‘Overly Attached Girlfriend’ Meme Celebrity Turns Online Popularity Towards Comedy Career
Laina Morris could be the genuine individual behind online meme known as the “Overly connected Girlfriend.” She has deftly exploited this lady Internet popularity, switching a spoof entry to a Justin Bieber contest into a full-time profession of getting comical video on YouTube.
AUDIE CORNISH, VARIETY:
Thus can it be cool become an Internet meme? What takes place when it is the photograph that gets the laugh shared by countless complete strangers? NPR’s Jasmine Garsd requested one girl, who had been launched from obscurity by way of a meme.
JASMINE GARSD, BYLINE: You may never know of Laina Morris, in case you’ve invested plenty of time on the web, you have seen this lady image. Involved she has this discombobulated wide-eyed glare. Previously, that picture became an exceptionally common net meme referred to as very attached sweetheart. They typically enjoys bull crap authored upon it, which happens something like this – took your 15 minutes to obtain room. Yahoo Maps says it takes 12. that is she?
Or this – I became searching throughout your sms early in the day. That’s mom?
In 2012, Morris heard bout a Justin Bieber contest.
(SOUNDBITE OF TRACK, “BOYFRIEND”)
JUSTIN BIEBER: (Singing) easily ended up being the man you’re dating, I’d never allow you to run.
LAINA MORRIS: generally, the guy requested visitors to make a parody of this tune “sweetheart” and come up with they “girl.” And that I have no idea. I just believed that it might be truly funny to go into the competition, but make song really creepy and strange (fun).
(SOUNDBITE OF YOUTUBE VIDEO, “JB FANVIDEO”)
MORRIS: (Singing) basically was actually the girlfriend, I’d never ever allow you to allow without a tiny tracking unit taped below your arm.
GARSD: It is suitable that Morris’s wonderful ticket into websites stardom was Justin Bieber, just who themselves is found on YouTube. She did not victory the competition, but certainly one of the girl myspace company published a screenshot of their looking specially menacing to reddit, a popular sharing site. Within hrs, the image had opted viral.
MORRIS: The following day, they got get to be the meme named excessively affixed girl now. They hit so many horizon that time.
GARSD: you will never understand how several times the meme featuring Morris has been provided. She claims getting acknowledged in the roads ended up being odd initially.
MORRIS: You are sure that, it actually was rather interesting. It had been perplexing without a doubt, and I wasn’t exactly sure that which was planning to happen or how it occurred originally.
GARSD: She says she doesn’t like a number of the laughs she is observed scrawled over the woman face web, but she additionally seems disconnected.
MORRIS: for me, it’s this dynamics – this overly affixed gf. Yeah, it really is me, but it is not me personally.
GARSD: Overly attached girl is probably not her, but Morris is unquestionably cashing around on the popularity. She plugs companies like Audible, Autotrader and Kia. She actually is furthermore showed up on proper athlete’s YouTube route and Samsung’s. She wont say simply how much she makes off of this all, but at age 23, she actually is had the opportunity to give up her tasks to spotlight the lady YouTube route, which has over a million supporters and secretes one comedy movie each week, similar to this one spoofing individuals who cause as ultra dish enthusiasts.
(SOUNDBITE OF YOUTUBE MOVIE,”#SPORTS – EXTREMELY BOWL”)
MORRIS: I will enjoy the halftime program, though, due to the fact, like, if some thing fails and I also didn’t tweet about it, that, like – I wouldn’t actually showcase my face in public places, you are aware? Which is merely embarrassing.
GARSD: Morris keeps a face for television together with earnestness of a social networking superstar. The video clips include sweet, and she claims ultimately she might choose to become a comedian or a writer. And even though the comedy greats had gotten their own begin in standup, possibly YouTube is this generation’s version of a dimly lit funny dance club the place you get your chops. Morris is really really lucky. The Internet is filled with folks who have seen helplessly as an unflattering photo or movie of them goes viral. But for the full time are, she claims she are unable to complain.
MORRIS: i suppose i am happy where i am variety of in on joke, I suppose.
GARSD: along with a viral globe, are not everyone? Jasmine Garsd, NPR Information.
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