Bookmark Vlog Blog
Jul
23
KateModern is Dead - Or Let’s Hope So
Filed Under What is a Vlog?, Money & Marketing, Vloggers & Vlogs
Have faux video blogs already worn out their welcome? The British version of Lonelygirl15 (same creators) is something called KateModern over at Bebo (and other places). While it had some major press before its launch on July 16, a quick peek at “Kate’s” page shows that things might not be so promising.
Kate is young and artsy and appropriately angst-ridden. While known as “KateModern,” her Bebo name is actually AbstractHeart. KateModern seems to be a play on the name of the Tate Gallery’s museum of modern art – Tate Modern.
The idea for Kate was to give Lonelygirl a British counterpart, a cousin of sorts, and one day possibly a whole international family.
As co-creator Miles Beckett says, “Our audience has embraced (Lonelygirl15) so emphatically, we realized that other characters could live in other locations around the world.”
But is it working? And more importantly, does the concept itself, including Lonelygirl15, really work?
A week into the faux vlog and Kate has a little over 7,000 views on her profile at Bebo. Not too shabby if Kate were really Kate, but of course Kate isn’t Kate. Kate is a company-created character with major press pieces done on her before her launch.
The idea for KateModern was to admit up front that she wasn’t real, and to engage the audience with more “participatory” bits such as puzzles and mysteries to solve.
The big hope for Kate was that she could successfully integrate product placement into all of it.
Bebo’s Joanna Shields explains:
“At every stage, a user is involved with the story, whether blogging, uploading photos or simply watching the latest episode. There will also be the chance to be involved with the brands that take part. I’m not talking about traditional product placement, but the integration of brands such as Gillette, Pantene, Microsoft’s Windows Live, Disney and Orange into the plot, in a way that gives users a reason not only to remember the brand, but to create a long-term relationship with it.”
As mentioned earlier, however, perhaps it isn’t going so well. For all our sakes, that may actually be a good thing.
Why would we want a fake person invading what is supposed to be a “real” space? Characters from TV, books, movies, etc. are one thing, but building a cardboard user and setting them loose in our midst in order to “product place” seems like quite another. It’s not as if everyone is acting under the guise of an alter ego; it’s only Kate. And if only Kate gets to play, what fun is that?
Personally, I never really understood how Lonelygirl15 managed to keep at least something of an audience after she was outed. And while KateModern may be more honest about who she really is, or actually, who she really isn’t, the attempt to blur the line into the real-life vlog world still seems too contrived.
If the creators of KateModern want to give us a fictional character of a young artist as she deals with all the things such a girl would deal with, that’s fine, and possibly even creative, engaging, stimulating, and valuable. But when you want us to pretend that Kate is actually a real life human being 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, that almost seems a little like inviting us into psychosis.
Ever hear of those old women who think the people on soap operas are actually real? This is what they now seem to be encouraging.
Perhaps I hyperbolize, but I wish the creators would consider this:
If I were to write “Kate” a comment on her blog, as someone who isn’t psychotic (at least not clinically pronounced so), I wouldn’t think I was actually writing to a fresh-faced, artsy blonde girl with a penchant for pigeons and hyperactive arm-flailing. Instead, I would suspect I was writing to some 40-year-old marketer named Ian with a five o’clock shadow and the smell of tequila in his pores.
Do you really want me to think otherwise? For my own sanity?
Look, I stopped writing Santa Claus when the jig was up with him, and he was even still bringing me presents. Why in the world would I write Ian … I mean Kate? Is there anything she could put in my stocking?
This line of thinking got me to wondering whether others actually know that Kate isn’t real. While it was admitted in the press beforehand, her actual page doesn’t seem to make any mention of it.
Searching around about Kate on Bebo, I also came across a fairly dead “katemodernfans” page. I clicked on a picture and found one comment:
“Sally Walker said… 5 days ago
i absolutly dig this chick- she is a groovy spirited soul sister”
Now, because I know that Kate isn’t real, I don’t believe a word of it. I’m sorry, I don’t. Who IS this Sally Walker? I clicked on her name to find out (as if I could), but Bebo wanted me to register. Sorry again, Bebo.
I guess the bad spelling, lack of commas, and lowercase “i” was meant to engender verisimilitude, but because I know that Kate isn’t Kate, it does just the opposite. It makes me think everything associated with this “groovy spirited soul sister” is a sham. In fact, the more I interact with Kate, I start to think that not only is she a sham, I start to think of her as spam.
Now, does “Gillette, Pantene, Microsoft’s Windows Live, Disney and Orange” really want to create those types of associations?
The spam associations become even more pronounced on her “blog.” One post is titled “Final Cut” (as in the video editing program).
Ian … I mean Kate says:
“I’m actually very good with Final Cut but I’ve been messing about with video settings all weekend trying to figure out how to make this art stuff look perfect.”
Someone responds:
“Just thank your lucky stars you’re using Final Cut and not Avid…that editing program is ridiculous. We might only use it out here in the States though… ???”
Another says:
“Hi Kate. Final Cut Pro? Or Final Cut Express?”
Sorry, sorry, sorry. I don’t believe ONE word of it. Maybe these ARE real people. Maybe they’re just being duped. And if that’s the case, then I’m still sorry, just a different kind of sorry.
It should be noted here that I am firmly for vlogs making money. And the fact that large corporations like Gillette and Disney are willing to move some money into this space is also an encouraging sign for vloggers.
However, I would urge some thought and RESPECT be put into these decisions. When your first move is to dupe us (as in the Lonelygirl15 series), I’m not sure why you would expect us to trust you in any way, or even have anything to do with you.
Product placement may indeed one day have a place in vlogs – in real vlogs, that is, with real people. While that may not be ideal, advertising is a fact of life. Many vloggers want to make money, and why not? They put a lot of time and work into what they do. The more they can live off their vlogs, the better they can make them.
But in an appeal to the advertisers and creators who would venture into this area, I would just say: Please, please, please don’t treat us like idiots. It’s bad for all of us. You included.
While it’s too early to declare Kate dead, I can freely admit to wishing for her death — hers and all her international cousins’. And, you see, as Kate isn’t real, it doesn’t really make me psychotic to hold out such hope. Or does it? … What do you think, Ian?
LINKS:
Kate’s section on the Lonelygirl15 site (looks like it will be katemodern.tv but it resolves here for now)
Groovy spirited soul sister comment
Kate’s Blog Post about Final Cut