Rhythm and Ray: A DJ’s Journey

[Chapter 38: A Wave of Viral Videos]

After hanging up the phone with Taylor, Ryan spent some time editing the Harlem Shake video he shot at the nightclub a few hours ago, and then he uploaded it to YouTube on the "Dr. Ray Official" account. He had also uploaded the previous versions of Tremor and the official Harlem Shake video to the platform.

The next morning, Ryan was surprised to find that the version of Harlem Shake filmed by the sorority he had commissioned had made its way onto New York University's official YouTube account, retitled "Crazy Times at the Weekend Sorority."

It wasn't unusual for university YouTube accounts to share parodic content, but Ryan was shocked by the energy this sorority had. He immediately called Elizabeth.

...

"Is that true? I just handed the video to the vice president. Did she really post it on the official YouTube account?" Elizabeth sounded equally surprised.

It seemed that all of this was the vice president's idea. After thanking Elizabeth, Ryan ended the call and then reached out to the vice president.

...

"Yes, I thought the video was pretty interesting, although I'm not too fond of the song. By chance, I know the student representative who operates this account, so I sent it to her. By the way, why hasn't Piero returned my call?" the vice president abruptly mentioned Piero.

"He's been busy these days; he's a model. I actually know some other models too..."

"Have him return my call," the vice president interrupted Ryan.

Looks like Piero was going to have to go through some trouble again.

"If possible, could you shoot a few more versions? The song is available on the paid platform," Ryan made a new request.

"That's not something I can do," the vice president declined.

"I can pay," Ryan replied straightforwardly.

"Don't kid around. There's no way I'm using the school's account to make money," the vice president scoffed on the other end of the phone.

"That's not what I meant," Ryan quickly amended. "But I could have Piero send you some gifts, like lipstick or clothes..."

There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

"I prefer the Chanel Rouge Allure series, especially coral number 22, and also..." After a moment, the vice president continued.

Ryan diligently noted down her requests. As a college student, the vice president wasn't asking for anything outrageous; the total price was still within a reasonable range.

"Also, I'd like to have similar shoots done by branches from other schools," Ryan slowly spoke.

The line fell into silence again. The vice president didn't agree, but she didn't reject it either.

At the end of the call, Ryan added one more question.

"I wanted to ask about the Elizabeth who contacted me. What's her last name?" Ryan inquired.

"Why do you care? That's someone's privacy."

"Nothing, just pure curiosity."

For the sake of the deal, the vice president shared the answer with Ryan: "Her sisters are the Olsen twins."

Ryan's eyes widened in realization. No wonder she looked familiar; the Olsen twins were household names from the '90s television scene. They had left their mark on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in the new millennium and had continuously invested in and starred in films over the years.

Like most child stars, the Olsen twins faced identity crises as they grew older. After a series of unprofitable films, they took a unique route at the time, later followed by many other stars -- celebrity entrepreneurship.

Since 2004, their company Dualstar had launched a series of products centered around the teen market, including a clothing line primarily aimed at teenage girls, sold in over 3,000 stores nationwide, including Walmart, and over 5,300 stores globally.

Later, they fully transitioned into fashion design, launching the luxury brand The Row, which sold products in 37 countries.

Last year, the Olsen sisters ranked eleventh on Forbes' list of the wealthiest women in entertainment, with a net worth of approximately $100 million.

"No wonder she wants to avoid her last name," Ryan remarked.

In a sense, Elizabeth Olsen was in a similar spot as Austin Swift. Elizabeth's pressure might have been greater; she was younger, taller, and prettier than her sisters. Besides the stress, she would obviously also receive support. After graduating from the Tisch School of the Arts, she would probably try to enter Hollywood; what a shame...

...

"Yes, that's it, like being electrocuted, twist however you want," Ryan directed like a director.

"Does this actually help?" Abigail still seemed a little self-conscious.

"Just look at Austin; you need to achieve a similar effect," Ryan pointed to Taylor's brother standing next to him.

At that moment, Austin was wriggling along the ground like a maggot, doing his version of the Harlem Shake.

"Ryan, check this out; I think I'm nailing it," Paul said as he wiggled his waist back and forth.

"If only you had a female donkey, you'd probably do even better," Ryan joked.

"Only if it's a cute female donkey!" Paul nodded eagerly.

Everyone burst out laughing. On the field, the football team and some of Ryan's friends were filming another version of the Harlem Shake.

Ryan continued checking the footage, while Abigail seemed to have something to say to him, but after thinking about it, she kept quiet.

"I'll be pretty busy for a bit; let's hang out in a couple of days," Ryan said without looking up.

"Sure," Abigail nodded heavily.

...

"Let's see how it turned out?" Trey plugged the USB into the computer.

The video inside was the Harlem Shake office version shot by the production company. Ryan had gotten everyone involved that he could, Trey included. Once Trey heard the idea, she didn't hesitate to present the finished version that night.

True to her skills as a director, Trey's version was already edited and ready to upload.

"Can we release it from your personal account?" Ryan asked tentatively.

Trey shrugged. "As long as I can remember the password to my personal account." Then, she changed the subject. "By the way, I also contacted Billy Ray Cyrus today; I shot the MV for his song Real Gone. You know his daughter, Hannah Montana, right...?"

"Her name is Miley," Ryan corrected her.

If the Olsen twins were the well-known child stars a decade ago, Miley was the current queen, a Disney-backed teen idol.

She played a rockstar in high school on Disney Channel's Hannah Montana, creating a series of comedic moments as she tried to hide her identity from her classmates. The show was a massive hit among young viewers.

Outside of acting, Miley also released albums under her Hannah Montana persona, selling 320,000 copies in the first week of release, debuting atop the Billboard 200 chart, whereas Taylor had only sold several thousand copies in her first week, making the comparison quite stark.

Of course, this success wouldn't have been possible without Disney's push. Destiny often came with its hidden price tags, and these days, Disney was in full swing, squeezing every dime from Miley's life, which was consumed by shooting and touring, with much of her revenue going to Disney.

To Ryan, Miley seemed to be suffering from "child star syndrome," a form of mental instability after being in the spotlight for so long.

Her public image was marred by numerous scandals -- feuds with her fellow Disney star Selena Gomez over a love triangle involving another teen idol, her private photos leaked online due to hacking, a shoot for Vanity Fair that led to an apology, and various public relations disasters.

"Let's not get sidetracked; her dad said that Miley enjoys making some videos on YouTube lately. I mentioned you to her, but I can't confirm if she'll shoot anything," Trey explained.

Ryan got excited and hugged Trey, planting a kiss on her cheek.

Trey was taken aback for a second before playfully chasing Ryan around.

*****

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