Brooke Brodack
Encyclopedia
Brooke Allison Brodack aka Brookers, is an American
viral video
comedian mainly known for her short videos on YouTube
, which have received 49 million views and led to a contract from the mainstream media. The New Yorker
called her "the first real YouTube star."
Brodack has been making videos since she was 9 years old. Graduating from Wachusett Regional High School
, she then attended college at Worcester State College
, Quinsigamond Community College
and Mount Wachusett Community College
, ultimately dropping out of all three. Brodack worked from 2003 to 2006 as a receptionist and hostess at the 99 Restaurant, and she volunteered (2003–05) for the NEADS
program (Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans) in Sterling, Massachusetts
.
, the host of a late night show
on NBC
, however nothing came of this contract and it was not subsequently renewed. From July 3 to August 17, 2006, her "Brookers" channel was the most subscribed on YouTube. She was named a "Crossover Star" by the Wall Street Journal on its New Media Power List on July 29, 2006.
Brookers directs, edits and performs in her videos, most of which have been set at her family home in Holden, Massachusetts
. The New Yorker
has called her videos "defiantly madcap." Her single-most popular video, "Crazed Numa Fan!!!!", a lip-sync parody of an earlier Internet meme
, Numa Numa Dance
by Gary Brolsma
(itself a parody of "Dragostea din tei
" by O-Zone
), has been viewed on YouTube over 8.2 million times. Her younger sister, Melissa "Missy" Brodack, performs alongside her in many videos, including "Crazed Numa Fan!!!!"
Her video "Chips," a spoof
suspense drama about eating potato chips, has been called "brilliant" by Entertainment Weekly
, which has listed it among the "great moments in YouTube history."
From August 2006 to April 2007, she played a large role on a Daly-hosted, NBC-sponsored video contest website, It's Your Show TV posting many videos there. She appeared on The Tyra Banks Show
(December 6, 2006), as a judge for a student video competition. In February 2007, she released "The Sound of Your Voice," a viral music video for The Barenaked Ladies.
From May 2007 to March 2008, Brookers had her own web channel, brookebrodack.tv, which was offered through www.me.tv, a new service Daly helped to found. She participated in the 777 (July 7, 2007) YouTube gathering in New York City
. In November 2007, she released, "Ozzy's Magical Glasses n' Stuff," a viral video advertisement for a live auction of Ozzy Osbourne
items on the Auction Network
, for which she was paid "a solid five figures" by the Palisades Media Group.
Brookers has experimented with non-comic videos, such as The Falling, and she has collaborated with other talents, including the New York based comedy troupe The Tenderloins, the Los Angeles based comedy troupe Studio 8 Comedy, LLC, viral video creator Caitlin Hill
("TheHill88") and the lifecasters
Justine Ezarik
("iJustine") and Sarah Austin of Pop17.
Brooke also appears in a number of WestHavenBrook video series alongside John Soares
, including the Vacuum Consortium series, where she plays Agamemnon Tiberius Vacuum's nemesis, "The Brodack", and Go Sukashi!, produced by Douglas TenNapel in association with Watanabe Entertainment
and Dentsu
, where she plays Sukashi's girlfriend Bethany.
video, hosted by such services as Stickam
, Ustream
, and currently Blogtv
, where in May 2008, she launched her live "BrookeBrodack's Show." Many of these performances have been recorded by fans, who have released them or sections of them as viral videos.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
viral video
Viral video
A viral video is one that becomes popular through the process of Internet sharing, typically through video sharing websites, social media and email...
comedian mainly known for her short videos on YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, which have received 49 million views and led to a contract from the mainstream media. The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
called her "the first real YouTube star."
Brodack has been making videos since she was 9 years old. Graduating from Wachusett Regional High School
Wachusett Regional High School
Wachusett Regional High School is located in Holden, Massachusetts and services the Wachusett Regional School District. Founded in 1955, WRSD comprises Holden, Paxton, Princeton, Rutland, and Sterling. William Beando was appointed principal as of July 1, 2007, succeeding the one year interim...
, she then attended college at Worcester State College
Worcester State College
Worcester State University is a public, four-year college founded in 1874 as Worcester Normal School in the city of Worcester, Massachusetts. Although WSC traditionally has an emphasis on education, business, and biotechnology, the College offers Bachelors and Masters degrees in over 20 academic...
, Quinsigamond Community College
Quinsigamond Community College
Quinsigamond Community College is a public, two-year academic institution in Worcester, Massachusetts. A commuter school, the college has an enrollment of over 8,000 students in its Associate's degree and certification programs...
and Mount Wachusett Community College
Mount Wachusett Community College
Mount Wachusett Community College is a two-year community college in Gardner, Massachusetts. It offers associate degrees as well as a transfer program for students to earn credits for transfer to other colleges...
, ultimately dropping out of all three. Brodack worked from 2003 to 2006 as a receptionist and hostess at the 99 Restaurant, and she volunteered (2003–05) for the NEADS
NEADS (Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans)
NEADS is a nationwide American 5013 nonprofit program that provides trained assistance dogs to deaf and disabled Americans.-History:...
program (Dogs for Deaf and Disabled Americans) in Sterling, Massachusetts
Sterling, Massachusetts
Sterling is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, USA. The population was 7,808 at the 2010 census.- History :Sterling was first settled by Europeans in 1720 and was officially incorporated in 1781....
.
Background
Brodack began posting her short comedic videos on her "Brookers" YouTube channel in September 2005. By June 2006, she was offered an 18-month development contract from Carson DalyCarson Daly
Carson Jones Daly is an American television host. He is the host of NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly, a late-night talk show that began airing on January 7, 2002. Before his role as host of that program, Daly was a VJ on MTV's TRL, and a DJ for the Southern California based radio station KROQ-FM...
, the host of a late night show
Last Call with Carson Daly
Last Call with Carson Daly is an American late night talk show that is broadcast on NBC. The show is hosted by Carson Daly, the half-hour show featuring celebrity interviews, documentary-style coverage of a topic, and musical performances. Last Call airs weeknights at 1:35 a.m. Eastern / 12:35 a.m....
on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, however nothing came of this contract and it was not subsequently renewed. From July 3 to August 17, 2006, her "Brookers" channel was the most subscribed on YouTube. She was named a "Crossover Star" by the Wall Street Journal on its New Media Power List on July 29, 2006.
Brookers directs, edits and performs in her videos, most of which have been set at her family home in Holden, Massachusetts
Holden, Massachusetts
Holden is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The town was founded in 1741, and the Town Square was donated by John Hancock, former Governor of Massachusetts.The population was 17,346 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
. The New Yorker
The New Yorker
The New Yorker is an American magazine of reportage, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons and poetry published by Condé Nast...
has called her videos "defiantly madcap." Her single-most popular video, "Crazed Numa Fan!!!!", a lip-sync parody of an earlier Internet meme
Internet meme
The term Internet meme is used to describe a concept that spreads via the Internet. The term is a reference to the concept of memes, although the latter concept refers to a much broader category of cultural information.-Description:...
, Numa Numa Dance
Numa Numa
Numa Numa is an Internet phenomenon based on amateur videos, most notably Numa Numa Song by Gary Brolsma, made for the song "Dragostea din tei" as performed by O-Zone. Brolsma's video, released in December 2004 on the website Newgrounds.com, was the first Numa Numa–themed video to gain widespread...
by Gary Brolsma
Gary Brolsma
Gary William Brolsma , also known as simply The Numa Numa Guy, is an American singer who gained worldwide attention after posting onto the Internet, near the end of 2004, a webcam video of himself miming to the song "Dragostea din tei" by Moldovan pop band O-Zone...
(itself a parody of "Dragostea din tei
Dragostea din tei
"Dragostea din tei" , also informally known as "The Numa Numa Song" , is the most successful single by the Moldovan pop group O-Zone, sung in Romanian. It shot to the number one spot on the Eurochart Hot 100, where it remained for 12 weeks between June and early September 2004...
" by O-Zone
O-Zone
O-Zone was a Romania/Moldovan pop music trio that was active from 1998 to 2005 and consisted of Dan Bălan, Radu Sîrbu, and Arsenie Todiraş. The group gained global popularity with their song "Dragostea din tei" and their subsequent album DiscO-Zone....
), has been viewed on YouTube over 8.2 million times. Her younger sister, Melissa "Missy" Brodack, performs alongside her in many videos, including "Crazed Numa Fan!!!!"
Her video "Chips," a spoof
Parody
A parody , in current usage, is an imitative work created to mock, comment on, or trivialise an original work, its subject, author, style, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation...
suspense drama about eating potato chips, has been called "brilliant" by Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly
Entertainment Weekly is an American magazine, published by the Time division of Time Warner, that covers film, television, music, broadway theatre, books and popular culture...
, which has listed it among the "great moments in YouTube history."
From August 2006 to April 2007, she played a large role on a Daly-hosted, NBC-sponsored video contest website, It's Your Show TV posting many videos there. She appeared on The Tyra Banks Show
The Tyra Banks Show
The Tyra Banks Show, also known as and shortened to Tyra or The Tyra Show, is an American talk show hosted by Tyra Banks. The last new episode aired on Friday, May 28, 2010.-2005-2009: Syndication:...
(December 6, 2006), as a judge for a student video competition. In February 2007, she released "The Sound of Your Voice," a viral music video for The Barenaked Ladies.
From May 2007 to March 2008, Brookers had her own web channel, brookebrodack.tv, which was offered through www.me.tv, a new service Daly helped to found. She participated in the 777 (July 7, 2007) YouTube gathering in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. In November 2007, she released, "Ozzy's Magical Glasses n' Stuff," a viral video advertisement for a live auction of Ozzy Osbourne
Ozzy Osbourne
John Michael "Ozzy" Osbourne is an English vocalist, whose musical career has spanned over 40 years. Osbourne rose to prominence as lead singer of the pioneering English heavy metal band Black Sabbath, whose radically different, intentionally dark, harder sound helped spawn the heavy metal...
items on the Auction Network
Auction Network
Auction Network is a 24-hour Internet and cable television channel that allows viewers to participate remotely in auctions taking place throughout the world...
, for which she was paid "a solid five figures" by the Palisades Media Group.
Brookers has experimented with non-comic videos, such as The Falling, and she has collaborated with other talents, including the New York based comedy troupe The Tenderloins, the Los Angeles based comedy troupe Studio 8 Comedy, LLC, viral video creator Caitlin Hill
Caitlin Hill
Caitlin Alexandra Hill is an Australian YouTube personality under the name TheHill88. She produces, edits and uploads her videos from her home in New York City....
("TheHill88") and the lifecasters
Lifecasting (video stream)
Lifecasting is a continual broadcast of events in a person's life through digital media. Typically, lifecasting is transmitted through the medium of the Internet and can involve wearable technology...
Justine Ezarik
Justine Ezarik
Justine Ezarik , is an American viral video comedian, and Internet personality. She is best known as iJustine, a lifecaster who communicates directly with her thousands of viewers on her Justin.tv channel, ijustine.tv. She has made more than 400 videos, including videos on such subjects as Lost and...
("iJustine") and Sarah Austin of Pop17.
Brooke also appears in a number of WestHavenBrook video series alongside John Soares
John Soares
John Allen Soares is an award-winning independent filmmaker, martial arts choreographer, actor and viral video star from Hughson, CA known for his short videos and webisodes on YouTube. Soares's videos are known for mixing martial arts action with quirky comedy.Soares was born in Turlock, CA on...
, including the Vacuum Consortium series, where she plays Agamemnon Tiberius Vacuum's nemesis, "The Brodack", and Go Sukashi!, produced by Douglas TenNapel in association with Watanabe Entertainment
Watanabe Entertainment
is a major Japanese entertainment conglomerate and a member of the Watanabe Production Group. Its head office is in Shibuya, Tokyo and the company's principle functions include organizing television and radio programming, managing Japanese entertainers as well as hosting foreign entertainers on...
and Dentsu
Dentsu
is one of the largest advertising agencies in the world. Its headquarters are located in the Dentsu Building in the Shiodome district of Minato, Tokyo....
, where she plays Sukashi's girlfriend Bethany.
Viral videos
In addition to her "Brookers" YouTube channel, Brodack in January 2006 established a second channel, "QuietRiot," and she began posting videos there regularly in the summer of 2007. Collectively, they have received about 2,000,000 views. Since early 2006, she also has given improvised, audience-interactive comic performances on live webcamWebcam
A webcam is a video camera that feeds its images in real time to a computer or computer network, often via USB, ethernet, or Wi-Fi.Their most popular use is the establishment of video links, permitting computers to act as videophones or videoconference stations. This common use as a video camera...
video, hosted by such services as Stickam
Stickam
Stickam is a website devoted to live-streaming video, featuring both professional and user-generated content. The site launched in 2005. Stickam features user-submitted pictures, audio, video, and most prominently, live streaming video chat...
, Ustream
Ustream
Ustream is a website which consists of a network of diverse channels providing a platform for lifecasting and live video streaming of events online. Established in March 2007, the site has over 2,000,000 registered users who generate 1,500,000+ hours of live streamed content per month with over ten...
, and currently Blogtv
BlogTV
blogTV is an online video service. blogTV began in June 2004, in Israel, and was a pioneer in the webcasting industry. Its goals were to supply anyone and everyone, with internet access, a way to express their talents & ideas to the world and to socially network with people face to face. In 2006...
, where in May 2008, she launched her live "BrookeBrodack's Show." Many of these performances have been recorded by fans, who have released them or sections of them as viral videos.
External links
- YouTube "Brookers" profile
- YouTube "QuietRiot" profile
- MySpace profile
- Go Sukashi! Official website