User:WENWENWENSI/sandbox

'''Brandon Farris ''' Brandon Farris is a “social media personality” who has reached moderate online fame and notoriety for his particular brand of vlogging (Tolson, 2012; Lavaeshkul, 2012). Farris originated his social media fame on Twitter and from there graduated to vlogging to Facebook and YouTube, with now over 130,000 social media subscribers on YouTube alone, 1.4 million followers on FaceBook, and his own accounts on things like Patreon, a social media platform that encourages monthly subscriptions for unique and exclusive content. Farris's fame came originally from his unique brand of vlogging and the fact that he lived in his car in Los Angeles (being an Arkansas native) for the sake of seeking out a career in comedy while working as kitchen staff for a local company. Due in part to crowdfunding and in part to his own success, Brandon Farris currently lives in an apartment in Los Angeles and is dating another YouTube star, Maria Gloria. Gloria and her daughter Autumn both feature in Farris's vlog videos (Brandon Farris, 2019).

Vlogging
Farris is famous online in part for his use of the practice of vlogging – video-logging about his daily life living in first a car and now an apartment, featuring videos like everyday rants about embarrassing or annoying things that have happened to him, online challenges and games, gift-opening videos, and more. Vlogging has become a considerable interest to the online community in which building a particular niche and brand is important (Biel, 2011; Lavaveshkul, 2012). Vlogging and YouTube are closely related in that people like Farris use YouTube as a platform for posting their vlogs, and Farris's following on both FaceBook and YouTube where these vlogs are posted is significant and growing.

Facebook
Farris's following on Facebook is currently over 1.4 million. Because of the vlog structure of his videos, Farris is known for filming a lot of content weekly and then sorting through it for the sake of finding video-worthy materials, often putting some memorable clips into shows he calls “Leftovers” if they didn't make it to a full video. Farris's work on Facebook includes daily videos of various kinds of vlogs. His following on Facebook can in some ways be ascribed to a rising trend in social media videos and the appearance of authenticity that they provide, in that Farris vlogs about his daily life in a comedic way, but vlogs daily and about various things so that his content always appears authentic (Tolson, 2012). It is known that people with social media profiles like that of Facebook are more likely to believe that people they see consistent on those platforms as “famous,” whether real or fantasy, an Farris has successfully achieved this notion for himself, at least in some small part in comparison to other famous vloggers (Greenwood, 2013). On this platform in particular, Farris has also been known to engage in what is called video microblogging, which is vlogging very short snippets of videos in comparison to longer ones (Bornoe & Barkhuus, 2010).

Youtube
Currently on YouTube Farris's following is upward of 130,000 subscribers, though Farris began YouTube much later than he began his daily vlogs on Facebook and his Twitter feed. Farris seems to be one of many amateur comedians, musicians, actors, models, etc. that find and begin their journey to fame on YouTube (Lavaveshkul, 2012). One of the things that encourages Farris's fame on YouTube is both his Facebook following and the fact that his girlfriend Maria Gloria is also a YouTube personality.

Maria Gloria
Maria Gloria is a YouTube and Instagram personality who is growing in popularity, thanks in part to her association with Brandon Farris as his girlfriend, but also on her own merits. Maria focuses a lot on beauty guru and influencer style and support but also uses her following to vlog and make statements about her everyday life as well. Her focus on the beauty world is what has grown her own following to over 100,000 subscribers.

Charity and Gifts
Brandon Farris, as mentioned before, used to live in his car and through (in part) the work of crowdfunding, currently lives in an apartment (Marriott, 2019). Part of the features of Farris's work that makes him seem so kind and authentic to his following is that he often offers proceeds of his videos on Patreon and Facebook to go toward a charity that his followers or himself sometimes choose, including comedy nonprofits or suggestions from people who send him gifts. He also does gift opening videos that are perceived by his followers to be very heart-warming and funny, and the gifts often have to do with his obsessions – Harry Potter, Bob Ross, food, and his inability to handle spicy/hot foods. Farris's giving to charities and gift-opening videos are often thought by his followers to be the most genuine and kind parts of his following, and this has in part encouraged his fame, as is the case with other YouTube “celebrities” (Tolson, 2012; Lavaveshkul, 2012).

Farris Gets Fired
An event in Farris's life that had a major impact on his fame is that while working as a cook in Los Angeles and living in his car, he vlogged often about his frustrations as a cook in his work. When confronted with one or more of the videos and asked by his employer to remove them, Farris chose his passion and dreams over his job, and lost his job as a cook at this company. Thus Farris went from an employed man living in his car to an unemployed one, and this helps build up sympathy and respect for Farris as he stood by his dreams and dream career in the face of losing his employment when already essentially homeless.