Digital minions

This should be exciting: The internet is making it possible for anyone who owns a computer to become a celebrity, or overthrow a government or be elected president. But with all this talk from Markos Moulitsas Zungia about “Taking on the System,” I can’t help but feel a little weary.

The power of technology is undeniable, but how we harness this power is still unclear. Like Peter Parker’s, A.K.A Spider-Man’s, good old Uncle Ben said, “With great power comes great responsibility.” So, do we use it for good or evil?

One of Zungia’s “unlikely warriors” is Stephen Colbert. Recently Colbert has used his power as a multimedia celebrity to raise almost $100,000 for donorschoose.org in less than a month. How did he do it?

It all started with a pint of ice cream. Not just any ice cream, but Colbert’s very own Ben & Jerry’s flavor “Americone Dream.” Colbert was happy to announce that his flavor was selected to be featured in Ben & Jerry’s stores around the country, but less happy to announce that fellow late-night personality Jimmy Fallon was about to debut his own Ben & Jerry’s flavor “Late Night Snack.” The two engaged in an ice cream eating face-off and shortly after an ice cream induced musical hallucination announced a truce, and that they would be best friends forever – for six months.

Then things got interesting, Colbert in an attempt to raise money for donorschoose.org , Colbert auctioned off his famous portrait within a portrait painting for $26,000. On his show the next day he announced that BFF Fallon would be matching his donation, unfortunately Fallon had no idea.

"If you can't donate $26,000 of your best friend's money without asking him first, then what's the point of being best friends?" Colbert asked during a surprise appearance on Fallon’s show.

So what did Fallon do? He gave Colbert a taste of his own…well…ice cream, and promised that if viewers could help him raise the $26,000, Colbert would appear on the show that Friday to sing, what Fallon called “one of the most important songs of our time,” Rebecca Black’s hit single “Friday” accompanied by The Roots.

“And that is a promise I am making from him to you,” Fallon said.

Fallon easily raised the $26,000, and actually beat that goal by $60,000. Because Colbert is a man of his, or Fallon’s, word he followed through with the promise and delivered a stunning performance.

In chase you haven't see enough of this...

So Colbert used the power of the internet for good. He proved an imaginary friendship and promise of a “Friday” cover can raise money exponentially faster than a Sarah McLaughlin song played over the pictures of one-eyed puppies or that Santa Clause-looking man holding starving African children. The information age has created tactics more effective than advertising, public service announcements and political campaigns to influence people’s thoughts and induce behavior. Has this gone too far though? Is technology able to be even more effective than common sense?

Take Daniel Tosh, for example, his weekly show on Comedy Central features viral videos and Tosh’s commentary. One segment on the show challenges views to create their own videos in response to a prompt. These include “surprise trust falls,” “things never to yell when entering a room” and “sittin’ on the toilet.” These challenges get hundreds of responses, featuring people falling on strangers, screaming profanities at colleagues and performing monologues with their pants down. Who do all these people do these embarrassing, belittling things? Because Daniel Tosh said so!

So far most of these videos are harmless; a few bruised bottoms and egos in the name of humor. But knowing Tosh, he will push it further. And knowing his viewers, and the power of the internet, they will listen.

Through the internet, both Colbert and Tosh have gained power and a following. I prefer to see these people as minions. I’m sure thousands of those donating to the Colbert/Fallon project on donorschoose.org had no idea that the charity helped school teachers across America fund projects for students (I didn’t know that either until I just looked it up, but I also didn’t donate), and just blindly gave their money. Similarly to how Tosh’s viewers willing put up inappropriate or demeaning videos of themselves without thinking about who might see them.

They do this because the trust Colbert and Tosh, and look up to them as leaders. Zungia became a leader for an online political community when his blog was launched into popularity – a reluctant leader, but a leader none the less. According to “Taking on the System” anyone can become leaders with the right attitude, motivation, tools a techniques. But what about the followers? With this many possible leaders there are infinitely more follows, and surely some of these leaders will lead their naive followers astray.