by Fred Topel
“All I’ve ever done is recycle the hatred and use it to my advantage.”
– Chris Crocker
Chris Crocker was a Britney Spears fan before he made his famous “Leave Britney Alone” video. He grew up following her career and putting her posters on his bedroom wall. He was making YouTube videos in the early days of the video service, but when Spears took heat for a visibly unhealthy “comeback” performance at MTV’s Video Music Awards, Crocker leapt to her defense in a tearful display that made him a celebrity.
Most would think the “Leave Britney Alone” phenomenon would have been the end of it. Everyone gets their 15 minutes. Indeed Crocker is still known largely as the “Leave Britney Alone” Guy nearly five years later, though he’s continued to produce original videos and makes a healthy living from YouTube.
Certainly few would think he’d be the subject of a documentary. Me @ The Zoo is a film about Crocker’s life and career, and it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. The film illuminates Crocker’s difficult life in the south, avoiding violent homophobia and channeling it into an on screen persona. The film explains the YouTube phenomenon and follows the many changes that have developed since the site took off. It also shows Crocker’s less successful endeavors, including a reality TV show that never aired.
Crocker attended Sundance sporting his new look, which the film shows him adopting. Shedding his long blonde hair, Crocker is now a clean cut brunette, though his voice is still distinct, even when he’s not crying and screaming. Crocker met up with me in the festival’s Bing lounge on Main Street in between film screenings and events for the It Gets Better campaign, which also had a presence at the film festival.
Read our exclusive interview with Chris Crocker on SuicideGirls.com.
