Funny thing about the internet: you cant smell anything on it, but certain stories sure can cause a stink.
Two days ago, we told you about the meteoric rise of the latest viral video, Kony 2012, that didnt make the rounds on the internet so much as it grabbed the internet by the eyeballs and forced everybody to look directly at it. In the four days since it was uploaded to YouTube, the video has amassed nearly 58 million views while viral news of it has no doubt permeated your Facebook and Twitter feeds.
The video, in the impossible case it that hasnt yet osmosis-ed itself into your brain from at least one kind of media outlet, was created and released by Invisible Children, an organization thats been trying for years to draw worldwide attention toward Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony and his Lords Resistance Army. The Lords Resistance army is a special breed of awful because, aside from being Konys personal army, its made up of kidnapped children-turned-soldiers responsible for horrors ranging from hacking apart victims bodies to using abducted girls as sex slaves.
At any rate, you can see how theres high emotional appeal that would likely resonate with most people containing even a sliver of sympathy. More, as with all things that finally have A Moment in the media, there is now the inevitable backlash against Kony 2012 criticizing Invisible Childrens approach.
So it goes.
Whats odd about Kony 2012s success, though, isnt that it went viral so quickly but rather why it went viral in the first place. Invisible Children has been trying to raise awareness about Kony since 2004 when the eponymous Invisible Children film was released, the groups first attempt to bring attention to Konys atrocities. Invisible Children have released 11 films in all yet this is the first one to truly achieve a viral, nigh-zeitgeist status. In fact, its taken Invisible Children so long to finally land a hit with their films that Joseph Kony isnt even in Uganda anymore (he reportedly left in 2006).
Some of the success has been attributed to Invisible Childrens goal of enlisting the help of culturemakers. Others have asserted that Kony 2012 succeeded due to clever marketing on social media. Both of these belie Invisible Childrens previous efforts by assuming such endorsements and technologies werent used to propel their videos into the limelight. For one, Lady Gaga endorses a ton of things but not nearly all of them catch on the way Kony 2012 has. She and others have got a magic, but its far from being a true Midas touch.
The most salient difference between Kony 2012s world and the world of Invisible Childrens previous videos, I believe, is something far more simple: timing. The towering success of the anti-SOPA movement, Planned Parenthood supporters organizing to turn back Susan G. Komens decision to de-fund the organization, or even the recent backlast that has sent supporters fleeing from Rush Limbaugh due to his misogynistic remarks about Sandra Fluke all have helped build and fortify the edifice of social medias power. It could be argued that Kony 2012 was a beneficiary of those previous campaigns that, one, established the social media political infrastructure, and two, demonstrated that it works.
As these movements cycle more regularly and enjoy an ever-quickening ascent-descent with the worlds favor, though, do we run the risk of diminishing the potency of the viral campaign-as-political device the more these campaigns happen? Im in no way saying that itll be Invisible Childrens fault were viral campaigns to falter in the future whatever your feelings about the groups methods, good on IC for finally getting the world to pay attention to how horrible Kony is but rather highlighting the fact that these viral campaigns seem to be happening an awful lot lately.
Indeed, you can have too much of a good thing and so I fear that, after eventually growing tired of the endless parade of Next Big Things from the internet, instead of catching wind of political campaigns that really deserve our attention, the public will begin to simply hold their breath until the trend passes along and disappears into the trunks of internet fads.
Go here to see the original:
Kony 2012: The Anatomy Of A Viral Success
- "The Secret Museum" Exhibition Opening, Observatory, This Saturday, April 10, 7-10 PM - April 6th, 2010 [April 6th, 2010]
- Job Opportunities at the Medical Museion, University of Copenhagen - April 9th, 2010 [April 9th, 2010]
- "The Secret Museum" Exhibition Opening, Observatory, TONIGHT! April 10, 7-10 PM - April 10th, 2010 [April 10th, 2010]
- Animal Body Worlds at the Neunkirchen Zoo, Saarland, Germany - April 11th, 2010 [April 11th, 2010]
- Congress for Curious People: Lectures Begin Tomorrow Night at the Coney Island Museum! - April 12th, 2010 [April 12th, 2010]
- A Brief History of Automata, An Illustrated Lecture and Demonstration by Mike Zohn, Obscura Antiques and Oddities, TONIGHT! Coney Island Museum - April 14th, 2010 [April 14th, 2010]
- "The Brading Collection of Taxidermy, Waxworks, Costume and Similar Items," Duke's Auction House, Dorset, April 13th (Today!) - April 15th, 2010 [April 15th, 2010]
- Charles Wilson Peale and the Birth of the American Museum, Coney Island Museum, Tonight!!! - April 16th, 2010 [April 16th, 2010]
- "The Congress for Curious People," Epic 2-Day Symposium Begins Tomorrow!!! - April 16th, 2010 [April 16th, 2010]
- "A History of Taxidermy: Art, Science and Bad Taste," An Illustrated Presentation By Dr. Pat Morris, Congress for Curious People, Coney Island Museum - April 17th, 2010 [April 17th, 2010]
- The Dance of Death, 1919, Attributed to Josef Fenneker - April 20th, 2010 [April 20th, 2010]
- "Stuffed Animals and Pickled Heads" Book and Lecture by Stephen Asma, Thursday April 22, Observatory - April 21st, 2010 [April 21st, 2010]
- "The Silken Web: The Erotic World of Paris, 1920-1946," Mel Gordon Lecture at Observatory, Tomorrow April 20th - April 21st, 2010 [April 21st, 2010]
- "Museums, Monsters and the Moral Imagination" Lecture by Stephen Asma, Tonight!, Observatory - April 22nd, 2010 [April 22nd, 2010]
- "The Rogue Taxidermy Kunstkammer," The Minnesota Association of Rogue Taxidermists, La Luz de Jesus, Los Angeles - April 23rd, 2010 [April 23rd, 2010]
- "Anatomical Art: Dissection to Illustration," Exhibition Curated by Marie Dauenheimer, Arlington, Virginia - April 26th, 2010 [April 26th, 2010]
- "Excellent Old-School Science Models," Life Magazine Photo Gallery - April 28th, 2010 [April 28th, 2010]
- "Three Unique Medical Museums in Northern Italy," Lecture by Marie Dauenheimer, Observatory, Saturday May 1 - April 29th, 2010 [April 29th, 2010]
- Tomorrow Night at Observatory! "Three Unique Medical Museums in Northern Italy," Lecture by Marie Dauenheimer - April 30th, 2010 [April 30th, 2010]
- "Imaging / Imagining the Skeleton," Symposium, Tomorrow, Friday, April 30, 1:00-4pm, CUNY Graduate Center - May 1st, 2010 [May 1st, 2010]
- Kabinett des Grotesken ("Cabinet of the Grotesque"), Berliner Medizinhistorisches Museum der Charité, Spiegel Online - May 4th, 2010 [May 4th, 2010]
- Head of Discovery and Engagement, Wellcome Library, Employment Opportunity - May 5th, 2010 [May 5th, 2010]
- "Experimenting with Death: An Introduction to Terror Management Theory," Lecture, Observatory, Thursday May 6 - May 5th, 2010 [May 5th, 2010]
- The Taxidermy of Mr. Walter Potter and his Museum of Curiosities, Melissa Milgrom - May 6th, 2010 [May 6th, 2010]
- Tonight!!! "Experimenting with Death: An Introduction to Terror Management Theory," Lecture, Observatory - May 6th, 2010 [May 6th, 2010]
- Original Fritz Kahn Posters and Key Booklet, Sotheby's Vintage Posters Auction, May 13 - May 6th, 2010 [May 6th, 2010]
- "The Saddest Object in the World," An Illustrated Meditation, Observatory, Friday, May 7th - May 7th, 2010 [May 7th, 2010]
- "An Atlas of Topographical Anatomy after Plane Sections of Frozen Bodies," Christian Wilhelm Braune, 1877 - May 7th, 2010 [May 7th, 2010]
- Tonight!!! "The Saddest Object in the World," An Illustrated Meditation, Observatory - May 9th, 2010 [May 9th, 2010]
- Various works by Francois Maréchal - May 13th, 2010 [May 13th, 2010]
- The Pennsylvania Medical Humanities Consortium, May 19-20, College of Physicians, Philadelphia PA - May 14th, 2010 [May 14th, 2010]
- Morbid Magicians, Demented Doctors, and Sinister Swamis: The Golden Age of the American Spook Show, Observatory, Monday, May 17 - May 14th, 2010 [May 14th, 2010]
- Frank Frazetta, Renowned Fantasy Artist, Dies at 82 - May 15th, 2010 [May 15th, 2010]
- San Francisco Zen Center presents ‘The Accidents of our Materials’ with sculptors Arthur Ganson & Elizabeth King - May 18th, 2010 [May 18th, 2010]
- Various Works by George Washington Thomas Lambert - May 19th, 2010 [May 19th, 2010]
- The Never-Realized Führermuseum, Linz, Austria - May 21st, 2010 [May 21st, 2010]
- Proteus Gowanus Benefit/Anniversary Party, Saturday, May 22nd, 7-10 p.m. - May 21st, 2010 [May 21st, 2010]
- "Many Dead Things: The Specimens of Alex CF," Superette Gallery, London - May 22nd, 2010 [May 22nd, 2010]
- "The Secret Museum," Photography Exhibition, Observatory, Closes June 6th - May 23rd, 2010 [May 23rd, 2010]
- Various Figure Drawings by Sergio Lopez - May 24th, 2010 [May 24th, 2010]
- "Another Science Fiction," Tomorrow, Tuesday May 25, 86th Street Barnes and Noble, 7 PM, NYC - May 24th, 2010 [May 24th, 2010]
- The Secret Museum Website and Exhibition Closing Party - May 27th, 2010 [May 27th, 2010]
- Oxberry Pegs Presents: Animators Are God? Series, "The Clay Animation of Jimmy Picker," Saturday May 29th, Observatory - May 28th, 2010 [May 28th, 2010]
- Exhibition to Revisit Contemporary Korean Art - May 28th, 2010 [May 28th, 2010]
- Portrait Sketches by Luke Kopycinski - May 28th, 2010 [May 28th, 2010]
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Confiscated Items Online Auction, Ongoing - May 29th, 2010 [May 29th, 2010]
- Despite Tightening Up Of Society, Iranian Art Sees A Boom - May 29th, 2010 [May 29th, 2010]
- Various Works by Santiago Rusiñol - May 29th, 2010 [May 29th, 2010]
- Various works by Tina Spratt - May 30th, 2010 [May 30th, 2010]
- MAXXI Gallery, Rome’s First Contemporary Art Museum Opens Its Doors - May 31st, 2010 [May 31st, 2010]
- Michelangelo’s Hidden Sistine Chapel Message Discovered - May 31st, 2010 [May 31st, 2010]
- Various Works by Dorian Iten - June 3rd, 2010 [June 3rd, 2010]
- Monet’s Water-Lily Painting For Sale - June 3rd, 2010 [June 3rd, 2010]
- Secret Museum Closing Party and Morbid Anatomy Library/Observatory Open Studios, This Weekend! - June 3rd, 2010 [June 3rd, 2010]
- Art Students League of Denver Summer Art Market - June 3rd, 2010 [June 3rd, 2010]
- Saint Cosmas and Saint Damian (c. 200 CE) - June 3rd, 2010 [June 3rd, 2010]
- "I’m Officially Obsessed with Observatory," Melissa Stern for Time Out New York, June 2010 - June 4th, 2010 [June 4th, 2010]
- Gallery Nucleus Presents Enchanté - June 4th, 2010 [June 4th, 2010]
- Various Works by Edward Kinsella - June 4th, 2010 [June 4th, 2010]
- Renowned Sculpture Artist Louise Bourgeois Dies - June 4th, 2010 [June 4th, 2010]
- Various Works by Paul Gauguin - June 5th, 2010 [June 5th, 2010]
- Various Works by Stephen Pan - June 6th, 2010 [June 6th, 2010]
- Bravo Premieres “Work of Art” Reality Show - June 6th, 2010 [June 6th, 2010]
- Art of Photography Show – Entry Deadline June 7th - June 6th, 2010 [June 6th, 2010]
- "Anatomical Venuses, The Slashed Beauty, and Fetuses Dancing a Jig" Lecture, Coney Island Museum, Sunday June 13th, 4:30 PM - June 7th, 2010 [June 7th, 2010]
- Amazing Auction Alert! "The Gallery of Creation, a Museum of Natural History, Created by Joseph Hurt Studio, Inc.", Friday and Saturday, June 25 & 26 - June 9th, 2010 [June 9th, 2010]
- Various Works by Ron Hicks - June 10th, 2010 [June 10th, 2010]
- Two Upcoming Events at Observatory by Torino:Margolis - June 11th, 2010 [June 11th, 2010]
- This Sunday! "Anatomical Venuses, The Slashed Beauty, and Fetuses Dancing a Jig" Lecture, Coney Island Museum, Sunday June 13th, 4:30 PM - June 11th, 2010 [June 11th, 2010]
- Various Works by Lui Ferreyra - June 11th, 2010 [June 11th, 2010]
- "Borrowed from the Charnel House," Saul Chernick, Opening Tonight, NYC! - June 12th, 2010 [June 12th, 2010]
- Zoe Beloff London Engagements, Tonight and Tomorrow Night, June 10th and 11 - June 12th, 2010 [June 12th, 2010]
- Various Works by John M Collier - June 14th, 2010 [June 14th, 2010]
- “Show Time” by Mariano Steiner - June 15th, 2010 [June 15th, 2010]
- This Friday at Observatory! "The Anatomical Unconscious: X-Ray Specs, Visible Women, and the Eros of the Unseen," With Cult Author Mark Dery - June 18th, 2010 [June 18th, 2010]
- "Woman Advertising J.M. Dolph, Furniture Maker and Undertaker," Cabinet card, circa 1877 - June 19th, 2010 [June 19th, 2010]
- Various works by Karol Bak - June 22nd, 2010 [June 22nd, 2010]
- Amazing Auction Alert #2: "The Owsten Collection," June 25th and 26th, Sydney, Australia - June 23rd, 2010 [June 23rd, 2010]
- The Art of the Potentially Deadly Deal: Marketing Heroin on the Street - June 24th, 2010 [June 24th, 2010]
- This Tuesday at Observatory! Torino:Margolis Performance - June 28th, 2010 [June 28th, 2010]