Behind the Meme: People’s Champion

SMC alum Alex Leavitt posted this fantastic documentary on his Tumblr. It’s a behind-the-scenes breakdown of the infamous Eli Porter rap battle, which got like 4 million YouTube hits and has been referenced by Kanye West and T-Pain, among others.

People’s Champion: Behind the Battle from Trent Babbington on Vimeo.

As Alex wisely says:

“I could say a lot about this documentary, about race, class, school life, discrimination, subculture, celebrity. And about the power of the internet as a network for recontextualization. But it really boils down to this: “There’s so much about it that’s dope, in a non-laughing-at-him kind of way. There’s something about him that I really want to listen to, regardless.”

My fascination with internet celebrity is well-documented and I’m pumped to see more stuff like this. What’s it like when something you’ve made, or been in, has the visibility of a network television show? What is it like when people know you, but you have none of the traditional trappings of fame to protect you?

Anyway, this is excellent procrastination fodder as it’s only 30 minutes long and very funny. The producers are trying to Kickstart Part II.

19 thoughts on “Behind the Meme: People’s Champion

  1. Hi Alice,

    I thought of you when I read in Digital Music News that Rebecca Black is now getting home-schooled due to excessive teasing from friends.

    http://digitalmusicnews.com/stories/081111latest2

    The desire for fame and the path of one’s career seem to correlate somewhat with the readiness to actually engage in what it means to become famous by way of a viral force (Rebecca Black) rather than a source more in tune with the planned path of an individual (Britney Spears).

    I feel safe in positing that Rebecca Black didn’t have a strong desire for her career path to include suffering much like a social media “viral video” guinea pig, but in many ways that is why she is a very important figure in the historical timeline of social media memes. Sometimes “going viral” creates such a negative force of fame that any chance of IRL socialization becomes next to impossible. Ms. Black’s suffering is part of the viral effect.

    I can’t help but ask myself: what the fuck is this going to do to her developing brain? the faux fame, harsh ostracizing from what *must* feel to her like the *entire* world, and really *is* the world!

    Global teasing, can you imagine how bad that must feel for a teenager? I can’t, and it’s painful to try.

    I’m not entirely clear on any _original_ for posting the video, but I do know that if she had to be removed from school, it couldn’t have been a positive experience to be Rebecca Black trying to have a life as a teenager in school. I can’t help but feel compassion and sadness for her situation, even if she does not.

    Of course, others have had videos go viral without much evidence of true suffering – but Rebecca Black is an adolescent in the midst of crucial socialization years. Her brain is still forming, and it will form around the meme that she has become. Who is responsible, and why does it matter? I can’t answer that, but I turn to you for some thoughts.

      1. When I eventually found testimonies about this spell caster dr.marnish, how he helped many people to get their lover back, i contacted him through his email address dr.marnish@yahoo.com because I was absolutely desperate to get my husband back. Life without my husband was a real mess for me and my children. i wanted a dramatic change and I thought magic could be the solution. After discussing the resolution with dr.marnish, he gave me hope that he will restore my marriage. I felt confident that he will actually make my husband to return home and he did! It’s fantastic what dr marnish have done for me. his help is priceless! I don’t know what I would have done without dr.marnish, dr marnish does his job so well he is organized and highly functional, i believe he is the best spell caster i can count on when it comes to love spell, I was floored that his spells worked Thanks! cherry Smith, Nottingham, UK

    1. I’m sure her original intentions were to become famous. She recorded the song with a vanity studio in LA which markets cheesy pop songs to teens with rich parents. Wanting to be famous is a common teen fantasy… but I think what her situation shows is that the reality of fame and the fantasy of fame have nothing to do with each other. And people who become internet famous, who are famous without the protections that money can buy, experience most of the negatives of fame (loss of privacy, haters) and few of the positives.

      I bet Rebecca Black is overall glad that she has been in a Katy Perry video, in Entertainment Weekly, etc. but the cost is having a “normal life.” When celebrities complain about their lack of a normal life, we say that they’re whining and that anyone would gladly change places with them. But someone like, say, Selena Gomez (or any other generic teen star) made a choice to audition for Disney or sign a contract to be on television or record an album. Rebecca Black made a decision to record a cheesy video, but she had no idea what would happen. The dynamics of fame are different with internet fame but we feel similarly free to make fun of the people who experience it.

      1. i never thought possible that dr.marnish can do miracles, like restoring broken relationship! At first everything felt dreamy and unbelievable, I was scared a little cos I heard read and heard lots of stories of fake
        spell casters,scams and i never really believed in magic but I played along with a little hope and and faith and after everything, the love spell worked like a magic This love spells casted by dr.marnish@yahoo.com made my man who broke my heart 4 months ago to come back to me, this is unbelievable, Only 3 days after the love spell was casted, my lover said that he wants us to come back together. to my surprise, he came back the next morning he was all on me kissing and rubbing me telling me how much he missed me and how much he loves me , that he wants me back. i was happy and i gladly took him back, thanks to dr.marnish for helping me to bring my lover back
        Jewels Allegro from USA

      2. Me & my boyfriend was planning to get married last month, just last week we had some argument that made him get angry on me just because of the argument, he said we will not be married again and the next day he left me and we broke up. I still loved him and I wanted him to marry me, for me to get him back i had no choice than to contacted dr.marnish@yahoo.com to help me and he helped me to bring my lover back to me so we can continue our plan to be married. he came back after 3 days
        Shelley Dustin
        Spain

      3. Me and my boyfriend were dating for about 3 months. We were perfect Throughout the relationship though I notice he was very distant at times. I thought he was just still adjusting to the loss of his mom in December. We spent a great amount of time together and I got used to having him around. We were planning on moving in together and everything else. Well a week ago I slept over at his house and the next morning he had to leave for work, everything was perfect. He acted like everything was still amazing between us. Well that afternoon I tested him to check on his day and he broke up with me. He said he wants to be single and not ready for a real relationship and he refused to talk to me. He asks about me but refuses to get back together. i honestly have no idea what else to do. so one morning as i was browsing i mistakenly came across a site where I read some of the stories about dr.marnish@yahoo.com and how he had brought couples together and it amazed me.i contacted him and told him my problem and after 3 days later, something wonderful happened, my boyfriend came to my office to see me and he apologized to me, we have reconciled back
        katelynne Brooks Australia

    2. Anonymous

      I have just gone through a difficult break-up a few months ago. Every thing was upside down. I had been dating a girl for about seven months who I thought was the greatest person I could ever be with. When we broke up she said she was unsure of whether I was the one. I felt like my whole life is over but as I was searching for help on the net I found one forum, which recommend prophetharry@ymail.com. I was skeptic at first but I just decided to give it a try, holy molly the results were more than I expected. Here is what happened, instantly girlfriend called on phone and after 1 week she came back to me in tears and promised never to live again since then i have feel so relaxed and forget my pain. I’m freaking happy
      Mishima Nakamura Kitakyushu, Japan

      1. I recently saw a testimony about this spell caster, before that, my problem was that, A guy i who have been dating me for 8 months departed from me because he fell in love with someone else, I was so hurt and depressed. so a friend suggested the idea of contacting a spell caster, which I never thought of myself. after i contacted dr.marnish@yahoo.com for his help. I asked him to do a love spell for me so that my lover can come back to me, but before the spell was done, I was a bit skeptical about his capacity to bring my man back to me. Only 3 days after the spell was actually cast, my lover returned to me and since then, it seems that there is no more mistrust and no more lies between us. He doesn’t cheat me now. Also, I feel no heartache anymore For that reason, I will never forget the good Dr Manish did to me, there is no word to say how grateful I am for returning my lover back to me, I am gladly leaving a testimonial on this page,
        Wallace Diana Anderson from England

    3. Anonymous

      I’ve been having emotional breakdown for the past eight months, I’ve tried different ways to change the way I feel, like going out with the girls, talk on the phone, read on forums but I was still hurt.. having those scars and every time I’m alone. I tend to remember my ex boyfriend. I just couldn’t feel happy until I bought this spell from one prophetharry@ymail.com, just few days later I was able to get my boyfrind back and forget all those bad memories. I’m now in a new relationship with him, now he loves me so much I can’t imagine why I wasted my time feeling bad.
      ErikaRobinson New Plymouth, New Zealand

      1. I’ve never been a huge believer but when it turned out that magic was my last hope, I gave it a try because my lover stopped talking to me, after begging and pleading with him I realized that nothing was working out, he left me to meet another girl, i had no choice than to ordered a reunite love spell from dr.marnish@yahoo.com to help me get my lover back, after the spell was cast, the Results was fantastic, I never expected what i saw, I’m so grateful i came across this spell caster, My love left his other girlfriend and we came back together have, dr marnish changed my life and made me a true believer! Vidovic Robert from London

    4. Anonymous

      I have had amazing things happen during the first week of my casting. my boyfriend has done a 360 and is now talking with me and wanting to spend time with me again. I can’t believe after all that has happened he actually turned around and started talking and wanting to be with me. It’s AMAZING! prophetharry@ymail.com is like a god sends an angel in my life. What can I say? my boyfriend and her new girlfriend just split up and he wants now to be with me. We went out together and he confessed his love for me and the love told me how much he wanted to be with me. I still cannot believe that he has turned around like this. I am in shock. He was so dead set on Nicole and not wanting to be with me that I could not see it turning around. prof was my last hope. After being disappointed by many spell casters that just wanted my money I am glad that I put my faith in just one more person. I am in prof debt for a life time! ZiyandaDurban

      1. Anonymous

        Well, I can now confirm that I have now moved in with my partner and he has committed to the relationship and I can’t thank prophet harry enough for changing my life. I am totally amazed and so happy that he has been able to do this for me, it took little time, however prophetharry@ymail.com has constantly been there for reassurance, however, you must follow and listen to everything he says, as it is very important to follow guidance and instructions but IT WORKS and I am living proof, I can’t thank him enough.

      2. After i and my lover spent about 6 years together, my boyfriend told me that we can not be together. and already We were making ready ourselves to get married this year and I was very happy and absolutely ready to marry him. this breakup started when he went a little far from the city where I live, a year before. He found a good job out there. And he promised me to come back in one or two years. In the mean time, I found a job around his place (we take it as a good opportunity for us to start living together) but the company I worked for resist to leave me since i am a responsible person in the company. They offered me a very nice salary increment with huge responsibility of work. Then I told to my boyfriend I preferred to stay where I live and work, since, he has not a plan to live there forever. He was very upset at the moment and ignored me totally. I tried to contact him but I can’t. Following so much effort he sends me a message saying “our relationship is over”. I never expected such a thing to happen, so I got sick. Even after so much begging he allow me to see him, but told me the same thing that it is over. I asked him the real reason. He said, you never listened to me, you never gave me credit, and you disrespected me…..and so on. I never noticed such a thing in our relationship before, so I got shocked and couldn’t say a word in front of him. For me our relationship was perfect. And I really love him. I want to be with him. I send so many letters saying I’m sorry, I tried to contact him but there is no reply. i did everything to attract him and live with him forever but nothing was going through. so I needed a help on how to get my lover back. I had the feeling that he still loves me, though he did not say a word. I needed help seriously. i thought it will never possible to get him back and be the happy couple again? so when i read testimonies about dr.marnish@ymail.com i contacted him and he told me that my case is a simple one to solve, so after his consultation and casting of his spell my boyfriend emailed me telling me he was sorry for all that he did to me, that he is ready to marry me now, i was shocked, i never believed that dr.marnish could make such thing to happen with his spell, today i am getting married to my boyfriend, and i will never forget this spell caster i will always talk about him anywhere i go
        whitney portia

  2. William

    After being in relationship with her for seven years, she left me, i did everything possible to bring her back back but all was in vain. I want her back because of the love I have for her, I begged her with everything, I tried to entice her with money, made promises but she refused. I explained my problem to someone online and he suggested that I should rather mail a spell caster that could help me cast a spell to bring her back but I am the type that never believe in spell, I had no choice than to try it, I mailed the spell caster, he told me there was no problem that everything will be okay before three days, that my ex will return to me before three days, he cast the spell and surprisingly in the second day, that was around 5:00pm. My ex called me, I was so surprised, I answered the call and all she said was that she was so sorry for everything that happened, that she wanted to return to me, that she love me so much. I was so happy and told her to come, she came to me the following day and we started living together again. Since then I have made a promise that everybody I know will never have a relationship problem that I will refer them to the spell caster t help them. Anybody could need the help of the spell caster, his email is templeofdravegmas1@gmail.com you can email him if you need his assistance

  3. this spell caster on priestessmunak@gmail.com casted a friendship spell and today the person and i actually communicated in person and are now on speaking terms:) lol i also did the attraction spell and its working so far…i now truly trust this spell caster for she has done for me so far.

  4. Judith

    magical spells really work!! I never thought there were still honest, genuine, trustworthy and very powerful spell casters until i met the spiritual helper, dr odudu last week he did a love spell for me and it worked effectively and now he just casted another healing spell for my friend who has fibroid and now she is totally free and she is presently the happiest person on earth, she keeps thanking me all day..
    I just thought it would be good to tell the whole world about his good work and how genuine he is, i wasn’t thinking i could get any help because of my past experiences with other fake casters who could not bring my husband back to me and they all promised heaven and earth and all they are able to do is ask for more money all the time until i met with this man. he does all spells, Love spells, money spells, lottery spells e.t.c i wish i can save every one who is in those casters trap right now because i went though hell thinking and hoping they could help me.i recommend ogugutemple any kind of help you want.
    his email address is:oduduspelltemple@yahoo.com

  5. kenety

    I had a problem with my shoulders for 25 years, where every time I raised up my arms, it was excruciatingly painful to bring them down. The doctors I saw were not able to help. meeting with divine. wiseindividualspell@gmail.com, the problem is totally gone! he did an amazing work!

  6. ellen

    Hi every body out there i came across Dr.Zack Balo email on a msg , so far i seen good reviews about how he help them, them i also give a try, lucky to me to found out that Dr.Zack Balo to bring back my lover that have left me for the past years now, i really love him so much now he is back to my life again” i am so happy now that my lover is back all my thank to wiseindividualspell@gmail.com.

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