YouTube Stars!: November 2006

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

My First Video

Hello, readers. Guess what? I actually have a video on YouTube now! It features several nice members of the YouTube community. You will also hear me, but not see me, as I answer some questions about YouTube and YouTubeStars. Please have a look at the video and then read the story of how it came about.

About Kenny and YouTubeStars

If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

Here is the story behind the video:

One day, a few months back, I received a message in My Inbox on YouTube from FreeWingz. FreeWingz is one of the good guys of the YouTube community. He leaves positive encouraging comments on many videos and has collaborated on videos with several community members such as Singer/Song Writer Alan Williams (awilliams100) and Guitar Man J David B (jdavidb). FreeWingz has 11 videos of his own. I recommend that you watch his inspirational Free Wings video, which I wrote about, here.

In his message, FreeWingz said that he had a vision in his mind when he awoke that morning - a vision of a video in which I was being interviewed by members of the YouTube community. He said that he wanted to make that vision a reality by creating such a video. I agreed to make audio responses to the questions and FreeWingz set off to collect some questions from the community.

Soon, I received a list of 13 questions compiled by FreeWingz from four members of the YouTube community - Urgelt, AericWinter, VioletKitty411 and KwaiChi (Thank you all!). I wrote out a draft of my answers and rewrote them again over the course of a few days. Then I recorded myself reading my answers, and sent the audio file to FreeWingz for editing. You can hear me answering five of those questions in the video. I'll publish a few of the other questions and answers, below.

FreeWingz put a lot of time and effort into collecting video clips for this project, and in editing the video clips and my audio recording. Last week, I got a message from him saying that the video was done and ready to be uploaded to my channel. He put a private preview of it on his channel and sent me the link to it.

I didn't really know what to expect as I clicked the link. I knew that FreeWingz is a good man with a talent for mixing and editing, so I was confident that whatever I saw would be a quality piece of work. I was not disappointed! FreeWingz had recruited Urgelt to be the host of the video, providing background commentary and reading the questions for me. Urgelt was originally known and respected for his Healthy Eating series of videos (read more, here) and recently became widely known for his outstanding readings of poetryand short stories, most notably in his featured video, "The Cremation of Sam McGee". Urgelt did an excellent job as host! His insightful comments and soothing speaking voice add class and character to the video.

There are a few appearances in the video by members of the community. Each one is outstanding in its own way! First, AericWinter (read his interview) appears, to thank me. I'd like to thank him for his entertaining videos! Watch how he spends one interesting afternoon in his latest video.

Next on the video is a sweet appearance by SilentGirl and her mom, hotchinadoll. Mother and daughter are both beautiful! I wonder if it was a lucky fluke or part of FreeWingz' plan that this part of the video became the icon for it. I've been a huge fan of SilentGirl (read her interview) ever since she first appeared in LittleLoca's videos. And now her mom is making some fun and interesting films! Watch her very first video, here.

I really enjoyed SavannahLioness' clip in my video! This is 8 seconds of comic genius! I wrote about one of her videos, here, but you should also see her creative and entertaining movie, "The Thief Who Stole My Box". Come and chat with SavannahLioness (and me!) on YouTubeTalk.com.

There's a new YouTube member named TheSpooneyOne who contributed a clip to my video. He nicely sums up what I try to do on this blog, YouTubeStars. I do report on the well known YouTube members but I also tell you about new and lesser known known members who are also making great videos. Spooney made a pretty humorous intro video, check it out!

Next comes a cool video montage of a whole bunch of YouTube members, provided by LouRyder. We also hear the surperb singing voice of Alan Williams (awilliams100), who wrote, played and sang the music in the background of the video. Hear more of Alan in his latest video, "I Will Never Go", which he wrote for his wife Becky when they got married. If you're into comedy, watch his "BEAVIS and BUTTHEAD Do YouTube - Episode 1" video!

Finally, there are closing credits with my voice answering the question, "I would like to know what about a video grabs you enough to feature the video?" Thanks for submitting the question, VioletKitty411! A big thanks to everyone who contributed to the video, watched the video and commented on the video!

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Here are two questions and answers that did not make it into the video. The first question is from VioletKitty411 and the second is from Urgelt.

What kind of personality do you deem a "star"? In looking through your blog, it's not always the most popular users.
I write about popular members of YouTube but I also feature talented and/or eloquently expressive members who may have not yet become a well known 'toober. I look for confidence, or honest vulnerability. I look for effervescence, or genuine sadness. I look for those who use self-deprecating humor, or have abundant confidence. Basically, I look for people who are willing to share something deep inside themselves with the YouTube community.

Who are your top 3 favorite posters, and why?
I could list many more than three. But with that limit in mind, I'll mention three people who's videos I look forward to watching.

Darahgna, also known as Angharad, from Wales (read more, here). Her "Cooking with your Favorite Goth" video is the second video I ever saw on YouTube and it captured my attention. She displays a range of emotion and has a range of talents. She looks very different in each video and speaks in varying styles and accents. Almost every one of her videos have been creative and entertaining!

Littleloca and Silent Girl, who are Stevie Ryan and her cousin Monique (read more here). Loca has a rough exterior but a heart of gold. She pushes the boundaries and has almost crossed the line once or twice, in my opinion. But she does it in a humorous way. I think that being from New York City enables me to identify with her and the way people behave in large cities. I love the interaction between LL and SG, especially in the early episodes. They play off each other very well.

LonelyGirl15, now known to be Jessica Rose (read more here). The story is compelling from many different angles - naivete vs jadedness, authority vs the oppressed, religion vs science. Jessica is a talented actress who is able to convincingly play a shy teen. The story line has some interesting, almost Shakespearean attributes, and it's hard to predict exactly where they are going with this ceremony thread.

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Thursday, November 16, 2006

News and Tunes

In this post, I'll show you two videos that present YouTube News and two videos that feature music.

YourTube NEWS - Episode One
There is a great new News Program on YouTube! Actually, it's not that new. Damien Estreich has been making videos on the YourTubeNEWS channel for over a month now. This video is his first newscast. It is very well produced and has very interesting information about stories that were hot on YouTube six weeks ago. Boh3m3 does the introduction to this video! Be sure to watch all the other YourTubeNEWS episodes including the new Opinions video starring guest newsperson, the fabulous Kimberleigh, also seen on Riffage.

If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

YouTube News
Here is a very funny and creative "news" video. It was created by SadieDammit. Sadie has been on YouTube for about 5 months and has over 40 other videos that you should check out! This spoof news broadcast has stories that are based on popular YouTubers such as Greg Solomon, Zen Archer, Renetto, VioletKitty411 and others. Sadie's straight-faced delivery of quite funny lines is an excellent example of wry humor. Watch and see!

If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

"Mesmerized" by *Charlotte*
Here is a music video by creativefisher, also known as Char or Charlotte (her myspace). Char is a creative and talented artist. She paints murals and on canvas, and she also writes music, sings and plays guitar. In this video, we hear her sing a hauntingly beautiful song that she wrote herself. She has painted a flower on her face to combine her art and music into one performance. Be sure to also watch this video in which she displays pics of her paintings and herself!

If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

Do you love me (now that i can dance)
Oh my, this is a fun video! Tasha and her friend Dishka have another hit on their hands with this uptempo lipsync and dance video of the old Contours song from the 60s. These delightful Israeli ladies made the wildly popular Hey Clip video a year ago. That vid is now the 4th most watched video on YouTube ever, with over 10 Million views! I think this new one is just as enjoyable as last year's smash hit. Have a look, and don't miss the surprise ending!

If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

Friday, November 10, 2006

YouTubers Recommending YouTubers

Readers come to YouTubeStars to learn about who is popular and entertaining on YouTube. I spend a lot of time watching videos so that I can write about the talented people making their entertaining films. But I can't watch every video that comes out! YouTube gets thousands of uploads a day. It's difficult enough just keeping up with the 94 members that I subscribe to. However, there is a new trend that is helping me to find out about interesting YouTubers. People are making videos about who their favorite YouTubers are. These films are like a video edition of YouTubeStars! Here are 4 such videos:

I'm a Loser and Respect
Boh3m3 starts out with a normal videoblog where he talks about his weight loss program. Then at 5:43, he gives his opinions about YouTube channels that he likes to watch. Here is a list of the people he talks about:

DiGiTiLsOuL http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=DiGiTiLsOuL
SeanBedlam http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=seanbedlam
Mr. Safety http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=smpfilms
Yourtubenews/DamienEstreich http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=YourTubeNEWS
SarahJParent, or SJP-lo http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=xSJPx
Mordeth13 http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=mordeth13
SirPuppet http://www.youtube.com/user/SirPuppet
m3xlc4n http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=m3xlc4n

If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

Bryony's AllStars! (your tube stars) Part 1
Paperlilies gives us a list of the videomakers that she loves to watch. She provides clips from a video for each person that she talks about. Be sure to also watch Part 2! Here is Paperlilies' list from both parts:

dentonusa = http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=dentonUSA
endlessjoe = http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=endlessjoe
insaneshayne = http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=insaneshayne
kimberleigh = http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=kimberleigh
logtarpantsonfire = http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=logtarpantsonfire
zacksmovies = http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=zacksmovies
thereceptionist = http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=thereceptionist

If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

The Under 100 Club
BigRiggBlues has made a video about what he calls "The Under 100 Club." Here's how he explains this club, in his description for this video:

The Under 100 Club is for any YouTube user with less than 100 subscribers. We need to raise awareness of the various different people here, so that things don't become stale and repetitive.

If you have less than 100 subscribers, post a video response to this video, introducing yourself to the rest of YouTube.

If you have more than 100 subscribers, post a video response to this video, introducing YouTube users with less than 100 subscribers who are subscribed to you, that others should be watching.

This video was uploaded on October 3rd and has generated 17 video responses so far!

If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

Monday, November 06, 2006

Horrorfest and the Emo Kids

Here's an update on the Horrorfest contest on YouTube, and new videos from the original YouTube stars - EmoKid21Ohio and emogirl21.

HOW DO I VOTE? Miss Horrorfest voting guide for silly people
It's time to vote for whoever you want to win Horrorfest 2006! There are 4 finalists and one is our YouTubeStars/YouTubeTalk friend, ysabellabrave. See her excellent but scary entry video in our post, here. In this video, ysabellabrave tells us how to get to the Horrofest page to vote. Follow her directions, or just click here. Choose the video for the person you want to win (ysabellabrave is number 2) and click "I like it!" We urge all readers to participate in the YouTube community by voting!

If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

The Return Of EmoKid21Ohio
The Emo Kids are back! Remember the early days of YouTube (early 2006!) when everyone was watching and talking about EmoKid21Ohio and emogirl21? I remember those days! I wrote one of the first posts here about these two YouTube stars. If you don't remember what went on with the Emo Kids, read about them here. In this video, EmoKid21Ohio (Matt) talks about the changes that have occurred since he made his last video. He has made a few others since his comeback. He seems to be a bit different from the last time we saw him - less Emo and more bratty/whiney. But it's good to see that he is back from "the dead" and making entertaining videos again!

If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

The good old days
Emogirl21 is also back and has made several new videos! Read more about her, here. In this vid, emogirl21 agrees with EmoKid21Ohio (Matt) about the rise in popularity of "fake" YouTubers like Lonelygirl15. She writes in the description box, "I miss the good old days of youtube where no one was, like, fake." Be sure to catch the Emo episode emogirl21 has at the end of the video!

If you can't see the video above, watch it at YouTube.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

YouTubeStars News 11-01-06

You all know that YouTube was recently purchased by Google and you know that Lonelygirl15 is a character played by actress Jessica Rose. But did you know that the LG15 team has added a new character to their story? Did you know that Morbeck is undergoing treatment in a mental hospital? Have you heard that MysteryGuitarMan's YouTube account has been hacked? Read on for more!

Nut Kills Man
On October 19th, Gemmers19, also known as "Gemma in London", made her first video in which she addressed Lonelygirl15 as "Bree". In this video, she claims that she knows Bree and that her parents still live in the "community" - the religious community or cult that Bree is currently in. Since "Bree" is a fictional character played by Jessica Rose, Gemma must also be a fictional character. In fact, photos have shown up online that show Jessica and the girl who plays Gemma, together. Gemma is in L.A. with Jessica and not in London, as her character states in her videos. Since this first video was made, Gemma has made 3 others in which she sends messages and advice to Bree. Bree has responded to Gemma in her own videos. The story continues! People are still watching the Lonelygirl15 saga - Gemma has over 6000 subscribers already and Lonelygirl15 recently topped 55 thousand subscribers! Let's watch Gemma's debut video:

If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

This ones for morbeck
LittleLoca is still going strong! She makes one or two entertaining videos a week. Lately we've seen her with Silent Girl (her boyfriend was attacked), Sammy (he came out) and even Crispin Glover - George McFly in "Back to the Future". LittleLoca was recently featured in an article in New Yorker magazine, superbly written by Ben McGrath (video about the photoshoot for the article, here). I spoke to Ben on the phone about YouTube; he is a good guy. Read the article - it is very informative and interesting!

Today, Loca uploaded a video to wish us all a Happy Halloween, and to report the news of Morbeck's situation to those who had not yet heard about it:

if you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

Just to say hi...
Morbeck, the 26-year-old Brazilian man who often makes videos dressed as female characters, is getting better but he is still in treatment for a Bipolar condition. This is a video that was shot by his friend Belatrix. She was able to film Morbeck on the grounds of the hospital where he is being treated. For more information, also see his previous video about his break from the clinic.

If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

My account was hacked!! (MysteryGuitarMan)
Popular YouTuber and YouTubeTalk member MysteryGuitarMan reported tonight on a new account (RealMGM) that his MysteryGuitarMan account had been hacked. There is presently only one new video on the original MysteryGuitarMan account - apparently made by the hackers - and it warns Katers17 (read about her, here) and NoHoGirls (the popular North Hollywood Girls) that they are attempting to hack into their accounts as well. Let's hope that YouTube is able to restore MysteryGuitarMan's account and catch the hackers!

If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

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Hacker Update
MGM has gotten his account back! He has made a video that explains what happened:

If you can't see the video above, watch it on YouTube.

I contacted MGM and asked him two further questions - How did you found out that your "friend" was the hacker? Also, I assume he has no real plans to try to hack Katers17 or NoHoGirls?

MGM's answers - I found out because of the YouTubeTalk admins. Someone posted hateful comments about me (and a whole bunch of other people) in the forums once and got his IP banned. They sent me an email explaining that he was trying to log into my YouTubeTalk account too but couldn't since he was banned.

He had gotten my password from when I logged into my YouTube account from his house. So, no... he didn't run the brute force script: Katers and the NoHoGirls are safe :-P
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For more News, please read out last news post. Thanks!

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