You Fooled By YouTube? September 13, 2006
Posted by Lisa Chamberlin in About Entertainment, About Technology, Uncategorized.trackback
Some Say:
According the the New York Timesand just about any home page news feed of any major internet service provider on September 13th, 2006, one of the biggest stories of the day had to do with one of the newest forms of art: video blogging. ‘Bree’, known by her screenname Lonelygirl15 (LG15 to the instant messaging crowd), posted regular video “confessions” of her life as a 15 year old home-schooled teen growing up in a fairly strict religious home. She had the regular teen angst of friends, boyfriends, and a tech-savvy geeky friend “Daniel” who helped her post her videoblogs to the popular video hosting site Youtube.com.
‘Bree’ struck a chord with viewers and found a devoted audience of subscribers, with site visits, links, and comments soon reaching into the millions. Many noted Daniel’s high production qualities and the interesting variety in the clips – yet a consistent story line that unfolded over the four month period that Bree continued to blog.
Here’s an example:
Near the end of the four month, some tech-savvy subscribers began to question the authenticity of the 15 year old ‘Bree’. The video quality was a little too good, the words were a little good – they sounded as if they could’ve been written by a Hollywood screenwriter instead of just coming off extemporaneously from ‘Bree’s’ lips. And why, when she was getting over a million hits, didn’t she ever acknowledge the presence of the fans? She never deviated from the script.
It only took the amateur detectives a short while to break through a few IP address barriers and Google caches to discover the truth. ‘Bree’ a.k.a Lonelygirl15 was actually Jessica Rose, 
an approximately 20 year old graduate of the New York Film Academy. Lonelygirl15 videoblogs were not the serial confessions of teen angst, but the creative endeavor Ramesh Flinders and Miles Becket, screenwriter and filmmaker respectively. Their narrative, a new video art form blurs the lines between ARG’s (Alternate Reality Games) and self-made documentary film making. The fictional video blogumentarians plan to continue posting their series, despite being outed as fake, as long as fans seem interested. Later, they will turn the episodes into a full length film. Is this the 21st century War of the Worlds reading, just over a new medium? And will these filmmakers reap the same kinds of benefits as Orson Welles? The buzz seems to indicate so.
Others Say:
Whether the viewer was bamboozled by the lie or perplexed by the populace’s gullibility to believe the lie in the first place, reactions were strong to the breaking story of the revelation of Lonelygirl15′s video blog as a semi-Hollywood commercial contrivance.
The following comments were some reactions posted by readers on the New York Times Online version of a front page print article regarding the story:
I don’t think i’d ever go to see one of their films, this isn’t a “new art form.” This is deception, manipulation, and bad acting from the get go. Most people recognized the farce from the start. – Posted by G. North
Not as many people recognized the farce as G. North thought. And when it was revealed, they were very reluctant to let their beloved alternate reality go…
This new person is most definatly not the same person as in the videos.
Without a doubt all of these newly released photos are fabricated along with her history of being a professional actress. From a behavioral stance the behavior of the girl in all the past videos is not consistant with the girl who is being offered to you in the new photos with a history as an acting student. Unfortunately it this will not make any difference to many of you who are just looking for a good story. – Posted by Kevin
Some “killed the messenger” for bringing the message…
I never really cared if the videos were authentic or not. They were entertaining, and far more entertaining than most of what is on TV. She and Daniel alone were far more captivating than the cast of any ‘must-see’ sitcom…[edited for length by Doppelganger]…Killing the mystique behind lonelygirl15 was basically pointless. It was so obviously scripted after a while that identifying bookcases bought at Ikea or areas in Southern California where they went swimming or hiking was about as productive or intelligent as trying to find the Simpsons’ hometown of Springfield on a map of the US. No one cares which Springfield it is, or in which state it’s located. We just like watching things that happen somewhere we’re not. — Posted by Vanessa
Many mocked those who were gullible…
Haha, the geeks got played. No Feynman loving, Diamond quoting, lonely girl out there for you all to dote over.She played you all the way to a hollywood career.Suckers.— Posted by Kyle
And plenty were able to give “life imitating art” references (or is that art imitating life imitating art?).
Someone please explain why a group of people basically being incredibly dishonest is news.
This kind of news coverage reminds me of the Scorsese movie
“King of Comedy.” The basic plot line is that the crazy guy with Sandra Bernhardt’s character’s help kidnaps Jerry Lewis’s character, a Johnny Carson style talk show host. The guy, played by Robert De Niro, gets what he wants in exchange for Lewis’s character’s release: a chance to do his stand-up act on Lewis’s character’s show as the opening monologue. He ends up going to jail. But in an ironic twist, after his release, he gets all the fame and fortune he was seeking; he gets his own TV show and loads of attention.
This is exactly what’s happening here. Why is the NY Times giving these people ANY attention? Why does this story even deserve attention? Why do these people deserve any attention at all? — Posted by John K.
What Do You Say?
Technorati Tags: Youtube.com, Videoblog, Online, Lonelygirl15, Digital Literacy
why does lonelygirl5 get any attention for acting she lied about her age and about growing up in a strict religious home, she doesn’t deserve any credit. why would someone write about a girl who pretends to be someone else
That’s what she wanted she wanted to get recognized
I don’t see any point about why Jessica and Daniel making some movies about what? Some people’s attention? Whine about her parents grounded her or her boyfriend broke up? What’s the point?? I believe that they lying to us by making up movies or something but I don’t want to be wrong about what I thought. Someone please explain why she and Daniel making movies.
i think lonelygirl5 really needs to grow up and get over herself. Idont get why Jessica would make the videos. she graduate from the New York Film Academy, you would think, she could find a better way to use her talent. I don’t know whats worst that she made the dumb videos or that people downloaded it. Come on people dont you have anything better to do with your life?
PS. if i was her boyfriend i would have broken up with her 2!!!
Right and WrongWhat I think about this article is that Lonelygirl15 did a right and wrong thing in her situation. I thought that it was right for her to pretend and lie about her age to get her self recognized, if that’s what she wanted, but I also thing it was a wrong thing to do because she wasn’t the person she was and probably disappointed a lot of her fans. I think that if I had just graduated from a Film Academy and wanted to get a role I would have done it my way to get recognized.
Mary, Kelly, Jordan, Lacy, Wendy and Oyuki,
You’ve all taken a pretty harsh stance on Jessica – the actress portraying Lonelygirl15 on movies she uploaded to a free sharing website. No one paid for those video clips, and no one was hurt by what they downloaded or viewed, right?
Isn’t all acting just another form of lying anyway?
Just wondering.
The Teach
I think it was wrong of Jessica to deceive people with this blog. When she was posting, she knew that people would think she was for real. Blogs, unlike other internet resource sites, are supposed to be about real lives. A blog is supposed to be sharing information about yourself so other people can understand your life and your feelings. Lonelygirl 15 was fake and didn’t care about what other people shared.
well At first i didnt agree but what you were telling me Teach made me think about it, And what she did was a good way to get peoples attention, It had people really thinking for awhile she was really a fifteen year old girl and she did really have to be a good actor to do that, it was just some new way to get into hollywood, and it looks like it worked for her, I would have tried to do it a different way But she had an really good idea to do that because quite a few people go to youtube.com
Jessica’s point for making this video makes sense. She wants recognition like all other actress get, but I think she could have did it in a better way. Like maybe not lying about her age and her life. I don’t find her video’s interesting, so I don’t really understand how they attracted so many people. If she graduated from New York Film Academy, you would think she could have found a more appropriate way to get recognition.
Alex makes a good point. Written blogs have the reputation of being someone’s “diary” or at least personal thoughts. I wonder if videos posted to YouTube (even if they’re called video blogs) are thought of the same way? There are certainly some funny things on there…just do a search for “Buckle Boy” and you’ll know what I mean. Jessica, as Lonelygirl15, tried to convince her fans that the video blogs were a truthful diary. And the viewing public seemed to have been suckered in. Or they just didn’t care and found it entertaining. I wonder…
John also makes a good point. Jessica Rose’s goal as an actress is to prove that she can act and entertain an audience. Flinders and Beckett’s goals as screen writers and producers are to prove they can make films that draw people to the “theatre” – even if it’s a movie theatre on your computer. These three proved to Hollywood that they were really good at what they claim they can do. If you were a Hollywood investor, knowing they already have millions of fans, would you be willing to invest your money with them?
The Teach
This video was nothing to gawk about in the first place, the video was redundant and boring; however it may had been entertaining to some, I was not impressed. Second of all, having an actress decieve the youtube viewing crowd is kind of rediculous too. I would not invest any more time or money to view 1 more of these films.
I don’t see the point on why Jessica, a graduated student from the New York film academy, made up stories, to post on the internet, as videos. I think that when she posed as “Lonley Girl 15″ she was trying to get attention. Honestly you think that if Jessica were to tell her life stories about graduating from film academy in New York people would actually sit there and watch her video blogs?…NO, i doubt it. So i think that in order for her to get some attention she would have to disguise herself and talk about what people might be interested in. So telling people that she was a fifteen year old girl growing up in a very religous household and crying about breaking up with a boyfriend that she would attract attention. By golly she did. You know how we are so easily amused by reality t.v. shows, well we were amused by “her reality” blog video. Grant it she did lie and manipulate about everything but if she were to tell her actual life story nobody would watch, right? But when she made up Lonley Girl 15 people decided to start watching because it was like a reality show. Other fifteen year old girls could more than likely relate to Lonley Girl 15 so thats why they watched her video blogs.
The artical was good, it had some interesting things to say about video blogging though I don’t believe I would do something like this. Doing video blogging just doesn’t sound like a good idea because what if someone was able to use that video for other reasons other than what it was meant for. This actress should have found another way to get reconized instead of lying to everyone.
This just goes to show how far people are willing to go to get reconized.
I agree with cody about having an actress decieve the youtube viewing crowed and it being rediculous.
The Artical was good!!But i think she took a risk on making a video like that.I mean yeah people believed her but still some pretty bad stuff could have happend!!But she was acting…and wants to be an actress so i guess it makes a little sense on why she would do this!!!But i think people are getting mad over a little thing.You cant believe everything you see!!
The article its self is good. But the video was terrible, i cant believe people watch it. It is pointless and a waste of time, reason being she lied about her age, she lied about who she was, and she leid about what kind of religous house she was in. I guess this would be good for everybody if everyone likes non-fiction books. And last but no least she is a terrible actor, if she keeps it up she might as well take some acting classes.
See ya at class tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!
this was a big waist of my time. It is a lie about who she is and I hate reading things like that. I really have nothing to say because I did not like it and I can’t read something like this and enjoy it.
I think that this was done for pure entertainment, I don’t believe that this was a malicious act at all. Jessica is an actress, that acks, why are people getting mad at her for what she does. Many, if not all todays movies are fiction and people have no problem with those actors playing different roles. So, why then are people getting mad for basically the same thing on the internet. It isn’t ment to trick you, but intertain you.
Shane and Scott made a good point. Putting things out on the internet can be risky. I guess if she was an actress, however, she knew her image and films would be out there eventually anyway, right?
JJ picked up on the fact that Jessica came off as a believable 15 year old and other 15 year olds related to her (millions of fans, remember). This was one of the most visited and downloaded series of video blogs on YouTube. That supports what Julie was saying. Jessica (and her script writer) were making entertainment, like any other made up movie. You didn’t get mad at Johnny Depp when he pretended to be a pirate, did you? He never said he wasn’t.
Cody and Brent, you both didn’t seem very impressed with her acting. Did you check out any of the other video blogs in the series at YouTube? Maybe you two have a future as online “homemade movie” critics…the next Siskel & Ebert, so to speak!
The Teach
I dont think tht it was nessecerilly wrong. The intresting thing to me is that so many people became intrested in her blog,because she was portraing a yong girl with social and relationship problems, I saw it as people that wanted to help or just to talk to her. (people that cared). I didn’t think that she was trying to be recogzined like other have stated but thats just my thoght
Personally, i think that jessica was just craving attention that she wasnt getting… i mean she probably felt like no one recognized her for what she had accomplished. Graduating from a New York film school is a pretty big thing, and if she wants to make harmless videos then more power to her, i just think that she could have came across a little more honest about it. These videos were her way of expressing herself, people act all the time and she was just doing what she obviously loved to do-… acting, I commend her for getting millions of fans… that would be pretty cool.
I know what I said was harsher, but I don’t like be being embrassed. It’s like they were mocking us and then being caught and told them that they just want some attention. What I saw what they did, I felt so embrassing. I’m very senstive and my feelings get hurt easily. Right now I feel a little upset. I know they didn’t mean, but that’s how I feel what they did.
It just seems like Jessica could have found a better way to get recognition for her acting. The way she did it isn’t bad, but there are other ways.
I dont understand why they would make a movie about her personal life for everyone to see. Seems like she wants some attention for herself or she is just dumb.
Devon – I like that you looked at this piece from a different angle – good for you.
Steve, Lacy, Kelly and Alanna all seem to agree directly or indirectly that in some way, because she didn’t come right out and say she was “acting” or put a disclaimer that this was a film not a blog – that she was mocking the viewers. I can see their point.
What do you think?
The Teach
If someone wants to make up pointless movies or mocking us that everyone think they are dope, yet funny. But there are some very sensitive people’s feelings hurt or embrass easily. I’m one of the sensitive people. I hope Jessica or Daniel or whoever with them will understand us being senstivie.
I don’t think that lonelygirl15 was trying to upset anyone or make them feel any differently about her. I think all that she wanted was to be able to put her film making abilities to work but she just went around it the wrong way. I son’t think that she meant any harm by it. But still in my perspective i thnk what she did was wrong it wasn’t really fair that she tricked all those people into believing her and getting all those teenagers who looked upto her and then she let them down that was not cool at all!
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