LOS ANGELES — Chris Crocker has minted his viral “Leave Britney Alone” clip as an NFT and listed the artwork with the Foundation app, where the auction launched with an anonymous 10 $ETH (approximately $21,300 USD) bid.
“Is the world ready?” he tweeted.
Crocker is the 2019 XBIZ Cam Awards winner for “Social Media Influencer” and a 2021 XBIZ Awards nominee for “Premium Social Media Star of the Year.”
“‘Leave Britney Alone’ was uploaded to YouTube on September 10, 2007,” noted Crocker in the auction description. “Within 24 hours it had garnered over 2 million views [and] 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 grandparents’ bedroom. I had no idea the impact its message would have; years later, maybe society is finally starting to get it,” he continued. “Own a part of internet and pop culture history!”
The move has prompted tech and media reporters to wonder if other viral memes will be minted in a similar manner.
“Of course, the ones who were silent when I was mocked, threatened, assaulted and ridiculed for years will have a an issue with me selling ‘LBA’ as an NFT and quite frankly they can kiss the entirety of my ass,” Crocker wrote.
Follow the auction here, which is set to close later today, and follow Foundation on Twitter.