this fame, or in some cases infamy, can come at a price, either costing a fortune, freedom, or the pleasure of employment.
Famous For 15 Minutes
once predicted that “in the future, everyone will be famous for fifteen minutes.” And oh, how true has that statement become. Television has helped, particularly with reality TV shows now big business, but online video also has its place.
Even more than reality TV, online video enables absolutely anyone, skilled or otherwise, with or without talent, to become world-famous. Anyone who has the means to record themselves or be recorded can become a viral video star the world over.
Viral Video Fakes
This has lead to a whole raft of genuine celebrities having been created from nothing merely for appearing in a video which appeared on YouTube and other similar sites. Despite sometimes only being on screen for seconds, these people find fame thrust at them.
Since this level of interest in online video has been noticed, some have tried to exploit it for their own ends. And so it means we now get entirely engineered attempts at fame posted on YouTube and the like. The JK Wedding Dance video being a prime example.
Criminals Caught On Camera
The other way of getting at least noticed if not famous is to do what you’ve always done but commit it to video. Which can lead to complications if what you usually do is considered a criminal act or something worth being fired from your job for.
It goes without saying that committing a crime on camera and allowing the video to be uploaded to a video sharing site isn’t very sensible. But it also brings bragging rights that one could live off for a good few years. And some people consider it a worthy trade-off.
Buket The Tagger
According to The L.A. Times, a 26-year-old man named Cyrus Yazdani, better known to his fans as Buket, was recently sentenced to four years in prison for various counts of vandalism, one of which became a big hit on YouTube with over 500,000 viewers.
It is claimed that this video was viewed by sheriff’s transit investigators, and it was this that lead to his arrest and ultimate conviction. Yazdani must also pay $117,196 in restitution for his crimes of vandalism.
Conclusions
Those who partake in criminal activity aren’t the sharpest tools in the box, but uploading videos which show your crime and your face together? That is pushing stupidity to the next level. The lesson is that although YouTube can lead to fame and fortune, it can also lead to unemployment and imprisonment.
