I’ve been around the internet for a while now. I’ve seen it from its small beginnings to the large media outlet it is today. And like the real world, and real forms of media, people become famous in this virtual world. Some people say it’s easy to be an internet celebrity. With sites like MySpace and YouTube, just about anyone can have a shot at e-fame. However, also like real life, some people become famous in strange ways that sometimes defy explanation. From my time on the net, I can say that the weirdest I’ve seen are the following.

1. Numa Numa Dance – Who knew that moving to the lyrics of a foreign song could make anyone famous? Gary Brolsma released a webcam video of himself dancing and lip-synching to the lyrics of Dragostea Din Tei by O-zone, a pop group from Moldova. It was December 2004 on Newgrounds.com. Less than three months later, it had two million views on that site alone, and word soon spread, leading to media interviews, news reports, and more. Now, it is estimated to have been viewed over 700 million times throughout the internet! What made this video so special? Maybe it’s because of the simplicity of seeing someone enjoying a song and expressing it so earnestly that had our attention. Whatever it is, it became a phenomenon that entered the Internet’s history books. Below is a video of the original.

2. Star Wars Kid – A funny video of a fat kid swinging a golf club around like a lightsaber, knocking over nearby items. It may not sound like much, but I, and many people, found it hilarious! The kid in question is Ghyslain Raza, a French Canadian. The recording was forgotten for a few months until it was found by his friends, who uploaded it on Kazaa. People quickly created edits of the video, mixing in actual Star Wars scenes, other movies, everything! The boy was so embarrassed that a lawsuit was filed against his friends. Nevertheless, it still maintains its over 900 million views, and is something that will stick in the minds of the internet users for a long time. A clip of the original can be found below.

3. Honglaowai – An internet celebrity popular in China and Chinese communities, this Caucasian sang Chinese patriotic songs which he uploaded to media sites. He got the attention of the media in various countries. He is very popular among Chinese, despite controversy at the beginning. Quite a unique way to be famous!

4. Mahir Cagri – Now this is a strange man. This Turkish man owns a website about himself, laden with pictures and various catchphrases. Cohen, the star of the infamous movie Borat, was said to have been partly inspired by Mahir’s site. Some of his famous catchphrases are "I KISS YOU!!!!!!!", "I like to be friendship from different country" and "I like sex". His site can be found here.

Weird ways to be famous, but it works! Would you do those things for your own slice of fame?