Bed Intruder Song

2010

Date: 31 July 2010 · Place: Huntsville, Alabama, original WAFF 48 News broadcast · Figures: Antoine Dodson, interview subject · Kelly Dodson, sister · The Gregory Brothers (Michael, Andrew, Evan, Sarah Fullen) · Tags: Autotune Remix, News Clip Viral, Race And Virality 01. A Local News Interview On 28 July 2010 WAFF 48 News in Huntsville, Alabama broadcasts an interview with Antoine Dodson after an intruder enters his sister Kelly's bedroom. Dodson, animated and direct to camera, warns the assailant. The clip is uploaded to YouTube the same day. Three days later the Gregory Brothers release an autotuned musical version. The song reaches number 89 on the Billboard Hot 100, the first viral autotuned news clip to chart. 02. Revenue Sharing And Critique The Gregory Brothers split iTunes revenue with Dodson, who uses the proceeds to move his family out of public housing. Dodson is open about the financial arrangement in subsequent interviews. The artifact is also a frequent reference point in media-studies discussion of the racial dynamics of viral news clips in the period, particularly the editing of Black interviewees into spectacle. The song's commercial success and Dodson's stated benefit complicate but do not erase the critique. Sources • KnowYourMeme, 'Bed Intruder Song' • The Gregory Brothers, 'Bed Intruder Song' (iTunes release, 31 July 2010) • The Awl, 'How Antoine Dodson Got Paid' (16 August 2010)