Tay Zonday: "Chocolate Rain"
Make no mistake, our next crooner hits all his own notes. Tay Zonday first made a splash with his 2007 smash, "Chocolate Rain."
Zonday's surprisingly deep vocals and seemingly cryptic lyrics resonated with the world, transforming him from student into superstar.
For Zonday -- born Adam Nyerere Bahner -- "Chocolate Rain" opened plenty of doors. The baritone belter popped up on everything from CNN to USA Today and even found himself being imitated by real-world rock stars. Now 26, Zonday is working hard to show that he's no one-hit wonder. He has released more than a dozen Net-driven singles and has expanded his vocal prowess into the world of commercial voice-over work.
"The hardest thing about being an Internet celebrity is you don't get any vacation," he says. "There is no off-season."
Kyle MacDonald: "One Red Paper Clip"
Proof that anything is possible, Kyle MacDonald stepped into the international spotlight when he sought to trade a single red paper clip for a new home back in 2005. After a year of bartering and 14 trades later, MacDonald did it -- swapping a role in a movie for a two-story farmhouse in Canada. His quest was covered by major media outlets and even won MacDonald a spot in the "Guinness Book of World Records" under the heading "Most Successful Internet Trade."
Fast-forward to today, and Kyle's back on the trading block. This time, he's trying to see what kinds of interesting things he can get for the house he worked so hard to earn. "My wife, Dom, and I lived in the red paper clip house for some time and then decided we'd like to live near our families," he says. "We'd like to trade the house because it's kinda sitting empty most of the time, and it'd be great if somebody was in there!" As to his barter options, MacDonald is playing his cards close to the vest. He will reveal only that he has received 300 offers so far. "I'm keeping them all a secret until I make my decision who to trade with," he says.
MacDonald also keeps busy promoting his recent book about the adventure and renovating houses in his Canadian community.
Noah Kalina: "Everyday" Photos
One guy who still keeps careful records is Noah Kalina. Kalina's face became awfully familiar when he started his "Everyday" project back in 2000. He took a photo of himself daily for six years, leading to his popular video, ample attention and even a parody of his endeavor on "The Simpsons."
The daily photos haven't stopped, but a lot of other things have started. Kalina now works as a professional photographer, snapping shots for such publications as New York magazine, Forbes Life, and Blender. "I do a mix of work -- portraits for some magazines, interiors for others," he says. As for the Everyday exhibit, it's currently traveling around the world -- and continuing to grow. The project is now up to eight-and-a-half years' worth of morning mugshots.
Matt Harding: "Dancing Matt"
Traveling and dancing made Matt Harding an Internet superstar. Harding turned his Where the Hell Is Matt? Web site into a worldwide phenomenon by doing little jigs in front of various landmarks worldwide. He released his third and latest video earlier this year.
These days, Harding is still traveling and making videos -- though the dancing doesn't happen as often. "In the rare occasion that I do that, all of a sudden people are waving to me from windows and things like that," he says. Harding hasn't had a "real job" in three years, he confesses: The traveling videos take up all of his time and even pay his bills. He also just landed a book deal and is getting ready to put his journeys onto paper.
Wei Wei and Huang Yi Xin: "The Back Dorm Boys"
Whether you think of them as the Chinese Backstreet Boys or as their more recent moniker would have it, the Back Dorm Boys, these two Asian dudes were tearin' up their hearts for the world back in 2005. The duo used a college dorm webcam to capture heartfelt, coordinated performances of the Backstreet Boys' biggest hits.
Though they may have dropped off the radar stateside, these lip-syncing sensations have by no means mothballed their careers. Wei and Huang graduated from college in 2006 with two corporate deals already in their pockets: one as spokesfolk for Motorola in China and another as bloggers and podcasters with Chinese Internet portal Sina.com. They're now in the midst of a five-year deal with Beijing media company Taihe Rye that's made them full-fledged TV stars, with appearances in commercials for major vendors such as Pepsi.
Their skill? Lip-syncing, of course.
Jennifer Ringley: "JenniCam"
For a girl who used to be on-camera around the clock, Jennifer Ringley has done a swell job of disappearing from the public eye. The now-all-grown-up Jenni shot into the spotlight in 1996 when her JenniCam Web site introduced the then-unusual concept of a 24-7 webcam. Still images captured Ringley in any activity -- sitting, reading, having sex -- with shots taken and updated every three minutes. The saga lasted for seven years.
Since shutting down the cam in 2003, Ringley has returned to private life in Northern California -- either as a social services worker or as a computer programmer, depending on whom you ask. She shuns media attention, though, and rarely pops up in formal interviews.
Ah, how we miss her.
Kent Nichols and Douglas Sarine: "Ask a Ninja"
A ninja with knowledge changed Kent Nichols' and Douglas Sarine's lives forever. The comedy duo's "Ask a Ninja" Web site, in which a ninja answers all sorts of e-mail queries from viewers, took off in 2005. No matter the question -- such as 'Why is three the magic number?' -- the outfitted ninja always seemed to have an answer related to his singular passion. (You know...ninja-ing.)
Nowadays, the ninja is doing better than ever. The initial buzz may have died down, but Nichols and Sarine have built a full-time business from their zany idea. They've even produced a book that's already available in stores: "The Ninja Handbook." "The book is awesome," Nichols says. "It's a full parody of the 'Boy Scout Manual' and guides the non-ninja along the ninja path to enlightenment."
Be prepared!
Millions of people related to Vincent Ferrari's hellish customer support experience, shared worldwide via the Web. In 2006, the New York man recorded and uploaded his phone-based struggle to cancel an AOL account -- a seemingly endless loop of call center scripting that could drive anyone mad.
Ferrari, thankfully, hasn't endured any comparable calls since then. "My friends think it's because people recognize my name and don't want to risk becoming the next 'Jon,'" he says, referring to the call service employee ridiculed as a result of the recorded incident.
Ferrari now spends his time working at a cellular phone company, running a hosting company and video blogging about whatever comes to his mind.
As for the infamous call and the Internet fame that ensued, Ferrari says that he's only been recognized once. "My wife cracked up, and I was totally mortified," he remembers. He hasn't returned to AOL for Internet service, however. In fact, he says that he never even wanted to use it in the first place.
"I kept it mostly so that I had an account I could use to troubleshoot AOL installs at work," Ferrari reveals.
The Borat-like guy with a whole lotta love is still looking for lip-lock action. Mahir Cagri got his first taste of fame back in 1999 when his photo-filled Web site grabbed America's attention. Cagri claims he is the original Borat. These days, Cagri is keeping busy -- too busy, it would seem, to have time to answer my questions in person. Cagri's manager informed me that his client wouldn't be available for several weeks. He indicated that I could try e-mailing questions to Cagri at his Yahoo account (because "I have no telephone connection availability to Mahir as you have to try your chance"). Regrettably, Cagri did not see fit to reply -- talk about a kiss off!
Nonetheless, I was able to learn that the mustachioed man continues to travel and work as a "profession jurnalist." He plans to visit the United States on an "invitaion" this fall and is mulling "making some promotional PR arrangements." Cagri also continues to "make psycolojy doctora" and, of course, enjoys taking photos of "nice nude models."
Some things never change.
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