Internet Fame

January 19, 2005 11:21 AM

I'm collecting notes on Internet fame with the half-hearted goal of writing "How to be famous for 15 minutes or two years." But mostly I'm just curious. What are the most long-lasting legends of the Internet -- real specimens such as Time Cube rather than quick jokes, one-liners, virals or urban legends. G*atse would barely pass because it's so prevalent, but "All Your B*se" wouldn't make it.
posted by NickDouglas to Computers & Internet (19 answers total)

James "Kibo" Parry seems to still be going strong. Particularly if by Internet you include USENET etc, not just the web corner of the Internet.
posted by cairnish at 11:30 AM on January 19, 2005

Kibo
Ben Brown
Exploding whale
Archimedes Plutonium
Canter & Seigel
John "Lyricist for the Dead" Parry "Lyricist for the Dead" Barlow, Lyricist for the Dead


See also Eternal September
posted by majick at 11:32 AM on January 19, 2005

Response by poster: Side note: Interesting "Eternal September" concept. Has anyone posited that the blogosphere is Usenet II?

On preview: No, no, I suppose it isn't.
posted by NickDouglas at 11:39 AM on January 19, 2005

Not to derail but I have a semi-related question: does anybody know if there's a site that's something like an "Internet Museum" that collects and catalogues famous web sites, memes, personalities, etc.

Snopes is pretty close to what I'm thinking of but not exact since it's main purpose is to verify or debunk these types of things. I'd love to see a site that simply "exhibits" famous or popular web-related information without comment.
posted by Jaybo at 11:41 AM on January 19, 2005

Response by poster: Jaybo: Far from derailing, that would answer my question elegantly.
posted by NickDouglas at 11:47 AM on January 19, 2005

Godwin's Law will never die.
posted by robocop is bleeding at 11:47 AM on January 19, 2005

Ben Schumin
posted by bondcliff at 11:48 AM on January 19, 2005

Mahir Cagri, The Hampsterdance, Dave Rhodes, Good Times, Alex Chiu.
posted by bh at 11:48 AM on January 19, 2005

Just save yourself a lot of time and go here.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 11:50 AM on January 19, 2005

Oh yeah, and Matthew and Jake.
posted by bondcliff at 11:53 AM on January 19, 2005

I nominate Sollog along with majick's Archimedes Plutonium. Both are noted Usenet kooks.
posted by Plutor at 12:47 PM on January 19, 2005

Ze Frank - remember the How to Dance Properly flash thing?
posted by internal at 12:57 PM on January 19, 2005

Here is a list of 'memey-people' (as opposed to more abstract themes such as: get your war on, viking kittens, gonads and strife, tourist guy, bert is evil, etc, etc).

Hello my future girlfriend
y2kai
Bubb Rubb
Peter Pan Pixyland
Save Karyn
Icy Hot Stuntaz
WeloveTheIraquiInformationMinister
Emotion Eric
Date Jesus
Star Wars Kid
Ill Mitch
Super Greg
Mahir
Ellen Feiss *beep*
Tron Costume Guy
Ninjai

For further references, check Fark and Portal of Evil. Something Awful has similar forum threads like this every so often.
posted by naxosaxur at 1:00 PM on January 19, 2005

B1FF
The USENET oracle (Now renamed "The Internet Oracle"? pfft)

Are we dating ourselves by those internet phenomenons that are old to us? Neat :)
posted by splice at 1:03 PM on January 19, 2005

Don't forget Mary, who has the strictest standards for a man imaginable.
Along with Dave Rhodes there's Christopher Ericksen.
posted by SisterHavana at 1:50 PM on January 19, 2005

Who can forget Andy Milonakis, wannabe child star.
posted by tomble at 3:41 PM on January 19, 2005

My examples will seem ridiculous given that they're so widespread, but they started on the Internet and have garnered considerable, lasting fame in pop culture. Most of the examples given above are old, and lasted a long time on the net, but have been pretty much dead for quite some time.

James Lileks and the Gallery of Regrettable Food
Homestar Runner
Penny Arcade
Naked News
Matt Drudge and The Drudge Report
Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon and the Oracle of Bacon
Spongmonkeys (appropriated for Quiznos)
South Park, through The Spirit of Christmas
posted by eschatfische at 5:55 PM on January 19, 2005

I just want to thank majick for his Eternal September comment. I must have been very naive in thinking nl.eeuwig.september was a purely Dutch concept.
posted by goodnewsfortheinsane at 7:10 PM on January 19, 2005

If not the first at least the most pervasive early cam girl Jenni
posted by Mitheral at 7:23 AM on January 21, 2005