Over the weekend, reheated pop-culture network VH1 premiered a special program entitled 40 Greatest Internet Superstars, which featured short biographies of a number of online “stars.” Yes, finally, the “Numa Numa Kid” and the “Ask A Ninja” guys have found their place as the one-hit wonders of the 21st century. Sure, there was also a nice little bit about “MySpace Tom” and Andy Milonakis, but most of the show was pretty much drek.
But, it also got me thinking. After all, we’ve got a plenty active group of netizens here in Asheville. So, why can’t we have our own “Internet Superstars”?
So, here’s my question to our readers: Who are your top five local internet celebs?
Here’s the ground rules: They have to be local, and they have to have some online project—a blog, a website, or some other kind of internet-based relevance—but they don’t actually have to be “famous” in any traditional sense. If you can’t think of five, post as many as you do have, and feel free to explain why you like them. Also, if at all possible, please provide a link or URL to their project so that others can check it out.
Just off the top of me head…
The blogs i read are my current local hero(ine)s (i’ll avoid first names because, well, they don’t mention their names in their ‘about me’):
Ashvegas – http://ashvegas.squarespace.com/
This guy is everywhere and my kind of observer
EdgyMama – http://edgymama.com/
MountainX blogs just quoted from her very family life
The Hangover Journals – http://hangoverjournal.blogspot.com/
Because she blogs her ups, downs and sideways(es)
Other Notables:
Wally Bowen
Who runs M.A.I.N.
http://www.main.nc.us/
He’s an activist and doesn’t hide it – so engaging that i used to volunteer for MAIN.
Virato
http://newfrontier.com/asheville/who_is_virato.htm
Self-styled guru (His vanity license plate is VIRATO). A wonderful mix of messages with a good heart – a la A’ville!
I’m going to vote me. Someone second the nomination.
Virato frightens me a bit, and I want to read the Hangover Journals, but that purple on purple gives me a hangover.
I’m seconding Bugg.
Zen, how can you ignore Brainshrub and Scrutiny Hooligans?
I’ll certainly second the Hangover Journals (but I know what you mean about the purple-on-purple thing, which can be even worse if the page doesn’t load all the way). She’s easily one of the best diary-type bloggers in town.
Bugg also gets props, although not so much as a blogger — http://jasonbugg.blogspot.com/ — but rather as one of the most vocal members of the MountainX.com’s comment squad. There have been times when I’ve looked at all the “Recent Comments” on the Blogs page, and seen nothing but his repeating avatar running down the length of the page.
My face repeating that many times could be considered porn in a lot of places.
Bugg,
D’you know how hard it was not to refer to you as the MountainX.com “commenting troll”? But, I was a little afraid it’d be taken as an insult, rather than a backhanded compliment.
Thankfully, we’ve got folks like Zen an lish acting as the counterweights. It makes for good reading, I’d say.
Hey, if you want to give me a title, make sure you at least start paying me. Money is tight at the Bugg home. Plus, I like commenting here. It gets my name out there.
I’m not sure “counterweight” is all that complimentary either. I know i could use a few pounds and all. Bugg makes for good comments, is he the weight we are countering??
Bugg: “Face porn” has a nice ring to it!
I’m a little surprised that no one has mentioned the JukeboxAlive folks yet (http://www.jukeboxalive.com/). Last I heard, they were still local.
But, is that it? Surely, we’ve got more than just a handful of notable netizens in Asheville. What about the Asheville Women’s Rugby team and their prom dress video — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HLkFODXVoM — or all the local music videos that have found their way to YouTube?
C’mon people, there’s got to be more.
Actually there is not. There is me, and me alone.
No, I refuse to accept this. There are A LOT of notable locals out there on “teh intarweb.” Trust me.
Like local picker Will Chatham’s rather well-known cover of the “Star Wars” theme on a banjo, which you can see at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQBRSwZiYS4.
I’d even take the They Might Be Giants video of their song about the Orange Peel — http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fjyhli3GkFU –, even though it’s not strictly local.
Surely, I’m not the only person who is aware of these things … am I?
No. Being aware and caring are two things that are at times such as this, mutually exclusive.
Guess I could mention mine, for its glorious past in the beginnings of blogdom and its fledgling effort now.
http://www.braveulysses.com/wordpress
Starting in 1995 I publsihed Duck Soup: Essays on the Submerging Culture as a weekly e-zine and Web post. For a while the Web site became a marketing tool for my company Brave Ulysses Books, but is reemerging from the fog of war as a blog.
As long as voting for oneself is in vogue, I give myself points for blogging before anyone called it blogging.
I think you are confusing me stating that I am an internet icon (which is a fact) with me voting for myself.
So this is how the internet dies, not with a bang, but with a whimper … and Jason Bugg.
If the internet dies, I’ll be happy. Now if you’ll excuse me, I am going back into my cave and skinning the dodo bird I just killed.
check out the myriad of GFE videos on youtube lots of local footage from ashevilles best supergroup