It might not seem possible, but lyrics like “It’s Friday, Friday,” have earned 13-year-old Rebecca Black more than 70 million YouTube hits, a place on Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart and more than $25,000 a week.
Penn students and faculty are beginning to think that Black’s “Friday” music video may contain a deeper significance.
Marketing professor Jonah Berger, who studies “social epidemics,” explained that there may be a science behind the video’s popularity.
“Online content which produces emotion is more likely to be shared,” he said, adding that Black’s video gained popularity because it was “so bad it was funny.”
“Negative publicity can be good for things people don’t already know about,” Berger explained. “It makes people aware of the product.”
Penn students are not immune from the “Friday” phenomenon.
“Some people see it and start referencing it before class or in the dorms,” College freshman Dylan Petro said. “And then whoever’s in attendance who hasn’t seen it goes and watches it. It’s like a network.”
Presidential and vice presidential candidates for the Undergraduate Assembly — Engineering and Wharton junior Tyler Ernst and Wharton junior Faye Cheng — even modeled their campaign video after “Friday” after realizing how recognizable the song was.
“We saw that the video was adding seven million views a day,” Ernst explained. “From a business perspective, it was an opportunity we could not pass up.”
Ernst added that Black’s video is especially popular at Penn because it “hits the humor that is common here.”
Penn students like things that are “funny because they’re so bad,” he said. “We have a sarcastic sense of humor.”
In addition to its humor, Black’s video may reflect trends in the music industry.
An increasing number of musicians, such as Justin Bieber, are building their careers and fan bases by posting videos online, Berger said.
“It’s such a parody on modern pop music,” Petro added. “Her auto-tune is ridiculous.”
College freshman Julie Palomba agreed that the video is popular “because it has everything that today’s pop music culture has.”
“Friday” has “spread like a juicy rumor,” Berger said. And not all students think the video is a positive thing.
“It marks the demise of the music industry,” College freshman Joe Russo said. However, he added, “I personally think it’s hilarious.”
“It has this really funny quality that everyone can bond over,” Russo said. “A really awful quality.”
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