Lonelygirl15 revealed

A few weeks ago I was thinking about doing a post on the internet phenomenon that is Lonelygirl15: The allegedly 16 year-old home-schooled prisoner of her room who bewitched millions of Youtube viewers with a serialization of videos displaying her good looks, precious fascination with science and the most expressive eyebrows this side of Jack Nicholson.

I was going to state that anybody who thought "Bree" was really who she claimed-- it seemed there was a 50/50 split among Lonelygirl fans -- had drunk the weakest Koolaid ever poured.

Not that Lonelygirl15 wasn't a charming way to spend a minute-and-a-half (see for yourself,) but she blatantly comes off as a twenty-something actress who looks young enough to play 16. Also, the whole premise that her religious parents, who wouldn't let her go to a high school with lockers and other people, would allow the supposedly older "Danielbeast" to bring his video camera into her room every day and then close the door behind him is ridiculous.

Then there were the high-quality production values. But with the professional-level software readily available these days I guess it could be possible that a technically clever teenager would be able to pull them off.

The reason I previously passed on doing a Lonelygirl post was I didn't think anyone who read jsb would have had any idea who Lonelygirl15 is.

Although The New York Times proved as obsessed with her as were her legion of dorky teenage disciples, featuring post after Lonelygirl post on their internet video blog. (Which I don't think you can get delivered to you in the morning.)

It was through the New York Times I learned about Lonelygirl15, and it was through the New York Times I learned I was among those correct in finding the whole thing an absurd, if effective, marketing campaign for something to be disclosed later.

At about 10 o'clock last night, in a page placement analogous to how The Drudge Report treats a threatening weather system, the New York Times website declared that Lonelygirl15 was, in fact, a professional actress. A mystery solved when photos of "Bree" not locked in her bedroom, and doing actressy things were discovered on the internet.

It was all an attempt to get a movie deal.

And I'm sure they will land deal of some sort. But, buyer beware, as the movie Snakes on Plane proved, and the political campaign Ned Lamont is proving, being a web phenomenon doesn't translate into being a real phenomenon.

Even with an endorsement from the New York Times.