"LonelyGirl15" - A Media Experiment on YouTube

Well, she's not a teenager and she's not home schooled. And her "friend", Daniel, probably didn't help her set up her YouTube channel, and most likely he isn't "kinda computer genius." This because the YouTube phenomenon known as "LonelyGirl15" is a travesty. A farce, a false perspective on a teenage girl's mundane existence.

"LonelyGirl15" AKA Bree is actually 19-year-old New Zealand actress Jessica Rose. With her true identity unveiled, her creators issued an official press release confirming that she was an elaborate media production and a new art form. "Thank you so much for enjoying our show so far," was mentioned in the statement. "Our intention from the outset has been to tell a story -- a story that could only be told using the medium of video blogs and the distribution power of the Internet. Right now, the biggest mystery of lonelygirl15 is 'Who is she?' We think this is an oversimplification. Lonelygirl15 is a reflection of everyone. She is no more real or fictitious than the portions of our personalities that we choose to show [or hide] when we interact with the people around us."

But the YouTube statistics speak for themselves. "LonelyGirl15" is the most viewed channel in September, and the number four channel in consumer preferences of all times on YouTube. Moreover Bree has also attracted the largest number of subscribers - 32,560 - and an audience of 2,860,990.