foreign youtube stars
Foreign YouTube Stars
Vocabulary
| tune | peculiar | subscribe |
| predict | revenue | come to nothing |
| curious | squeeze | breakthrough |
| owe | pressure | role model |
| quirky | fan (2) | make it big |
| unique | bother | unique selling point |
| accent | arouse | nonsense |
| casual | turn out | mixer (2) |
Video
Transcript
Flula Borg is at work.
A couple of cameras, a mixer and two microphones are all that’s needed. Flula and his car tunes now reach a half million subscribers on YouTube.
It all started when the DJ uploaded a few clips for his friends.
Flula Borg, Conviction: Believes in Chance: “I don’t think you can plan something like this. I’ve tried it, and the things that I thought were hits came to nothing.
And I upload some rubbish, really total nonsense—and that gets millions of clicks.
I can’t predict it. No one can.”
Flula moved to LA from southern Germany two years ago. The thirty-two year old produces songs and videos here.
He makes money off the advertising revenues.
He owes his breakthrough in part to a well-known German athlete. The basketball star even squeezed into the car for one of the clips.
Flula Borg: “Dirk Nowitzki is a role model for me. He’s always himself and he’s quirky. That’s how I try to be too.
If I start doing what other people do, it never works. So I try to be as Flula as I can.”
Most of Flula’s fans come from the US, Canada and Australia. His accent doesn’t seem to bother them, even when he tries to explain how to say “no problem” in German.
A unique selling point is necessary for success on YouTube, says of Kehbuma Langmia of Howard University in Washington, D.C.
Kehbuma Langmia, Profession: Media Studies Expert: “It’s a click of the mouse. If you are bored, how do you maintain me on your YouTube page?
It’s when you have something extraordinary, then I’ll find myself almost overtaken. I was lost and who is this that is making me now to think seriously about?”
There are other foreign YouTube stars that have made it big in the US, such the Russian woman Olga Kay who reaches millions, as well as Pew Di Pie of Sweden.
Kehbuma Langmia: “When you have an accent that is foreign, Americans want to find out, ‘are you going to bring something new?’ Because it is strange. It is something that is really unlike what they are used to.
So they are very, very curious to find out what do you have for them. Are you trying to bring something that they have never seen before? That is what is going to arouse their interest.”
And even outside YouTube, Flula is becoming well known. His peculiar humor is reaching television viewers. And he plays small roles in films.
Los Angeles is the perfect place for him.
Flula Borg: “Everything’s a bit faster here and more casual: let’s try this, let’s try that. I don’t think that’s typically American — it’s LA.
People here want to put something together quickly. Let’s see how it turns out. No pressure.
Didn’t work out? Okay, let’s try something new.
I like that.
Flula plans to keep on making his videos until the next opportunity comes along.
Questions
1. Describe Flula’s profession or occupation.
2. The more he plans and practices, the more successful his videos. True or false?
3. Does Flula’s boss pay his salary?
4. What helped Flula gain popularity came gradually?
5. Can foreigners speaking a foreign accent succeed among American viewers? If yes, why do they often succeed?
6. Is Flula featured only on YouTube?
7. There is more potential to succeed in Los Angeles. Yes or no?
A. Do you have a favorite YouTube star? Who is this person?
B. Do you have a YouTube Channel? Have you or your friends uploaded videos?
C. What subject matter could you make videos on?
D. I would like to become a full-time professional YouTuber. Do you agree?
E. What do you think will happen in the future?
