From Rags to Riches: YouTube's Most Watched Video of the Year
When I first saw this video over the summer, I came upon it by pure chance: my little brother had been using my laptop, and when he was done with it, he left my browser open on YouTube.com. One of YouTube's spotlight videos that day was titled "Woman Wakes to Find Intruder in her Bed," which sounded so horrifying that I did something I usually don't do: I clicked on it.
Here is the news report that I saw, where the victim's brother, Antoine Dodson, is interviewed about the attack, which occurred in the Dodson's home in the projects of Huntsville, Alabama:
Thanks to the 24-year old Dodson, and his flamboyant tirade about finding a would-be rapist in his sister's room, the video went viral--a remix of it is now the most watched video of the year on YouTube.
You don't want to call this clip "funny," given the subject matter, but Dodson's comical rant is memorable to say the least: "We got your t-shirt, you left fingerprints and all--you are so dumb, you are really dumb, for real!"
The best part of the story is that after the video went viral, Dodson became such a celebrity that, through revenue he received from the remix, he was able to move his family out of their home in the Alabama projects and into a real house in a safer neighborhood. Since then, he's been offered several lucrative advertising deals, including one with Apple.
The power of the internet. Amazing. "For real!," as Dodson would say.
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Jul '10
Re: From Rags to Riches: YouTube's Most Watched Video of the Year
Let's see...
Antoine Dodson or Salma Hayek? Tough call.
But I'm going with Hayek....
Edited on Dec 14, 2010 at 8:26amRe: From Rags to Riches: YouTube's Most Watched Video of the Year
Kenneth: Let's see...
Antoine Dobson or Salma Hayek? Tough call.
But I'm going with Hayek.... · Dec 14 at 8:11am
You're not Dodson's type anyway ; )
Jul '10
Re: From Rags to Riches: YouTube's Most Watched Video of the Year
Emily Esfahani Smith, Ed.
Kenneth: Let's see...
Antoine Dobson or Salma Hayek? Tough call.
But I'm going with Hayek.... · Dec 14 at 8:11am
You're not Dodson's type anyway ; ) · Dec 14 at 8:25am
Yeah, he likes deep thinkers. I'm just a frivolous tart.
Re: From Rags to Riches: YouTube's Most Watched Video of the Year
Kenneth
Emily Esfahani Smith, Ed.
Kenneth: Let's see...
Antoine Dobson or Salma Hayek? Tough call.
But I'm going with Hayek.... · Dec 14 at 8:11am
You're not Dodson's type anyway ; ) · Dec 14 at 8:25am
Yeah, he likes deep thinkers. I'm just a frivolous tart. · Dec 14 at 8:28am
His dream, he has said, is to open a salon. Next time you're looking for a haircut, and some stimulating conversation, you should ring him up.
Jun '10
Re: From Rags to Riches: YouTube's Most Watched Video of the Year
My son & his friends can recite the Antoine rant by heart. Can they recite any poetry or the Gettysburg Address? Nope.
Our culture in sinking fast. I also think dressing up like Antoine for Halloween was as popular as Jersey shore characters.
Dec '10
Re: From Rags to Riches: YouTube's Most Watched Video of the Year
I love this guy. Just like I love biker clowns, tattoo and body modification freaks, Star Trek nerds and other assorted oddballs.
Why? Because I love living in a country that has the freedom and the tolerance for weirdos.
Oct '10
Re: From Rags to Riches: YouTube's Most Watched Video of the Year
StickerShock: My son & his friends can recite the Antoine rant by heart. Can they recite any poetry or the Gettysburg Address? Nope.
Our culture in sinking fast. I also think dressing up like Antoine for Halloween was as popular as Jersey shore characters. · Dec 14 at 9:04am
I think that StickerShock's assessment misses some other keys points. The reason why Antoine is famous is not his "rant" alone but because of what others did with it, namely AutoTuneTheNews. And when you look at that group, it is a married couple and some brothers (I believe) that had fun being creative and satirical with their musical talents. On the one hand, they get to write songs, sing, play music and the other be a biting satire of commercial pop music because with autotune capabilities you can even make the daily news, CSPAN, most anthing into pop music success.
But then look further into the story. Autotune shared the profits with Antoine. Both are successful (capitalism at work) and what did Antoine do with the windfall, the responsible thing and move his family to a safer place. Thank God for America, only this story could happen here.
Edited on Dec 14, 2010 at 9:46amJul '10
Re: From Rags to Riches: YouTube's Most Watched Video of the Year
"From Do Rags To Do Riches"
Jun '10
Re: From Rags to Riches: YouTube's Most Watched Video of the Year
http://www.youtube.com/v/RMB10wwmWrU?fs=1&hl=en_US"
DListed calls this "the secret equation that unlocks the apocalypse." It's Liberty University's Choir covering the song. (I would have thought Liberty U would have a much better choir!)
Edited on Dec 14, 2010 at 1:26pmDec '10
Re: From Rags to Riches: YouTube's Most Watched Video of the Year
StickerShock: http://www.youtube.com/v/RMB10wwmWrU?fs=1&hl=en_US"
DListed calls this "the secret equation that unlocks the apocalypse." It's Liberty University's Choir covering the song. (I would have thought Liberty U would have a much better choir!) · Dec 14 at 1:25pm
Edited on Dec 14 at 01:26 pm
I am heartened that I'm not the only Ricochet member that visits Dlisted.
Jun '10
Re: From Rags to Riches: YouTube's Most Watched Video of the Year
DListed is so vulgar that I blush when reading it, but he might just be America's funniest writer.
May '10
Re: From Rags to Riches: YouTube's Most Watched Video of the Year
Count me in with Casey. This is a great story and I'm happy for everyone involved. I hope Mr. Dodson makes good use of this moment of fame.
I like the folks from schmoyoho and for my money this isn't even the funniest of their autotune adventures. The funniest would be the "backin' up song". The "Obama sings kick ass song" does get an honorable mention for what happens after the one minute mark as well.
This is just a footnote in time, I know, and it hardly counts as important on a bigger scale. But it's still a nice story.