Oh, great: only now that the story has broken all over the world has our mainstream media in New Zealand got on to the Lonelygirl15 story. I thought I was late with it, since it has been going since mid-year and I have only talked about Lonelygirl15 for maybe a month on this blog. I tell you, the MSM ignore the blogosphere at their peril. The best stories are here. But they still pretend it didn’t exist and that the internet is not taking away readers from newspapers and TV. Ha!
   Meanwhile, its creators deny that the stunt was to promote a new Hollywood film. Jessica Rose, the actress from Salisbury, Md., who grew up in Mt Maunganui, New Zealand, hired to play Bree or Lonelygirl15, has begun doing interviews as herself. One of the first is on MTV, and another with the Associated Press, which proves my earlier point that this will be a marketing phenomenon for the actress, who will have a shelf life beyond the YouTube videos. She needs to be careful she doesn’t fizzle out, so now is the time to go forward with any plans for the Jessica Rose brand, and not the Lonelygirl15 one. She must have considered them, and considered what she needs to do to remain relevant in this very fickle business.
   Will she go into old media? Or will she prefer to conquer the web? The fact she has not received any acting offers so far suggests the people in power are watching—so play it carefully and with class and dignity. Humility works in the new Hollywood.
   Stars are born, but stars can also fade. Tread carefully, Jessica Rose.

Del.icio.us tags: Jessica Rose fame New Zealand Lonelygirl15 marketing Bree brand phenomenon stardom Posted by Jack Yan, 23:49  permalink

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