Non-fungible tokens are all the rage these days, and the rush to mint these blockchain-based tokens has seen some interesting pieces of internet history return to the modern landscape. The latest is Chris Crocker’s infamous Leave Britney Alone rant, which was in many ways a precursor to the full-fledged #FreeBritney movement regarding media attention and control of Britney Spears.
The NFT, currently up for auction on the Foundation platform, is the video that was uploaded in September of 2007 that featured a long rant about Spears, filmed under a bedsheet, from a crying Crocker who was pleading for people to “leave Britney alone.” As of Monday, the auction for the NFT is running for 10 Ethereum, which is about $21,000 in American currency. Here’s the description of the NFT on Foundation.
Leave Britney Alone was uploaded to YouTube on September 10, 2007, within 24 hours it had garnered over 2 million views, by 2009 it was the second most discussed video on the platform. It was the first viral video to get mass mainstream coverage.
I made this video as a gender-bending teenage high school dropout in my grandparent’s bedroom. I had no idea the impact its message would have, years later, maybe society is finally starting to get it :-)
Own a part of internet & pop culture history!
As of Monday afternoon, a single bid has been placed on it to purchase it at its original listing price, with the auction slated to end on Monday night.