By Jackson Shoaff-Bembry
Imagine waking up one day and having enough money to not only move you and your family wherever you want but also buy a handbag so exclusive that only you and Lindsay Lohan have one. This happened to YouTube sensation Antoine Dodson after an interview for his local TV station catapulted him to instant stardom.
Dodson has gained so much recognition he has been able to travel all over the world remove his family from the projects as well as acquire a good amount of wealth. His YouTube video is not the only reason he has garnered so much fame, the artists The Gregory Brothers used Dodson’s interview to create a song for iTunes called the “Bed Intruder Song,” which is the catalyst of Dodson’s fame and income.
Dodson’s fame brought him to Washington’s Sports Bar and Grill in Fort Collins where he hosted a “Bed Intruder,” themed party. When Dodson entered the premises five burley security guards escorted him and pandemonium began to ensue. Onlookers stretched out their arms just to try and touch him, others yelled their feelings of love for him while others shouted his catch phrase, “Hide your kids hide your wife.”
This adoration was the subject of much discussion before and after Dodson’s visit to Fort Collins. Many are happy to see Dodson benefit from his instant fame while others believe it to be proof of how fickle Americans can be.
DJ for the party Ryan Lewakowski is all for Dodson’s fame and the way in which he achieved it. “Anytime someone can get famous from something small I love it because it gives me hope that it might happen to me,” Lewakowski says.
Others aren’t as quick to share in these feelings of hope and love for Dodson. “I think it’s ridiculous that someone can get rich and famous because their sister was almost raped,” says 22-year-old Sydney Jones.
Dodson himself was not to keen for all the attention at first but he has positive plans with his new found wealth. After moving his family out of the projects where the attempted rape took place, Dodson is using part of his income to start up a foundation for juvenile diabetes. Dodson believes he is proof of how anyone can escape the projects even under such bizarre circumstances.
“I just got done shooting a movie at Miramont Castle in Colorado Springs and I tell you I never thought I’d be doing all this stuff, its been seriously crazy,” says Dodson.
According to NPR Dodson’s, “Bed Intruder Song,” has had over 60 million hits and was the number one most watched video of 2010 and has surpassed the realm of viral and has become a “meme.” Whether people believe it is fair or a good thing that Dodson has gained so much fame the fact is he became famous because the public and the media allowed it to happen. The greatest thing and some would argue the worst thing, is our country is setup for the possibility that anyone could become the next Antoine Dodson.
Great writing! I enjoyed reading it, and I had no idea he was in town. That is awesome that you got to talk to him, too. Good work!
ReplyDeleteOne thing you might want to add though is a bit more about what actually made him famous. Though most people have seen this at least one time, they may not know about the news interview that started it all, ya know?
I think this story was written well and was timely because Dodson was just here in Fort Collins. Good job with your sources. The hook also kept me wanting to keep reading the rest of your story.
ReplyDeleteVery cool story! I had to comment on your title, because it is what drew me into reading your story in the first place. And then once I realized who you were talking about, I couldn't stop reading. It had a really good flow, and as far as design is concerned, did exactly what it was supposed to: it kept me reading to the end.
ReplyDeleteGood story! It was interesting and relevant. I still have no idea why reality stars become "famous" but hey more power to them. The intro was really good and kept me interested enough to keep reading. Nice work!
ReplyDeleteI really like this story! It was really interesting and was organized very well. It was very fast-paced, and it kept me reading. I liked how you talked about differing opinions of Dodson; that made it interesting. You did a really good job adding humor into the story as well. Great job!
ReplyDeleteFor this story, I would do a fast facts box about what Antoine did to become famous, where he's from, and where he's at now. You could also do a box featuring YouTube all-stars who have become famous from randomness they did that ended up on the internet.
ReplyDeleteMan this was a great story! He is a definite rags to riches story and I thought it was so awesome that he overcame a horrible situation and ended up rich over another persons bad deed. Great job!
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