Boondocks’ Bootleg

I am sure everyone saw all the news reports about the rise in online video viewership noting that 77% of all internet users are consumers of online video content. That is a 34% jump over last year according to comscore. The internet is a great tool for artistic expression through video without the limit of censors, especially when you think of all the easy to use video editing content out there, coupled with the more affordable video equipment from lo-fi cell phones to hi-fi camcorders. The Web allows people to experiment and receive immediate feedback on their work while generating revenue. Video sites also allow for a level of audience interaction that was not available in the past. Though anyone is capable of producing video content online, as I have said in the past, professional content is where the real money is going to be, and for now professional content is dominated by cross-over successes from traditional media.

A new player on the scene of professional video digital content is Aaron McGruder. Aaron McGruder went from a successful comic strip (with strips banned), to a successful television show (that is still running but also has banned episodes) to the new online channel Boondocks Bootleg. It is definitely a lo-fi offering with a hi-fi name so it straddles the fence for me in terms of being considering professional content. I guess it is low cost, high return type of content.

Boondocks Bootleg is probably not what you think. It is a YouTube channel featuring live action clips ranging from 30 seconds to 3 minutes. Considering Google is the clear leader in online video consumption (with over 5.1 billion views/month with the closest competitor not even breaking 500 million) it makes sense to go with YouTube. Titles on the channel include Black Jesus, looking at the life and times of black Jesus in modern society, history clips called Negrology that examine things such as the Jheri Curl, and messages from Tubesteak. I don’t know if you can have black sketch comedy anymore without being compared to Chapelle’s show, so, I will go ahead and say that it is very Chapelle show-esque. The language is crude (excessive use of the n-word, b-word and s-word), the production quality is mediocre, and the clips are hit or miss. However, viewership of the videos (they all seem to get at least 5k views by day 1 and over 10k within a week), shows that there is an audience for them in the digital space.

McGruder already has a dedicated fan base from his comic and TV show. Some people will be turned off simply by the fact that it is an Aaron McGruder project. There will be many people that will be curious or automatic fans for the same reason. This move in to a new medium (digital) and new form (live action), with the new numbers on online video viewership (almost 13 billion viewed in November alone) leaves me asking one question though: Is going viral the goal or getting a group of dedicated users that actually care about what is being produced and come back the goal? I wouldn’t say McGruder’s numbers are viral, but it seems people who are coming come back whenever new content is added. They are also leaving comments and video responses that just goes to illustrate their level of engagement.