Earlier this year, the United States National Trust for Historic Preservation gave a special honour to the town of Huntsville, Alabama, naming it one of America's Dozen Distinctive Destinations for 2010. Huntsville, read the February citation, "offered cultural experiences different from the typical vacation destination". Seven months later, a young African-American from the poorest part of the town has vindicated that decision in a fashion that the judges could never have anticipated.
A week ago, Antoine Dodson was just another boy from "the projects", the run-down housing estates which are a feature of every American town and city. Living with his parents, siblings, nieces and nephews in Lincoln Park, where opportunities were few and far between, Dodson had few prospects of escape from his bleak surroundings. This weekend he is a cult hero for millions of young followers, has struck a business deal with Apple and hopes to move his entire family into a more upmarket neighbourhood. The story of how it happened is a modern fairytale combining issues of race, the media, music and the creative power of the web to transform the meaning of everyday events.
Dodson's remarkable ascent to internet stardom began with just another violent incident in Lincoln Park: a sexual assault on his sister, which the local television station chose to cover in its news round-up. Elizabeth Gentle of WAFF TV interviewed Dodson's sister Kelly after she was attacked in her bedroom by an intruder. The interloper had climbed on to the ledge underneath Kelly's window before sneaking in, jumping on her in bed and groping her.
Describing the incident, Kelly dismissed the assailant as "some idiot from the projects". Antoine, who interrupted the assault and grappled with the attacker until he fled through a window, addressed the camera with anger and flamboyance. His display of righteous indignation at the temerity of the intruder captivated viewers and Dodson's passionate diatribe immediately went viral thanks to his lyrical performance.
"Wee-ell, obviously we have a rapist in Lincoln Park," the 24-year-old declared, wearing a red bandana and black vest. "He's climbing in your windows, he's snatching your people up, trying to rape them; so y'all need to hide yo kids, hide yo wife and hide yo husband, because they're raping err'body out here."
In his haste to get away, the intruder left his T-shirt. Addressing the criminal directly, Dodson continued: "We got yo T-shirt, you left fingerprints and all, you are so dumb. You are really dumb, for real."
His emotive response ended with a warning to whoever was responsible. "You don't have to come and confess that you did it, we looking for you," Dodson says, waving a piece of paper at the lens. "We gon find you, I'm letting you know that. So you can run and tell that. Homeboy."
But Dodson's interview irritated many sections of the blogosphere. "If you wonder why folks can't take the news seriously, here's Exhibit A," said one blogger. "Lord Jesus, how can the reporter file this story with a straight face?"
WAFF TV was criticised by viewers complaining that broadcasting the interview stereotyped the black community. The station replied that to censor Dodson would have been "far worse". "The fact is Dodson is a victim and, just like any victim, has the right to speak out," Gentle said.
Interviewed on NPR, national syndicator to 797 public radio stations in the United States, Dodson backed up the TV station's case, alleging that the housing officer to whom the assault had been reported next morning treated the allegation as a joke. "She was making fun of us, she was actually laughing in our face. So we just left. We got back to the apartment, called the investigators and the news people, asking 'Is anybody taking this seriously?'"
When the news team came, Antoine let off steam. Events then took an extraordinary twist. Captivated by Dodson's outburst, The Gregory Brothers, a New York band who run a popular YouTube channel, AutoTune The News, transformed the interview into a song called "Bed Intruder". Almost overnight, it became YouTube's number one video. Last week it was watched more than 30m times.
The Gregory Brothers challenged YouTube users to create their own versions, which they have done in droves, including a man strumming along to the song with a three-stringed Japanese shimasen, an accordion-playing Australian and a 150-strong African-American marching band. More than 2,500 videos inspired by the meme had been uploaded by yesterday.
Understandably, Dodson is keen to make the most of his sudden celebrity. He has hired an attorney to help him conduct his burgeoning media and business dealings. A Twitter account has been set up, followed by a Facebook page and an Antoine Dodson official website asking people to "Help the Dodson family" and donate via PayPal.
Merchandise containing some of Dodson's catchphrases like "Hide yo kids" and "We gon find you" has already gone on sale, the profits of which "will go to helping Antoine's family get out of the projects".
British Gas, among others, is now advertising on Dodson's homepage. Meanwhile the success of "The Bed Intruder Song (feat. Kelly Dodson)" is becoming the musical story of the summer. Costing $1.29, the "hit from the projects" went to number three in the R&B/soul chart and broke into the overall top 25 selling iTunes singles of the week – several places ahead of Eminem. The Gregory Brothers – Evan, Andrew, Michael and Evan's wife Sarah – are splitting the revenue 50/50, with Dodson credited as co-writer.
Michael Gregory told Wired.com that Dodson's emotional delivery was easy to turn into music. "When I heard him talk, I could hear the melody, and that melody kind of changes connotation depending on what key I put it in. Then I do the instrumental track. Sometimes in our videos, we include a lot of singers, and when we do, we might arbitrarily use a beat that we're going to shape them all to. But Antoine, you know, he kind of owned the song – this was going to be all him – so I wanted [the beat] to be specific to that."
The Gregory Brothers yesterday confirmed a deal with the US cable television channel Comedy Central for a pilot show taking a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of their YouTube videos. "We're really having fun with it," Michael says, "and we've been musicians and composers for a long time in different genres. For me, this was just a new, novel way to make music that hasn't really been done before, and I'm loving doing it."
Not everyone approves of "The Bed Intruder Song". Baratunde Thurston, of satirical newspaper the Onion, said: "When I first saw the news report, I thought it was amazing and embarrassing and hilarious and tragic. I saw the ATTN remix with the same set of feelings. As the remix took off, I became uncomfortable with its separation from the situation: a woman was sexually assaulted and her brother was rightly upset.
"People online seemed to be laughing at him, not with him (because he wasn't laughing), as Dodson fulfilled multiple stereotypes in one short news segment. Watching the wider web jump on this meme, all but forgetting why Dodson was upset, seemed like a form of 'class tourism'. Folks with no exposure to the projects could dip their toes into YouTube and get a taste."
But Dodson is clearly enjoying the limelight. He thanked his fans on his new blog earlier this week, saying: "You made me who I am today and for that I will for ever be in your debt. Once again I say thank you from me and on behalf of my entire family. I love you guys so much. You have given me this opportunity to shine so dammit, I'm going to shine."
Dodson said he only did the interview in the hope it would help catch his sister's attacker, who has yet to be caught. "People know I'm gonna beat his ass again because I want him to feel what my sister felt when he came into her room."
With the number of hits continuing to swell, one fan on Antoine's website provided some sound advice among all the praise: "Looks like you're taking to the fame fairly well. Just be ready to know that it's not gonna last for ever. Just how the internet works. Upsetting, yes, but enjoy it while you can."
Staff
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