Digital Autoethnographies: Vlogging on Youtube

Since I was first introduced to autoethnographies, I always assumed that they were limited to written text, until I read, HERE COME THE NAVEL GAZERS: Definitions and Defenses for Auto/ethnography, where Hemmingson writes, "we will find (and do find) a/e being practiced on MySpace.com, livejournal.com, Facebook.com, and YouTube; that is, digital ethnography. For instance, we now see people using the vlog to engage in lifewriting, or lifevlogging and ethnoblogging." 

And after considerable thought, I reflected on the hours I spent procrastinating by watching Youtubers (people who post videos on Youtube) talk about their lives into a camera. I guess it was really a self-righteous moment to know that something I spend hours doing instead of homework has some academic value. Why is it so much more interesting (to me) to see people talk about their lives than to read about it?

Here's an example of a typical vlog I can relate to: 

(Please start from 1:40)

First of all, why do Youtubers post their vlogs (video blogs) on Youtube in the first place?

Sure, they might be satisfied with the fact that they entertain thousands with each video they post. But if you've watched the video, then you will have heard Jack say that his Youtube channel is his source of income and how he earns his living. Did you know that Youtubers can be paid $1-$3 per 1000 views they receive on their videos, if monetized? Youtube is essentially an easily accessible employer for those who enjoy film-making, editing, performing, entertaining, and/or talking about their lives into a camera...

How do Youtubers gain these views? Why do so many people watch these vlogs?

I can't speak for the other 970,252 views, but I watch Youtube vlogs because I like knowing that people face the problems that I face, and I like gaining different perspectives of how to overcome the different obstacles of life, especially if its presented through a humorous and 1080p HD medium. When I was a Senior in high school, I was considering taking a gap year because I had no idea what I wanted to study in college and I didn't even see the point of going straight into four years of school after twelve years of public school. Watching others talk about the same problems you face is comforting and supportive. Jack had the opportunity to take a gap year, travel around the world, and make videos of it. So when Youtubers take the initiative to take on big challenges and show it to the world through Youtube, it allows viewers to live vicariously through the vloggers. Moreover, the vlogs create a more personal experience for viewers, because of facial expressions, vocal tones, etc. 

Digital autoethnographies are not limited to vlogs...

While this blog post focuses more on vlogs, digital autoethnographies often come in the form of cinematographic skits or aesthetic short films. Being of Malaysian-Chinese descent, this one came to mind. This form of digital autoethnography allows amateur filmmakers to broadcast their work to the world, exercise their creativity, and still tell their stories.

Conclusion

If you're in the trend loop of mainstream Youtube videos, then you're probably familiar with famous Youtubers like JennaMarbles, KevJumba, DailyGrace, and MichellePhan.  These Youtubers and so many more post weekly/daily/monthly vlogs for a living and still have the privilege as entertainers to provide laughs or emotional connections to their viewers. They might not be writing stylistically, but they're still telling their stories, reflecting on their lives, and often times turning it into a metaphor for greater cultural/social concepts. 

Fan-fiction: Letting Your Old Television Shows Live On

I remember when the series finale of Avatar: The Last Airbender (A:TLA) was airing in 2008. I was one locked door away from the only cable television at my uncle's house. As my blood pressure steadily began to rise as the clock ticked closer to 8:00 P.M., my Facebook newsfeed was blowing up with anticipation for the finale. And after my grandma heroically arrived with the key and I got to watch the end of a legendary series, I couldn't help but feel a little empty. If you've ever watched a series finale of one of your favorite shows, then you're probably familiar with that feeling of a gaping hole in your heart. So when the spinoff of A:TLA, The Legend of Korra, was announced in 2010, the A:TLA fandom went into uproar. When spinoffs are revealed to be in the making, fans finally have something to fill the gap. A more recent example was the announcing of the spinoff of Boy Meets World. The spinoff, named Girl Meets World, will be based on the daughter of the two original characters, Cory and Topanga. But very, very few shows get their own sequels or spinoffs.

Source: payle.deviantart.com

I stumbled upon this image just yesterday, and the nostalgia hit me like a second Storm Nemo. For those of you who have never had the privilege of watching Disney Channel shows from the early 2000's, you should probably reevaluate your childhood this fan-made drawing is based on the hit show, The Proud Family.

In addition to the bull's-eye interpretation of the show's characters all grown up, the creator added short biographies for each of the main characters following their graduation from high school, which really suited their personalities from the show. For example, Zoey, who was always the geeky, sheltered "white girl," went off to major in Psychology and then work for a non-profit organization. And if the fact that Sticky and Dijonay finally ended up together didn't pull at your heartstrings, then I don't know what will. If you're interested in reading the full descriptions, click here. So, even though the show ended its run in 2005, this fan-fiction and the 35,000+ notes/hits on Tumblr show that the media we've grown up with never truly leave us. And fan-fiction feeds fans with unlimited possibilities, because they reflect viewers' imaginations, and because they transcend the boundaries of commercial television. Not to mention, they bring nostalgia and make us feel like the characters we watched on t.v are growing up with us.

In the new age of technology and mass media, fan-fiction has become a different angle of creative writing. Fans and writers are given the authorial freedom to manipulate the after-story of their favorite shows, novels, and movies. New romances can be formed and loose story-lines can be developed. The internet is a space for all to write and read for free. These fanfics will most likely never make it onto print, not only because of copyright, but also because of amateurism--they were made for fun. It's just to connect fans around the world. Writers are allowed to explore their imagination, and readers are able to live on with their favorite shows/movies/books even if for a brief moment. Essentially, when it comes to the internet, anyone can be a writer while drawing inspiration from things they love.

What do you think of fanfiction?