Dan Kennedy, assistant journalism professor at Northeastern University and media guru, acknowledges the extreme difficulty in becoming an Internet celebrity. “It’s very difficult to get anyone to notice,” Kennedy said. “I think it has to be a combination of you really have to connect with people with what you’re doing and somehow you get a word-of-mouth buzz getting the word out about you.”
Brockton native Jodie-Amy Rivera, aka the Venetian Princess, started putting her self-made clips on YouTube in 2006 for her family and friends. Now, with her comical music videos topping 180 million online views, she’s become an Internet sensation.
The city of champions partly deserves credit. “My mother always wanted me to be busy and not hang out in the streets,” said Rivera, 25. “She always put me in theater, I had voice lessons since I was 5.
I was always involved in something cultural and creative. That definitely played a part in what I’m doing for a career.”
Rivera is also responsible for her own success. She writes her songs, directs the videos, plays the main characters, does costume and set design, and deals with the press, ad and marketing agencies.
But her career really took off after her “7 Things” parody of the popular Miley Cyrus song, which reaped millions of views the first month on YouTube.
“That was my new niche,” Rivera said. “The kids just love it!” Her audience is 89 percent teenage girls.
While Rivera was becoming the highest subscribed female on YouTube, the money coming in from ad revenue and brand-integrated videos was much greater than her Wheaton College salary. “It’s a lot of work, but I love it,” she said.
Other famous YouTube stars from Massachusetts:
Bo Burnham
Hamilton
Burnham, 19, sings his jokes and now does comedic tours. Burnham’s videos are of him singing in front of a camcorder while sitting at a keyboard in the corner of his bedroom.
YouTube Search: Bo Burnham Official YouTube
Liam Sullivan
Norfolk
Sullivan is famous for his hilarious musical clips, which he produces and stars in. He blew up on the YouTube scene after his “shoes” skit in which he stars as Kelly, a shoe-obsessive teen.
Search: “shoes,” “muffins” or “let me borrow that top”
Louis C.K.
Framingham
Louis Szekely grew up outside of Boston and is an acclaimed writer, stand-up comedian, actor and producer. He has a YouTube channel and dedicated YouTube following.
Search: Louis C.K.
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