QT's Diary
Encyclopedia
QT's Diary was a surreal blog
falsely claiming to be the work of film director Quentin Tarantino
. It featured humorous writing mimicking the verbal neurotics of director Tarantino (for example, constant reiteration of the word "alright").
The blog at first seemed genuine but quickly moved into self-referential satire, and "Quentin" began responding to fan mail directed towards him from people reading the blog, most of whom were under the impression that he was, indeed, the real Quentin Tarantino.
http://qtdiary.blogspot.com — Internet Archive'd copy.
The thread on the forum generated a massive number of responses and by a week later QT's Diary had attracted over a million visitors and readers including Roger Avary
(who posted about its validity in his own blog website), numerous journalists, Quentin Tarantino's publicist Bumble Ward and, ultimately, via web print-outs, Quentin himself.
Tarantino gave his blessing to the project and told his publicist that he enjoyed it very much - he thought it was "funny." Meanwhile some fans were not so thrilled. After the initial shock of the blog came the maelstrom of backlash.
Reporters for websites and magazines began to debunk the blog. On film website JoBlo, Berge Garabedian claimed "...we have contacted Bumble Ward and she assures us the blog is a hoax."
Meanwhile, Mrs. Ward enjoyed the blog immensely, claiming, “I've been recommending it to everyone... [but] it’s a fake. The guy is doing a great job though, don’t you think? And truly, I’d hate to ruin his fun. But it’s fake. Quentin hardly knows what a mouse is.”
Soon, "Quentin" grew tired of battling his critics so he turned the blog into a surrealistic crime-drama in which a mobster, a President
and a hacker
all made guest appearances. This lively injection of humor and blatant originality made the page views soar again.
In November, the blog's fictional hacker known as "The Weasel" struck again and deleted the entire blog (but not the Blogger.com account). A message read: "THIS BLOG HAS BEEN HACKED BY THE WEASEL!" A week later the message was gone and the blog was permanently off-line (the account presumably deleted or removed by Blogger). A week after that, a new blog had taken its place - a wacky one-page gardening
blog. However, it soon became apparent that it was just an early form of "viral" storytelling.
On the Internet, the simulation stock market website BlogShares
, which deals in trade on Internet sites, listed QT's Diary as one of the most valued blogs. Even today, having been offline for almost an entire year, its value is high. BlogShares issued a humorous press release dealing with its popularity.
The blog also generated interest on many news sites after "Quentin" posted that he was going to direct the next James Bond movie. Many Bond fan websites picked up the text as a direct press release from the director, and passed it on as official news, until Bumble Ward assured them otherwise.
Blog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
falsely claiming to be the work of film director Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Tarantino
Quentin Jerome Tarantino is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, cinematographer and actor. In the early 1990s, he began his career as an independent filmmaker with films employing nonlinear storylines and the aestheticization of violence...
. It featured humorous writing mimicking the verbal neurotics of director Tarantino (for example, constant reiteration of the word "alright").
The blog at first seemed genuine but quickly moved into self-referential satire, and "Quentin" began responding to fan mail directed towards him from people reading the blog, most of whom were under the impression that he was, indeed, the real Quentin Tarantino.
Blog history
The blog diary was first launched in summer of 2004 and seemed to grow overnight. Hours after the first "diary entry" a random post appeared on the IMDb Quentin Tarantino message board, started by a fan claiming to have met Quentin in a book store in California. The fan claimed that Tarantino gave him the web address for his new blog, which wasThe thread on the forum generated a massive number of responses and by a week later QT's Diary had attracted over a million visitors and readers including Roger Avary
Roger Avary
Roger Avary is a Canadian film and television producer, screenwriter, olive farmer and director in the American mass media industry. He was behind the screenplays of the films Silent Hill and Beowulf...
(who posted about its validity in his own blog website), numerous journalists, Quentin Tarantino's publicist Bumble Ward and, ultimately, via web print-outs, Quentin himself.
Tarantino gave his blessing to the project and told his publicist that he enjoyed it very much - he thought it was "funny." Meanwhile some fans were not so thrilled. After the initial shock of the blog came the maelstrom of backlash.
Reporters for websites and magazines began to debunk the blog. On film website JoBlo, Berge Garabedian claimed "...we have contacted Bumble Ward and she assures us the blog is a hoax."
Meanwhile, Mrs. Ward enjoyed the blog immensely, claiming, “I've been recommending it to everyone... [but] it’s a fake. The guy is doing a great job though, don’t you think? And truly, I’d hate to ruin his fun. But it’s fake. Quentin hardly knows what a mouse is.”
Soon, "Quentin" grew tired of battling his critics so he turned the blog into a surrealistic crime-drama in which a mobster, a President
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
and a hacker
Hacker (computer security)
In computer security and everyday language, a hacker is someone who breaks into computers and computer networks. Hackers may be motivated by a multitude of reasons, including profit, protest, or because of the challenge...
all made guest appearances. This lively injection of humor and blatant originality made the page views soar again.
In November, the blog's fictional hacker known as "The Weasel" struck again and deleted the entire blog (but not the Blogger.com account). A message read: "THIS BLOG HAS BEEN HACKED BY THE WEASEL!" A week later the message was gone and the blog was permanently off-line (the account presumably deleted or removed by Blogger). A week after that, a new blog had taken its place - a wacky one-page gardening
Gardening
Gardening is the practice of growing and cultivating plants. Ornamental plants are normally grown for their flowers, foliage, or overall appearance; useful plants are grown for consumption , for their dyes, or for medicinal or cosmetic use...
blog. However, it soon became apparent that it was just an early form of "viral" storytelling.
In the media
During its short run on the Internet, QT's Diary earned great respect. It was featured in Time Magazine under an article of "celebrity blogs." Although they assured readers it was a fake, they claimed it was brilliant, giving it four stars. (The only one to achieve a full rating from the magazine.)On the Internet, the simulation stock market website BlogShares
BlogShares
BlogShares is an online stock market for blogs, in which participants speculate on the future of individual blogs. The website operates similar to how a real stock exchange works. In BlogShares, blogs are like companies, and inbound links are the assets that drive valuations. When members first...
, which deals in trade on Internet sites, listed QT's Diary as one of the most valued blogs. Even today, having been offline for almost an entire year, its value is high. BlogShares issued a humorous press release dealing with its popularity.
The blog also generated interest on many news sites after "Quentin" posted that he was going to direct the next James Bond movie. Many Bond fan websites picked up the text as a direct press release from the director, and passed it on as official news, until Bumble Ward assured them otherwise.
External links
- http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5820977/
- http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,713215,00.html (subscription required)