If you logged onto any social media site, or tuned into the local news over the past few weeks, you’ve likely come across some chatter about the two Malden fisherman who encountered what they coined a “sea monstah” in Boston Harbor (and if you haven’t, you’re extremely fortunate).
The five minute-long, obscenity-laced video which was posted to YouTube, captured Michael “Mikey” Bergin and Jason “Jay” Foster’s reaction to hooking what appeared to be a young relative of Moby Dick while out on a fishing expedition. It has received over 3.2 million views thus far and has catapulted the duo into viral video stardom, spurring a flurry of local and national media interviews including an appearance last week on late-night talk show “Jimmy Kimmel Live.”
There was no need to call the aquarium, bro. It turns out that the mysterious sea creature was not a baby whale, it was actually a salt water sunfish. And, it also turns out that “Mikey” and “Jay” are not just amateur fisherman spitting out salty language with thick Boston accents, they are also both ex-cons boasting criminal records longer than the Lynnway.
The latter fact hasn’t seemed to slow the public’s intrigue with Bergin and Foster. It is actually adding to their appeal and their ability to cash in on their Internet-fueled fame. They’ve hired Bergin’s sister to serve as their agent, launched a line of T-shirts featuring catchphrases from the video, signed a license agreement that is now generating revenue with every click of the video, and are even fielding calls from producers pitching them reality show ideas (one concept floated involves flying Bergin around the world and capturing his reaction to other strange sights, presumably for cable TV given that his use of foul language is part of what is lending to his “charm”).
While Bergin and Foster’s fishing video was somewhat amusing, the fact that it was not intended to be funny is what made it comical. We were laughing at them, not with them. And personally, the laughs didn’t last for the length of the video, so I am wondering how Bergin and Foster can stretch their fame for 15 minutes, or even worse, for an entire reality TV show. But then again, we as a society have grown accustomed to making stars out of total nobodies. Who would have ever imagined that a “leaked” amateur adult video would not only launch a relatively unknown Kim Kardashian into superstardom, but catapult her entire family into a multi-million dollar brand comprised of multiple reality TV series, a clothing line, umpteenth endorsement deals, and even a game app with millions of downloads?
We can collectively shake our heads at how this happens, but we’re probably all guilty of feeding into it. Every time we sit in front of the TV and watch an episode of the Real Housewives of Wherever, buy a tabloid magazine, click on a YouTube video of a cute kid singing a pop song cover (yes, America, we are at fault for creating stars like Justin Bieber), share a meme of a cat with a grimacing scowl on its face on our Facebook wall or even write a newspaper column condemning it all, remember – we are helping to build the next pop culture sensation.
It is yet to be seen just how high Bergin and Foster’s rise to viral fame will take them, or how quickly they will be sent crashing back down to reality. But, if the real star of their video, the fish, is at all savvy, it too will capitalize on this 15 minutes of fame with its own reality TV show pitch.
The Real Sunfish of Boston Harbor.
Beth Bresnahan is the CEO of the Item. She can be reached at: bbresnahan@itemlive.com.
Comments
Post a Comment