Viral Blogging: The Case of Perez Hilton

Both Sheena and Sydney discussed the concept of viral videos in their posts, but now I ask you to consider a new concept: viral blogging. Similar to viral videos,  a viral blog is one that is checked constantly for news and updates worldwide. Other websites, blogs, TV shows, and the like reference this blog, whether it's in agreement or disdain. A viral blog is continuously attracting more viewers and commentators every day. People are drawn to viral blogs in the same way they are drawn to watch viral videos, all their friends have seen it and they don't want to be left out. It's this sort of bandwagon effect that has helped certain bloggers gain recognition in the media and an increasing amount of followers. Case and point Perez Hilton. Before his blog gained such popularity, Hilton was just a struggling graduate student living in New York City trying to make it in the acting world. He began blogging merely as a hobby and wrote about celebrities because our society is so easily entertained by them. In comes his first blog devoted to celebrity gossip, PerezHilton.com. As one of the world's most notorious blogs with over a million hits per day, Hilton transitioned his voice and flamboyant personality into new blogs. In comes Coco Perez, a blog devoted to celebrity fashion, Teddy Hilton, named after his dog, Teddy, and all about animals, and Fit Perez, which centers on celebrity fitness, health, and wellness. More recently, Hilton has developed Radio Perez and Perez TV, both of which continuously stream his radio show and favorite clips of celebrities. And for those looking for celebrity based games on the web, Perez also has celebrity jigsaw puzzles, where users can put together the image of any celebrity. Today's image: Kourtney Kardashian. One of the most interesting aspects of Perez Hilton's blogs is that in order for viewers to comment on his posts, they must be registered as a member of the Perez Posse. Under Perez Posse, users can create an avatar and adopt their own personality but they are also granted access to commenting on posts and receive daily gossip updates and the newsletter. By creating Perez Posse, it seems that Perez Hilton is trying and succeeding in creating a community for fans of celebrity gossip.

In an era where new media dominates, blogging has become the norm and anyone seeking to project their voice has one. Perez Hilton started out as a nobody on the internet and is now at the forefront of celebrity commentary and gossip. His blogs are referenced on TV shows and he is invited to every celebrity award show and asked to do appearances. While not all blogs are picked up as easily as Perez Hilton's, it's definitely a possibility that anyone with something to say and an innovative way of saying it can become a viral blogger. What blogs do you think can achieve the same stardom as Perez Hilton's?