Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Greyson Chance

We knew him a few months ago as "The Lady Gaga Kid." He popped up as if he were a viral hit, only to be revealed as yet another manufactured spectacle. And here he is again, completely manufactured, coached and oblivious:


I can't imagine this is really a future star here. His plucky demeanor and smile betray a kind of cluelessness - it's cute when you're ten, but he's worn out that welcome mat. Truth is, there's not a kernel of authenticity in him, but he's not mature enough to know that.

I don't know why we tolerate this - it borders on child abuse. We're being presented this individual as if somehow he's arrived - fully realized and ready to take on the world. He isn't. He couldn't be. Does he think he's going to have the respect of others in the music business? Even worse, do his handlers believe this? Sure, he's got some heavy hitters in his corner, but to what end? And who's his audience? Seriously, who's bought a Greyson Chance concert ticket?

Chance was vaulted into the YouTube consciousness on the back of a *very* selectively edited video of what appeared to be a coordinated concert effort (not the "hey some kid plays piano at his school" it was pushed as). It got some attention, including the (desperate herself) Ellen Degeneres, and allegedly, Lady Gaga's management team.

I want Greyson Chance to succeed, I really do, because it would mean the system can indeed be short circuited for the right amount of talent. And that's a lie we all need to believe.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Do you have a problem with reality, or is impending mortality turning you into a reality-averse, resentful Failbot?

You obviously know nothing about the history of the YouTube vid (who filmed it, where, who uploaded it, how Ellen DeGeneres became aware of it....) And you've obviously not watched any of Greyson Chance's subsequent live performances (check out his We Day performance in Canada in front of 18,000 people or his Ellen appearances.) He has more talent than a sidelines Failbot can hope to possess.

Jeremiah said...

Anonymous is encouraged to leave links in support of their hypothesis. As it stands, that comment is pretty seriously Failbot.

Justin said...

Well, anonymous was thoroughly tactless, wasn't he?

Anyway, I saw your post and thought, "Wow, that was a set up?" I looked around and couldn't find where they were saying that had been established. I did find the two articles from May by Gloria Goodale

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2010/0515/Is-Greyson-Chance-s-serendipitous-Youtube-rise-a-ruse

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/2010/0518/Greyson-Chance-What-is-real-in-an-age-of-media-manipulation

And also a few other articles from the same time frame implying the same thing:

http://weallmakemusic.com/is-greyson-chance-a-fake-viral-sensation/

http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/index.php/archives/2010/05/19/greyson-chance-a-fake/

But everything seemed a little like a conspiracy theory. Is it certain that it was staged?

Jeremiah said...

Justin - you're asking if the media campaign behind a kid who's being managed by Lady Gaga's management team (O'Seary and Associates) is staged??

There's not a doubt he's talented. But why the all the stealth promoting? Why not just build an audience like everyone else? (Hint: grownups with mortgages are involved....)

Justin said...

Oh, I agree with you that all since that first video has been staged but I didn't see much that said the first video itself was staged. I did see one comment on a post that implied he was already being managed by Lady Gaga's management team before that video, which would certainly be proof, but I didn't see a primary source for that.

It wouldn't surprise me at this point since it makes sense in a sick sort of way. Just stage a rags to riches story so that people can continue to believe that things like that can happen. I agree with you on all that. My only question was where you had found that even the first video was definitely a set-up.

Jeremiah said...

Justin - by "first video" do you mean the one linked in this post? Not sure what i'm speaking to...

Justin said...

Sorry man, I'm being unclear. I meant the video which seemed to have been taken at a school talent show. Wasn't that the original one that went viral? Was that one manufactured?

Jeremiah said...

I believe yes indeed, that video too was 'manufactured.' It was presented as "local kids makes good", which is a great gimmick when your expectation is calibrated very low (young kid, junior high talent competition.)