<p>Has your kid shown you this video yet? In case you’ve missed the hubbub, Rebecca Black is an 8th-grader whose parents paid $2000 to a vanity music label to write and record a song and film a video. The video has gone viral on YouTube (with about 30 million views) and has sold a bunch of downloads on iTunes–but the vast majority of people think the song is awful (and totally autotuned). The girl appeared on Good Morning America and seemed like a nice kid who could actually sing reasonably well). The evolving story is now at least in part about the really awful things that people have said in Internet comments.</p>
<p>The topic that interests me is that for two grand, you can have a song produced and a video produced that, honestly, is not *that *much worse than what you see from commercial acts like Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, and Miranda Cosgrove. I guess it’s a pretty expensive gift, but I don’t think it’s a monstrously expensive gift.</p>
<p>I was wondering when someone would mention this. I think Friday is pretty poorly written, in an amusing way, but I don’t think anything bad about Rebecca Black. I can’t believe some of the things people are saying to her – messages telling her to die/kill herself. I also thought her voice sounded prettier on Good Morning America than in the video.</p>
<p>I listened to some other songs produced by Ark Music Factory, and one in particular struck me as just as good as some of the Disney produced stuff you mentioned. It’s called Butterflies by Alana Lee.</p>
<p>My girls laughed delightedly at “Friday.” Rebecca Black is only 13—and it shows in the goofy (and still thankfully innocent) nature of her video. These days, I’d rather have my 13 year old watch a bad Rebecca Black video than an episode of “Glee”! </p>
<p>I’m sorry that Miss Black had to learn at such a young age that people can be unjustifiably cruel, but that’s the risk you take when you choose to post something on YouTube. Perhaps her parents should have prepped her for that before laying down the $2,000.</p>
<p>My D showed it to me on Saturday when she was home for spring break (actually, just passing through). My first thought was that it was a pretty pathetic thing for the parents to do. But on second thought I guess there are all kinds of ways to make money off the internet now, so what do I know?</p>
<p>I just gave her another “view” Cute girl, can’t tell if she’s a good singer, the song is so auto tuned. Obviously a vanity project by loving parents who could blow 2 grand… I don’t know why people have taken such a hating to her. Guess she’s learning young that show business is a very harsh business and you need very thick skin.</p>
<p>Ds home from college asked whether I’d seen it, and I told him no but there’s a thread on cc about it. He said I should watch “so that I know what people are talking about.” Thank you, ds and Hunt, for keeping me up on current pop culture.</p>
<p>So, I watched it. Did she write the song? Where did it come from? Ark? Hunt, are you saying she gets a cut of the ad money from her views, or Ark?</p>
<p>YouTube comments are so dumb usually anyway. Hope she doesn’t take it too hard.</p>
<p>The thing that struck me about the video – in addition to the uber-AutoTune – is how unsexy the other kids were in the video. I guess they are her friends she put in there? We’re so used to seeing sexed-up preteens that “normal” ones look downright Amish.</p>
<p>People have been downright mean to Rebecca Black. Quite honestly, she’s not such a bad singer. And for heaven’s sake, she’s just another teenager who wants to make it big in today’s highly-demanding music industry. I can’t believe how rude people have been to someone who honestly just wanted to take a shot at becoming famous. It just goes to show how cruel the public can actually be today, because on the one hand you have Youtubers like Justin Bieber who earned completely positive fame from his videos, and on the other hand you have Youtubers like Rebecca who get completely slashed.</p>
<p>My D showed the Rebecca Black video to me. While it’s not the best song in the world, I think it’s horrible that people are posting mean comments to her.</p>
<p>she’s making about $40000 so far on this. but she said shes donating the money to help japan. this is a very mature 13 year old. haters gonna hate.</p>
<p>She is an adorable kid , but it’s a complete shame this thing is getting the attention it has if for no other reason than its unconscionable disregard for teens and car safety. Let’s see she’s 13, out with five or six teenagers crammed into one convertible , no seatbelts on anyone and the kids are all standing through the roof on a joy ride through the city. A good message it’s not. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>I guess I shouldn’t be surprised at what parents will do in an attempt to make their kid famous but this is just so unbelievably stupid to put your 13 year old daughter in this position. She’s a barely adequate singer and is being subjected to such unkindness. It’s appalling. </p>
<p>roshke, I agree with you re: the safety issue. First of all, why is she in a car full of teenagers if she’s only 13. None of them looked old enough to be driving and, you’re right, no seatbelts! Was no one thinking when this video was made? Good grief.</p>