Ross Can

Through some obscure searching I came across a video blog of a celebrity (“celebrity” after widely-viewed segments on “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno” and a season of the VH1 Celebreality show, “Celebrity Fit Club”), Ross Mathews. He presents his blog with both written and video-taped sections called “Talkys.” The Talkys are posted on MySpace, YouTube, and ImCooked (dubbed the “YouTube” for cooking fans) and then end up, where I found them, on Ross’s personal blog on NBC.com.

I found the video blogs to be much more entertaining than the written blogs, partly because of the speed. The down-fall of the videos is the noticeable lack of organization. In some cases, Ross seemed flustered as he was multitasking (making lunch, working in the office, chatting with other “blog buddies,” talking to his pets…etc.). I concluded that it’s easier to accomplish an organized thought in writing than talking into a webcam (at the expense of all of the entertainment Ross delivers in person). It’s interesting that he strikes a balance between presenting information and being personable and all the while being a gripping moving box on my computer. He transforms the blog into a conversation and unlike other more distant video blogs I stumbled upon, it is a conversation that you feel included in. Ross has a friendly relationship with his “blog buddies,” greeting them in each message and even apologizing for days where he can’t post.

Ross covers a wide range of topics and apparently everything but the kitchen sink. In one Talky, he apologizes for the previous day’s Talky about bowel movements. He speaks naturally and freely but never strays too far from the topic at hand. He grabs attention with jokes, different voices, and above all volume. He also is careful not to gossip. This made his Talkys more effective for me because… Watching only a few of his videos, I have yet to see Ross tackle any serious subjects. In his regular routine, an out of place serious subject would stand out like a sore thumb and would undeniably be a buzz kill to the overall light mood that he creates. Ross has a hilarious and outgoing personality appealing to mainly women, as I have seen quite a few boys scared away by Ross. Perhaps this is just because of his tweezed eye brows or high pitched voice, but I’ll say that they are overlooking a true comedian.

While I’m still on the rocks about the purpose of a blog or even a video blog, I think that in some cases, and especially Ross, they are essential for those who enjoy talking to let their thoughts escape into the virtual world where interested viewers can then handle them.

Video blogging in my opinion is an interesting behavior process. As viewers we watch as the blogger’s thoughts are forming and words are flowing out all the while striving to reach a thesis. However, Ross has proven that some blogs need no hidden theme or emotional underlying, and sometimes, even no subject!