Last night, my best friend Meredith and I met for dinner at Souen in Union Square. Meredith is an aspiring actress and writer who, like me, lives with her parents in suburban New Jersey. She travels by bus to New York City several days a week to pursue her dream and advance her career.
Feeling spontaneous, Meredith recently decided to enter the “You Could be on Mad Men Contest,” hosted by AMC. To enter, contestants must submit a video monologue of themselves performing selected lines from Mad Men Season 2. The Grand Prize winner will win a chance at a walk-on role in Mad Men Season 4.
(Pictured at left: Mer Is Internet Famous)
Meredith found a webcam, chose a monologue by Mad Men character Bobbie Barrett, and showcased her talent for a digital audience. You can watch her audition video here. Please vote for her if you enjoy her performance!
When I asked her what she thought about the other audition videos, she admitted that she was surprised by the variety of talent: while many of the submissions were made by professional actors, a few seemed to be from people who just like attention from an Internet-based audience. She thinks that it will be hard to predict who will win the contest, since the entries are all very different.
In a recent blog post, Meredith wrote: “And then, I wonder to myself: is this Art, or is this being an Attention Whore? Art, like Love, is Patient. Yes, in all of these options that exist thanks to the Internet, maybe you will find moments of talent and art, but I somehow feel the whole route is skewed. Now, we live in a world of Posts and Comments.”
Yes, the Internet allows everyone to showcase their “talents,” regardless of whether or not they are worth showcasing. The Internet is like a parent that encourages their child way too much. Do you know people who think they are very talented and smart but have an overblown sense of their capabilities? I’m convinced that everyone on the Internet feels that way; the tough part is fighting for attention and an audience.
Does the Internet make it more challenging for the really talented people to gain attention? To succeed in a creative field today, you need more than talent; you need business savvy, a good understanding of social media, the patience to spend time communicating with and gaining your digital audience, and a solid grasp of marketing. Phew.
