Going Viral – Fake Celebrity Pranks New York

New York was the location for the iconic Martin Scorsese film, Taxi Driver, whose famous tag line was “On every street in every city, there’s a nobody who dreams of being a somebody“. 37 years later in 2012, this statement has been brought to life spectacularly by Brett Cohen. Brett Cohen is a normal, everyday person, with average looks and an average life. However, Brett decided to see what effect it would have if he was to be seen with professional security guards and photographers, as he walked the streets of Times Square. The results of this social experiment was staggering; thousands of passer-bys who had never heard of Brett Cohen before, nor had any idea of what it was he was famous for, swooned at who they thought was a celebrity, and asked for a signed photograph. The craziest development was the passing of rumours of Cohen’s profession – a musician (whose debut single one person claimed to be a big fan of) or a star of the latest Spiderman film. In the end Cohen’s cronies leave and again he can walk the street without causing the slightest stir, demonstrating the power of celebrity and fame, and how it can be fabricated completely through image.

Tags: brett cohen, fake celebrity, fame, new york, social experiment, social media news