I honestly can't believe I "discovered" Is Anyone Up? via a writing assignment for Hypebot. Though it's not the first site devoted to naked and near-naked pictures of band members and groupies, it certainly has the full flavor of the Facebook generation. But it is the first time I've been introduced to the idea of mundane marketing of bands with such pics when they aren't either part of the stage act or presented as a consciously shocking maneuver.
Is Anyone Up? [NSFW] features a lot of self-shot pics, the kind that are typically only seen in public when one's Facebook site is ransacked or one's mobile account is hacked. While they're often presented as being sent in by a third party, often with derogatory statements that became the norm during the MySpace period of social networking, it's quite clear that bands are now using Is Anyone Up? as a platform for self-promotion. And, not surprisingly, groupies and scenesters are also self-promoting via the site.
Site founder Hunter Moore is yet another example of a web entrepreneur building a media property off of crowdsourced content that includes pics posted without the "model's" permission. And, despite the fact that he is a pirate and a parasite, Is Anyone Up? is a compelling project that has grown from pics and comments to add ecommerce and events to the mix.
Conflicting financial figures are floated in the media, which is a smart move given that the more people thinks he makes, the more likely they are to sue. Plus, with events, he's getting into more cash-based revenue streams which opens up a whole new ballgame exposing him to risk beyond the random stabbing by an unwilling "model".
But that's Moore's problem. What's of interest to me in a professional sense is the move for bands to market themselves via Is Anyone Up?:
"Some artists are viewing Is Anyone Up? as a way to get their bands heard — and seen. The 1-year-old site...has posted hundreds of nude photos of band members from the middle and lower echelons of hard rock. The photos are often paired with promotional images from Facebook or the band's own websites."
But it's not just rockstar wannabes, publicists are also beginning to make use of the site:
"Rock publicist Rey Roldan has seen a significant portion of his roster appear on Is Anyone Up? and said 'there have been a few times' in which he was able to turn leaked nude photos of an unknown band into a story. Long-term ramifications? They'll worry about those later, if at all."
Of course, for those whose pics are posted as "revenge" who subsequently become the focus of harassment, the short-term ramifications are bad enough. Though Moore believes he's covered his legal bases, he also states:
"What do I have to defend myself against? It comes down to, you’re fucking stupid and I’m making money off your mistakes."
Which is why, if he gets physically attacked again or shaken down by the mob, I doubt he'll get sympathy from anyone other than his own site groupies.
I do have to wonder about advertisers such as Razor & Tie whose roster includes artists like Dave Barnes, recipient of a Grammy nomination for "God Gave Me You", a country song reaching a notoriously conservative demographic. Especially given that they also have made quite a bit of money off of kid's releases like "Kidz Bop" and the soundtrack for "Alvin and the Chipmunks". Moore may have covered himself legally but Razor & Tie have opened themselves up to what could be a bad situation if someone connects the dots and starts a media campaign against them.
But most advertisers seem to fit the site and most of the people featured either crave the attention or will end up blaming themselves, so Is Anyone Up? looks like a winner until something else comes along that becomes the new exploitative flavor of the month or reaches the next generation.
Hypebot contributor Clyde Smith maintains his freelance writing hub at Flux Research and blogs at All World Dance and This Business of Blogging. To suggest topics for Hypebot, contact: clyde(at)fluxresearch(dot)com.
