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MySpace: A Place for Friends...To Get More Famous

  • <p> The mildly controversial <a href="http://www.myspace.com/lilymusic" target="_new" title="Lily Allen MySpace">Lily Allen</a> revived a sputtering career as a singer/songwriter by posting demos on MySpace in November 2005, and earning legions of fans, media coverage, and ultimately international stardom. To date, nearly 20 million songs have been downloaded from her MySpace page. </p>
  • <p> Ever searching for relevance, cringe-inducing comic <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=7488111" target="_new" title="Pauly Shore MySpace">Pauly Shore</a> managed to get himself written into an episode of <a href="http://www.myspace.com/roommates" target="_new" title="MySpace Roommates"><em>Roommates</em></a>, MySpace's popular original scripted Web series, by flirting with one of the characters on her public profile. (Broadcast 12/07) </p>
  • <p> The obvious winner in the famous-for-nothing MySpace Hall of Shame, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/tilatequila" target="_new" title="Tila Tequila MySpace">Tila Tequila</a> (real name Nguyen) was a pioneer in turning a penchant for MySpace self promotion into C-List television super-skankdom. </p>
  • <p> <a href="http://www.myspace.com/decision08" title="Decision '08">Decision '08</a>, an exceptional site devoted to all things electoral, is a mashup of user generated content, contests, newsfeeds, voter registration drives and clips from NBC news coverage. All the MSNBC anchors have profiles on the site; <a href="http://www.myspace.com/nbcbrianwilliams" target="_new" title="NBC Brian Williams">Brian Williams</a> is the people's choice with 2254 friends, edging out <a href="http://www.myspace.com/nbcchrismatthews" target="_new" title="NBC Chris Matthews">Chris Matthews</a> with 2073 and <a href="http://www.myspace.com/nbcjoescarborough" target="_new" title="NBC Joe Scarborough">Joe Scarborough</a> at 1492. </p>
  • <p> Take the Marine pledge, grab some jarhead wallpaper, or just express your support for the troops, with 83,860 friends and counting, <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=114230169" target="_new" title="USMC MySpace">the USMC</a> is the most popular military outlet on the site. And if you really get carried away, you're just a few clicks away from a recruiter near you. Semper Fidelis. </p>
  • <p> Without fanfare or special wrangling from the MySpace team, the likeable actor blogs occasionally, posts videos and has amassed more than 63,342 friends. According to MySpace, they discovered <a href="http://www.myspace.com/tomhanks" target="_new" title="Tom Hanks MySpace">Tom Hanks</a> had a page on the site only after the actor mentioned it on Oprah. </p>
  • <p> The legendarily cool, and now utterly sober, <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=109068205" target="_new" title="Lou Reed MySpace">Lou Reed</a> has introduced himself to a whole new generation of indie music lovers - 61,000 of them - with his deft use of MySpace. Another coup: through a deal brokered by MySpace, Reed has penned a hit song, "The Power of the Heart" for the "Love by Cartier" MySpace promotion. What? Lou Reed doesn't scream "love" to you? </p>
  • <p> The classical pianist and Chinese national treasure has exploded onto the international music scene, and recently thrilled the world at the Beijing opening ceremonies. But check <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=35036879" target="_new" title="Lang Lang's MySpace Page">Lang Lang's MySpace page</a> for downloads, videos, touring schedule, and some truly breathless, freak-flag-waving, fandom. Who knew? </p>
  • <p> Well-known author, civil rights activist, philosopher and Princeton professor, the typically non-singing Cornel West has taken his reveries on race, class and justice to the recording studio. <a href="http://www.myspace.com/drcornelwest4bmwmb" target="_new" title="Cornel West MySpace">His MySpace page</a> offers downloads of his spoken word/musical collaborations with Andre 3000 and Gerald Levert, among others. Peace to the movement. </p>
  • 01 /09

    The mildly controversial Lily Allen revived a sputtering career as a singer/songwriter by posting demos on MySpace in November 2005, and earning legions of fans, media coverage, and ultimately international stardom. To date, nearly 20 million songs have been downloaded from her MySpace page.

  • 02 /09

    Ever searching for relevance, cringe-inducing comic Pauly Shore managed to get himself written into an episode of Roommates, MySpace's popular original scripted Web series, by flirting with one of the characters on her public profile. (Broadcast 12/07)

  • 03 /09

    The obvious winner in the famous-for-nothing MySpace Hall of Shame, Tila Tequila (real name Nguyen) was a pioneer in turning a penchant for MySpace self promotion into C-List television super-skankdom.

  • 04 /09

    Decision '08, an exceptional site devoted to all things electoral, is a mashup of user generated content, contests, newsfeeds, voter registration drives and clips from NBC news coverage. All the MSNBC anchors have profiles on the site; Brian Williams is the people's choice with 2254 friends, edging out Chris Matthews with 2073 and Joe Scarborough at 1492.

  • 05 /09

    Take the Marine pledge, grab some jarhead wallpaper, or just express your support for the troops, with 83,860 friends and counting, the USMC is the most popular military outlet on the site. And if you really get carried away, you're just a few clicks away from a recruiter near you. Semper Fidelis.

  • 06 /09

    Without fanfare or special wrangling from the MySpace team, the likeable actor blogs occasionally, posts videos and has amassed more than 63,342 friends. According to MySpace, they discovered Tom Hanks had a page on the site only after the actor mentioned it on Oprah.

  • 07 /09

    The legendarily cool, and now utterly sober, Lou Reed has introduced himself to a whole new generation of indie music lovers - 61,000 of them - with his deft use of MySpace. Another coup: through a deal brokered by MySpace, Reed has penned a hit song, "The Power of the Heart" for the "Love by Cartier" MySpace promotion. What? Lou Reed doesn't scream "love" to you?

  • 08 /09

    The classical pianist and Chinese national treasure has exploded onto the international music scene, and recently thrilled the world at the Beijing opening ceremonies. But check Lang Lang's MySpace page for downloads, videos, touring schedule, and some truly breathless, freak-flag-waving, fandom. Who knew?

  • 09 /09

    Well-known author, civil rights activist, philosopher and Princeton professor, the typically non-singing Cornel West has taken his reveries on race, class and justice to the recording studio. His MySpace page offers downloads of his spoken word/musical collaborations with Andre 3000 and Gerald Levert, among others. Peace to the movement.

Ellen McGirt 08.22.08 3:45 PM

The mildly controversial Lily Allen revived a sputtering career as a singer/songwriter by posting demos on MySpace in November 2005, and earning legions of fans, media coverage, and ultimately international stardom. To date, nearly 20 million songs have been downloaded from her MySpace page.

A version of this article appeared in the September 2008 issue of Fast Company magazine.

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