A few weeks ago, Antoine Dodson was a nobody from Huntsville, Alabama. That is, until his sister was the victim in a near-rape incident. As the news report stated, Dodson’s sister was in bed when a man climbed through her window and tried to get in bed with her. Antoine heard the ruckus and came to his sister’s rescue, and the attacker escaped. As soon as the story was shown on television, Antoine Dodson gained in popularity and fame. The way in which he warns everyone to “hide yo’ kids, hide yo’ wife, and hide yo’ husband, cuz they rapin’ everybody out here” was a hit! I remember hearing his news report being broadcasted on the radio a few days after the occurrence. The noteworthy part is not the news report itself, but rather what came of it. People turned Dodson’s words into an actual song, which held a number one spot on iTunes for purchased songs for quite some time! Antoine Dodson became a celebrity in just a few days–for seemingly nothing! Check out the video below:
I’m not sure what to think of Dodson. Should I be happy that this unknown man suddenly lives a life of fame? Or should I be upset by how easily he came to this state? What is a celebrity? I always used to think that actors, musicians, and artists were among those worthy enough to be deemed “celebrities”. They worked hard to get where they are. On the other hand, Dodson was just giving his report of what had happened, and now he, too, is famous! I guess this just goes to show that anyone can get known by doing pretty much anything at all. And just yesterday I learned that Dodson now came out with a new iPhone Application, warning people about sex offenders and providing them with a way to find such people in their own neighborhoods. If Antoine Dodson can become famous so easily, what’s stopping me?
Maybe I’m just losing faith in humanity, but I always felt that nowadays you don’t need any type of talent to become a celebrity. You just need the right people, the right amount of publicity, and a lot of hype.
His move was definitely admirable, and his advice is short, to the point, and a little catchy, but I’m not sure if it should make him a celebrity. He deserves recognition for his brave act, but becoming an instant celebrity… probably not.
I keep trying to leave a comment here, but it keeps saying my comments are spam. ;_;
Maybe I’m just losing faith in humanity, but I always felt that nowadays you don’t need any type of talent to become a celebrity. You just need the right people, the right amount of publicity, and a lot of hype.
His move was definitely admirable, and his advice is short, to the point, and a little catchy, but I’m not sure if it should make him a celebrity. He deserves recognition for his brave act, but becoming an instant celebrity… probably not.
You’re totally right, fame comes too easily for a lot of people who don’t deserve it. Personally I think some of the most famous people now, don’t have nearly as much talent as those that most people choose to ignore. I feel like, a lot of times it isn’t about how talented you are but how marketable you are. Some actors or actresses just have to look good for them to be famous, it really is unfair.
And you’ll be famous one day, I’ve heard you sing =]
No offense to his act of bravery, but I’m pretty sure that’s not what Dodson is famous for. At the risk of being mean, I think the real catalyst of his celebrity is how shockingly (and apparently unknowingly) ridiculous he is in what would otherwise be an incredibly serious situation.
You must see this picture. Doron and I saw it and immediately thought of this blog post.
http://www.tastefullyoffensive.com/2010/10/antoine-dogson.html
Apparently, there’s no way to post an image into a comment. But I assure you, this picture will give you some good laughs. I guess Antoine Dodson is reaching new audiences…