KevJumba: The New Celebrity

Chances are, if one visits YouTube even slightly regularly, that person has seen KevJumba. Unlike the bizarre one-hit-wonder viral stars, KevJumba is an online comedian with a huge following and steadily good videos. His videos consist of generally five-minute or under segments of (mainly) monologue, much like Ellen Degeneres for the young techno-crowd. An Asian kid from Texas, Kevin is still in high-school, likes basketball, tells jokes about his parents, and rants about the SAT. Basically, he's your average American teenager, only much more famous.

So how does this happen? Well, it's all thanks to the magic of the internet that Kevin is able to reach stardom from the comfort of his room. A tech-savvy guy with an idea, Kevin started his KevJumba channel at YouTube on July 27, 2006. Since then, his has become one of the top-five most-subscribed YouTube channels to date. The latest video, in which NBA star Baron Davis challenges Kevin to a staring contest, has reached 1,224,594 views on YouTube. It also prompted a response from Jessica Alba (yes, it's really her), in which she successfully out-stares KevJumba's staring record.

After huge success on YouTube, KevJumba moved to his own site (www.kevjumba.com). His site boasts live-chat, a blog and discussion forum, and of course his insanely popular videos. With such popularity, one wonders how a practically made-overnight star keeps his/her personal life from becoming thoroughly invaded. KevJumba, unlike many an internet celebrity, has mastered this somewhat pervasive problem. All modes of contacting Kevin are through channels that do not reveal his full name. I believe I've only (possibly) caught his last name once. He also does not make the mistake of revealing his whereabouts beyond a generalized mention of his locality. However, he does say enough to keep viewers feeling as if they know him and are a part of his life, a crucial factor for retaining fans, especially for the grass-roots-based celebrity.

It would hardly be surprising to see Kevin end up on the big screen, whether he has it in mind or not. Studios may be stupid not to capitalize on his already massive fanbase. Plugs from NBA stars or Jessica Alba certainly don't hurt either. But, for all we know, Kevin could want nothing to do with the Hollywood scene. Who could blame him if he didn't?

The real question is whether or not this quickly-earned celebrity status will last. It certainly seems that way, assuming Kevin keeps up his hobby into his college years. (He graduates this year from high-school.) Kevin is a smart kid who, hopefully, isn't going anywhere. His fresh brand of celebrity is needed as he humanizes a constantly dehumanizing concept of celebrities. In an age of plastic surgery, head shaving, skanky fifteen-year old antics, and the like, it's refreshing to see a celebrity who is like the average American, just a little bit more famous.

A word to Kevin: After scores of musical intros, I'm still waiting for a full-fledged music video.