Join NHPR on Saturday, January 23, from 10 to 11 p.m. (Best of Public Radio slot) for a special program My Viral Video and Me, from our partners at the BBC World Service and APM.
Do you ever wonder where the internet’s early viral stars are now, or what’s it like to go from obscurity to being watched by millions of internet users? What are these early breakout personalities now, years after their overnight fame? Freelance reporter and journalist Colm Flynn explores the psychology of going viral and tracks down some of YouTube’s first viral stars.
As many people spend their time chasing the allure of fame, only very few ever reach the level of world-wide recognition. Colm connects with the people he watched online growing up, to find out what happened to them after their initial viral fame faded. He visits with people who amassed hundreds of millions of worldwide views and embedded themselves in the minds of a generation.
