Will YouTube be the next Academy of Arts in Saudi Arabia - Article Example

Will YouTube be the next "Academy of Arts" in Saudi Arabia? Today, YouTube’s increasing popularity around the world is perfectly captured in the words of the legendary artist Andy Warhol, who once said: “In the future everyone will be famous for 15 minutes". Indeed, this line by Warhol is being lived by the increasing number of web users around the world who create their own videos then upload it on YouTube to become instant internet celebrities. YouTube has created an opportunity for individuals all over the world to showcase their talents, in the hope of attracting attention and gaining recognition, not only in their country but also around the world. In this article, the role of YouTube in popularizing different talents all over the world will be explored. In particular, the impact of YouTube among Saudi internet users will also be discussed as the website is seen as a platform which will, in the future, replace the academy of arts in Saudi Arabia. Why YouTube Works Since its activation on February 2005, the domain name YouTube has completely changed how people view entertainment. As a video sharing website, YouTube owes its success to the users themselves who create, upload, view, and share their videos online. The site is now a platform for performing artists to reach out to the world and take a shortcut to fame. For the growing number of internet users, YouTube has allowed every individual to find images and people in their lives which they never knew they were looking for. It is a video sharing community which changed the way we communicate. In the past, we rely on watching TV to wait for our favorite shows. But with YouTube nowadays, people are more independent to participate and watch the videos they like. It is an interactive tool where users could comment on the videos and share it with other people until it can potentially become viral overtime. On YouTube, there are limitless amounts of talents – from singing, dancing, acting, and even finger breakdancing – which you users can readily watch and search from online. Success Stories There are varied examples of these individuals who have achieved popularity through the video sharing channel. For instance, Susan Boyle caught the attention of online users when her plain stage appearance contrasted her powerful mezzo-soprano voice. Also, the now famous Canadian pop star Justin Beiber was a young talent discovered on YouTube because of his soulful renditions of R&B hits. Dance acts such as Judson Laipply’s evolution of dance also caught the attention of online users because of him being able to dance through six decades of dance styles. Other popular acts such as the rapper and slam poet George Watsky, child singer Jackie Evancho, actress Jessica Lee Rose of lonelygirl15, and singing sensation Charice, who all owe their entertainment success to YouTube which became a platform for them to launch their talents. For YouTube, 10 billion views per month only prove the scale of the website’s popularity around the world. YouTube in Saudi Arabia The growing popularity of YouTube in Saudi Arabia is said to be critical specifically because it plays a significant role in showcasing the many talents of Arabs to the world. According to O’Neil (2011), YouTube is dubbed as the “second most visited internet channel in Saudi Arabia after Google Saudi Arabia”. The report from The Next Web Middle East further added that over 100 million Arabs log on to YouTube daily and 11 million of them spend at least 2 hours and 26 minutes per day on the video channel. Adding to this statistics of the increasing number of YouTube fans is that fact that many Arab artists are using the site for comedy and showcasing their talents online. For instance, various Saudi stand-up comedians have been uploading video clips on the YouTube channel and gaining a lot of fans. Usually, young Saudi artists showcase their performance in Arabic to give their funny views about the life and social issues in Saudi Arabia. Popular YouTube stars include the names of “La Yekthar,” “Eysh Elly,” and “3al6ayer” who all produce and direct their own shows on the video channel. A proof their popularity is the growing number of subscribers for these Saudi performers. For instance, the comedian “La Yekthar” already gathered more than 15,000 subscribers and 300,000 views on his channel. Adding to this popularity is his 15,000 Facebook fans that are always updated on his latest posts (Al – Mukhtar, 2011). YouTube Popularity in Saudi Arabia To analyze whether YouTube will be the next “academy of arts” in Saudi Arabia, the reasons for the video channels popularity in the country must be analyzed. According to Fahad Al-Butairi, the owner of “La Yekhtar”, one of the reasons why YouTube is very popular in Saudi Arabia is because Saudis want an alternative to watching TV. In YouTube, an internet user has a control over what programs he can watch or skip. Also, the lengths of the videos posted on the channels are kept short so that it does not bore internet users. Moreover, the demographics in the country reveal that 70% of the 19 million Saudi population composed of Saudis who are under 30 years old. In the words of Mr. Al-Butairi, this group of young Saudi population cannot “abide yet another 200 episodes of some Turkish soap opera”. It means that the young generation of Saudis, who are acquainted with the internet, would rather watch a light comedy show online than watch various traditional soap operas. It must also remember that on these video channels, comedians usually satirize social and political issues on their own. In YouTube, Saudi comedians talk about daily lives of Saudi people in a humorous manner. The website’s policies on freedom of speech are used by these talents to express themselves. According to MacFarquhar (2011), these programs have totally “rejected television” because of the fear in censorship and the avoidance of offending advertisers. Online, Saudi comedians have a freer speech on expressing their views, although they avoid pushing their limits too far. In the future, the number of young Saudi comedians and talents is expected to rise. According to this report, the reasons for such phenomena include the unpopularity of Saudi TV channels, the accessibility of internet to young Saudi web users and the utilization of freedom of expression found in YouTube. In answering if, in the future, YouTube will likely become the next “Academy of the Arts”, it is important to consider the advantageous features of YouTube over the television. Unless the broadcast media cannot address and find the proper niche for these talented Saudis, then YouTube might potentially overtake TV in terms of usage and popularity. Bibliography Al-Mukhtar, Rima. Saudi artists gaining fan base on YouTube. Arab News. 19 June 2011. Web. 1 December 2011. MacFarquhar, Neil. In Saudi Arabia, Comedy Cautiously Pushes Limits. The New York Times. 11 June 2011. Web. 1 December 2011. O'Neill, Megan. YouTube Coming To Televisions In Saudi Arabia. The Social Times. 30 June 2011. Web. 1 December 2011. Read More