The youtube video of Hollie Video will reach 1 million views tonight. It is already 770,000 views and counting. Nothing like the Susan Boyle phenomenon, but I think this is despite of the Susan Boyle phenomena. A Million views in a couple of days is also a very good view, and she she doesn’t have the youtube-ness or social stickiness or the viral ingredients of Susan Boyle.
There have been a number of child prodigies, and child talents even on Britain’s Got Talent and all the other Got Talent clones. But there never was a 47 year old prodigy, who was hitherto unknown. And she was very very ordinary looking, and she easily claimed that she have never ever been kissed. She didn’t look like she could sing at all, but she sang with the voice of an angel. I thought it was either a staged show or someone made it for youtube. Someone dubbed a Talk-to-me-like video with some other recording. She was completely viral. No memes have ever spread as fast and as vastly as Susan Boyle.
And despite this, the Hollie Steel Video is also inching a Million Views, even though she doesn’t have any viral ingredients except the fact that she wore a Tutu, and looked like she was going to dance only when she sang with a very sweet, matured and fantastic voice. It was nice, but not at all viral, and her millionth view is a pure ovation to her talent.
The video again.
Buy Susan Boyle's CD: I Dreamed a Dream
Buy Carnival Ride by Carrie Underwood
May 5, 2009 at 16:03
— The youtube video of Hollie Video will reach 1 million views tonight. It is already 770,000 views and counting. Nothing like the Susan Boyle phenomenon, but I think this is despite of the Susan Boyle phenomena. —
Well, maybe “despite”, inasmuch as anybody who already decided that they will support Susan and only Susan all the way, no matter who else shows up, may not wish to boost “competitor” ratings…?
But on the other hand, I would reckon that Hollie’s youtube success may also be *due* to Susan’s prior success in a way – because Susan was the one who brought enormous public attention and exposure to the youtube videos of the BGT show. I, for one, have never followed BGT (on youtube, or elsewhere) until suddenly everybody everywhere started raving about Susan Boyle – then I watched her video, loved it, AND loved the concept of the BGT show – and now I follow the latest youtube BGT video releases regularly. And I’m sure I am one of very many.
This is not to say that Hollie isn’t an amazing talent in her own right – she certainly is, and I hope she goes on to a great career and life. I just wanted to respond to the idea that Hollie’s success should be seen as made “more difficult” by her following in Susan’s footsteps, because I am rather convinced that this is not the case.