Lonelygirl gets some serious competition

Forget the bogus Lonelygirl15, that overhyped marketing shill puckering up for Hershey's kisses. Ryan Fitzgerald of Southbridge, Mass., is the real deal! The 20-year-old is unemployed, lives with his father, and received more than 5,000 calls in less than 72 hours after posting a video with his cell-phone number on YouTube. "I never met you, but I do care," he says at one point, imploring viewers to get in touch. Nokia: sponsor that phone! Hanes: drape that kid in a T-shirt! Nike: he needs new shoes! Hey, Kleenex: get some product on camera. And send AdFreak a few boxes while you're at it. Lonelyboy's 15 minutes have arrived (hell, he's been famous for three whole days), and his heartfelt quest for human contact, and seemingly limitless sponsorship potential, are making me tear up something awful.

—Posted by David Gianatasio

April 23, 2007 | Permalink