There’s a new celebrity in Bitcoin Town and it’s Naomi Brockwell, the star of the Moving Picture Institute’s new music video “Bitcoin Girl”, which parodies the Billy Joel song “Uptown Girl”.
Bitcoin Girl is an interesting composition of Bitcoin culture along with amusing lyrics that use the original melody to tell a similar story. The video and song contain memes and jargon common in Bitcoin culture, and even has a nod to Dogecoin (with the Shiba Inu meme dog showing up in the video to say “Wow”).
For those unfamiliar with this sensation, take a moment to look at it now.
Brockwell says she got into Bitcoin through one of her roommates who was trading bitcoins himself. Having someone within reach who actively participates in the Bitcoin culture gave Brockwell a glimpse into the technology and attracted it.
In fact, this sense of amazement led her to partner with the Moving Picture Institute (MPI) to produce Bitcoin Girl. MPI, Brockwell explains, is dedicated to promoting freedom through film and online content, and this fits well with the possibilities that Bitcoin offers. Brockwell works full-time for the MPI as the institute’s program officer.
Cleaning up the public image of Bitcoin
One of the first things she discovered about Bitcoin is that amazement at the technology has been somewhat weakened, beyond the appearances cast by cryptocurrency luminaries. The outside world has a tough view of cryptocurrencies and Bitcoin in general; tales of doom and darkness often cast the coin in the mainstream media. She points to a Reason-Rupe poll (quoted in her TheHill-Op-ed) which showed that only 8% of respondents knew what a bitcoin is and over 56% wanted the government to ban it.
The FBI bust of the Silk Road, an online black market for drugs and other interesting inventory, and its alleged operator Ross William Ulbricht, aka the Dread Pirate Roberts, went hand in hand with a strong Bitcoin lead that linked cryptocurrency to crime. Earlier this year, the media reported the arrest of BitInstant CEO Charlie Shrem in connection with money laundering and the bankruptcy on the Silk Road – a criminal activity guard dogs pointed out early in Bitcoin’s life. The bankruptcy of Mt. Gox, once the Bitcoin note exchange, resulted in a lot of media ink showing what would look like instability in the Bitcoin market.
Much of these dark clouds on the news did little to detract from Bitcoin adoption and community growth. News companies continue to offer Bitcoin options to customers like Dell. News about longtime Bitcoin-related charities like Sean’s Outpost is overwhelmed by the more sensational elements of the technology.
“When you work in the Bitcoin world, you don’t notice that there is a lot of negative information. The BTC community is a very positive business community, ”says Brockwell. But, she added, the gap becomes apparent when you include outside parties.
Some people she spoke to outside of Bitcoin circles thought Bitcoin was dead. “That was a real wake-up call,” says Brockwell.
Education is key to Bitcoin advocacy
Between Bitcoin Girl and MPI, she hopes to advocate Bitcoin through public relations and education. Eventually she found curiosity and interest in the subject simply by being exposed to the culture and gaining an understanding of the underlying technology. She believes this can be done for the whole population as well and that it would counter much of the negative press that is popping up in the mainstream.
Focusing on mainstream media education and the population at large, argues Brockwell, is also extremely important because of the upcoming legislation.
To keep up with Brockwell’s work, visit BitcoinGirl.com and keep living in this Bitcoin world.
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