Michael Richards not the only victim of YouTube phenomenon

By ELISE HU
KVUE News

Video sharing sites like YouTube.com now make it easy for a bad moment caught on camera to spread like a virus.

"Anything you say may be found and seen by other people," said Paul Stekler, UT film professor.

Michael Richards' racist tirade was caught by a camera, and when the video went viral, it sparked public outrage. The former "Seinfeld" actor apologized for his words, but he's just the latest victim of the YouTube phenomenon, where the wrong words can be more damaging than ever.

"For any kind of public figure, whether it's a celebrity or a politician, you've got to watch out, because anything that might be filmed could end up on the Internet, and if it's funny or racist or weird, it may go viral. And hundreds of thousands if not millions of people are gonna see it," Stekler said.

In the case of Virginia U.S. Senator George Allen, video of him using the obscure racial slur, "macaca", spread in cyberspace and was picked up by thousands of mainstream media outlets. It happened in the midst of his race for re-election, which he lost.

"That video single handedly took him down," said Eileen Smith, Austin blogger.

She sees the service as democracy that the proliferation of YouTube can provide.

"When media is in the hands of many it's a lot better than when it's controlled by a few corporate giants," Smith said.

But others see a future where public figures get more programmed than ever.

"People will be more and more controlled, they'll watch what they say," Stekler said.

They'll probably have to, as the YouTube audience grows ever larger.