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Kevin Antoine Dodson (born June 27, 1984) is an American
Internet celebrity An Internet celebrity (also known as a social media influencer, social media personality, internet personality, or simply influencer) is a celebrity who has acquired or developed their fame and notability through the Internet. The rise of socia ...
, singer, and actor. In 2010, while a resident of the Lincoln Park
housing project Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is usually owned by a government authority, either central or local. Although the common goal of public housing is to provide affordable housing, the details, terminology, d ...
in
Huntsville, Alabama Huntsville is a city in Madison County, Limestone County, and Morgan County, Alabama, United States. It is the county seat of Madison County. Located in the Appalachian region of northern Alabama, Huntsville is the most populous city in th ...
, he gave an interview on local television news prompted by the report of an alleged
home invasion A home invasion, also called a hot prowl burglary, is a sub-type of burglary (or in some jurisdictions, a separately defined crime) in which an offender unlawfully enters into a building residence while the occupants are inside. The overarching i ...
and attempted rape of his sister. The interview became an Internet sensation and resulted in the " Bed Intruder Song," an
Auto-Tune Auto-Tune (or autotune) is an audio processor introduced in 1996 by American company Antares Audio Technologies. Auto-Tune uses a proprietary device to measure and alter pitch in vocal and instrumental music recording and performances. Auto-T ...
d song by
The Gregory Brothers The Gregory Brothers are an American musical quartet, specializing in comedy music and pitch correction through their YouTube channel Schmoyoho (). After the success of their songs 'Chrissy Wake Up' and 'It's Corn' in the summer of 2022, NPR r ...
that sold thousands of copies on iTunes and appeared on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 list.


Interview

Dodson was interviewed on July 28, 2010, by Elizabeth Gentle, a reporter for
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters ...
affiliate Affiliation or affiliate may refer to: * Affiliate (commerce), a legal form of entity relationship used in Business Law * Affiliation (family law), a legal form of family relationship * Affiliate marketing * Affiliate network or affiliation pla ...
WAFF-48 News, after an alleged intruder attempted to rape his sister in her second-story bedroom, in Huntsville's Lincoln Park
housing projects Public housing is a form of housing tenure in which the property is usually owned by a government authority, either central or local. Although the common goal of public housing is to provide affordable housing, the details, terminology, d ...
. The account was later contradicted by the now-named "rapist", Rashaad Cooper, who at the time was never identified to the police by the Dodsons or charged for the incident. The video of the interview caught attention because of the passionate and flamboyant style of his delivery, speaking directly to the camera, in which he directly addressed his neighborhood's residents as well as the attempted rapist, and his use of
vernacular A vernacular or vernacular language is in contrast with a "standard language". It refers to the language or dialect that is spoken by people that are inhabiting a particular country or region. The vernacular is typically the native language, n ...
. The reactions were mixed. Some local viewers phoned the television station to complain that interviews with people such as Dodson reflected poorly on the community, whereupon the station defended broadcasting the interview by stating that censoring such people is far worse. Jonathan Capehart, editorial page writer for ''
The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large n ...
'', wrote that Dodson became an instant Internet sensation because "in this age of fake reality TV, he puts the real in reality", to which he later added that Dodson "is one of the strongest people we’ve seen in a while".


"Bed Intruder Song" and rise to fame

The video of Dodson's television interview gained sudden popularity and then inspired several musical
remix A remix (or reorchestration) is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, video, poem, or photograph can all be remixes. The o ...
es, including a video by musical group
The Gregory Brothers The Gregory Brothers are an American musical quartet, specializing in comedy music and pitch correction through their YouTube channel Schmoyoho (). After the success of their songs 'Chrissy Wake Up' and 'It's Corn' in the summer of 2022, NPR r ...
, known as the " Bed Intruder Song". The song was a huge success and eventually reached number 89 on ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...
s Hot 100 list. The popularity of the song inspired many covers and remixes, including a punk rock version by a team formed by
Hayley Williams Hayley Nichole Williams (born December 27, 1988) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and businesswoman who is best known as the lead vocalist, primary songwriter, and keyboardist of the rock band Paramore. Born and raised in Missi ...
of
Paramore Paramore is an American rock band from Franklin, Tennessee, formed in 2004. The band currently consists of lead vocalist Hayley Williams, guitarist Taylor York and drummer Zac Farro. Williams and Farro are founding members of the group, w ...
, Jordan Pundik of
New Found Glory New Found Glory (formerly A New Found Glory) is an American rock band from Coral Springs, Florida, formed in 1997. The band currently consists of Jordan Pundik (lead vocals), Ian Grushka (bass guitar), Chad Gilbert (lead guitar, backing vo ...
, and Ethan Luck of
Relient K Relient K is an American rock band formed in 1998 in Canton, Ohio, by Matt Thiessen, Matt Hoopes, and Brian Pittman Board Message during the band members' third year in high school and their time at Malone University. The band is named a ...
and musician Tony Lucca. Dodson was interviewed for the ''Today Show'' on NBC on August 31, 2010, about his newfound Web superstardom. On the program, Dodson's YouTube video was called "one of the most watched online videos ever", with the hosts noting it had already been viewed more than 16 million times as of that date. Dodson has appeared on radio shows in Australia, has fans in London and is widely recognized in his hometown of Huntsville. Dodson had launched a website in which he asks for donations to assist his family in moving "out of the hood". The money, as well as money from sales of "Bed Intruder Song" on iTunes and merchandise such as
T-shirts A T-shirt (also spelled tee shirt), or tee, is a style of fabric shirt named after the T shape of its body and sleeves. Traditionally, it has short sleeves and a round neckline, known as a '' crew neck'', which lacks a collar. T-shirts are genera ...
, went to helping his family buy a new home and setting up a foundation for
Type 1 diabetes Type 1 diabetes (T1D), formerly known as juvenile diabetes, is an autoimmune disease that originates when cells that make insulin (beta cells) are destroyed by the immune system. Insulin is a hormone required for the cells to use blood sugar f ...
, a disease that has afflicted both his sister and his mother. In August 2010, Dodson noted the irony of having "a hit on iTunes, but we're still in the projects"; one month later, ''
Us Weekly ''Us Weekly'' is a weekly celebrity and entertainment magazine based in New York City. ''Us Weekly'' was founded in 1977 by The New York Times Company, who sold it in 1980. It was acquired by Wenner Media in 1986, and sold to American Media Inc ...
'' reported that Dodson had made enough money from the song to move his family out of the projects to a better house. In September 2010, the Gregory Brothers reported that they had sold more than 250,000 copies of "Bed Intruder Song" on iTunes. In October 2010, Dodson performed "Bed Intruder Song" with Michael Gregory of
The Gregory Brothers The Gregory Brothers are an American musical quartet, specializing in comedy music and pitch correction through their YouTube channel Schmoyoho (). After the success of their songs 'Chrissy Wake Up' and 'It's Corn' in the summer of 2022, NPR r ...
at the 2010
BET Hip Hop Awards The BET Hip Hop Awards are an annual awards show, airing on BET, showcasing hip hop performers, producers and music video directors. The awards ceremony began in 2006; it was held on November 12, 2006 at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia, a ...
. Excluding major label music videos, Dodson's song was the most viewed YouTube video of 2010. It was chosen as the "Meme of the Year" in the 2010 Urlies – both as the People's Choice and the Editors' Choice – while the original video of Dodson's television interview was the "Video of the Year" – People's Choice. He was also featured in a segment on '' Lopez Tonight'' singing a "Chimney Intruder" song about
Santa Claus Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...
, and on '' Tosh.0'' for a "Web Redemption". In the episode "Dancing with the Stools" on ''
The Cleveland Show ''The Cleveland Show'' is an American animated sitcom created by Seth MacFarlane, Richard Appel, and Mike Henry (voice actor), Mike Henry for the Fox Broadcasting Company. A Spin-off (media), spin-off of ''Family Guy'', the series centers on Cle ...
'', Dodson is referenced when Roberta, Cleveland's stepdaughter, enters the kitchen wearing Antoine's famous bandana and says "Rallo, you are so dumb, you are really dumb, for real". Also, in episode "B.M.O.C.", Roberta states "Hide your kids, hide your wife didn't go to college" when listing famous people that didn't go to college. In episode 2 of ''
Jay Park TV The videography of Korean-American singer Jay Park consists of fifteen music videos, six ''Jay Park TV'' webisodes, two films and several appearances on television programs, including ''Saturday Freedom#Immortal Songs 2, Immortal Songs 2'' and ''S ...
'',
Korean-American Korean Americans are Americans of Korean ancestry (mostly from South Korea). In 2015, the Korean-American community constituted about 0.56% of the United States population, or about 1.82 million people, and was the fifth-largest Asian America ...
singer
Jay Park Jay Park ( Korean name: Park Jae-beom (Hangul: 박재범; Hanja: 朴載範); born April 25, 1987) is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, dancer and entrepreneur of based in South Korea. He is a member of the Seattle-based ...
mimics Dodson while wearing a makeshift bandana. Dodson plays a cameo role in the
Tyler Perry Tyler Perry (born Emmitt Perry Jr., September 13, 1969) is an American actor, comedian, filmmaker, and playwright. He is the creator and performer of the Madea character, a tough elderly woman. Perry's films vary in style from orthodox filmmak ...
movie '' A Madea Christmas'' saying a part of his line from his television interview during an interview at the end of the movie.


Business ventures

Dodson has capitalized on the success of "Bed Intruder Song". His first venture was a line of T-shirts and merchandise featuring the original album art from the iTunes release sold through zazzle.com. After a licensing dispute between the artist, the photographer, and his manager, he launched a storefront through districtlines.com with an unrelated line of merchandise. Since then he has authorized entrepreneur Fam Mirza for the creation and sale of a "Bed Intruder Costume" for
Halloween Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration geography of Halloween, observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. ...
2010 and endorsed a "Sex Offender Tracker"
smartphone A smartphone is a portable computer device that combines mobile telephone and computing functions into one unit. They are distinguished from feature phones by their stronger hardware capabilities and extensive mobile operating systems, whic ...
application for the iPhone and
Android Android may refer to: Science and technology * Android (robot), a humanoid robot or synthetic organism designed to imitate a human * Android (operating system), Google's mobile operating system ** Bugdroid, a Google mascot sometimes referred to ...
platforms. In late December 2010, Dodson was featured in a commercial advertising the new '' Tosh.0'' season. On January 21, 2011, MSN announced that Dodson was filming a pilot episode for a reality show, featuring Dodson and his family as they move from Huntsville to Los Angeles, California. In November 2014, Dodson participated in a celebrity boxing match, hosted by
Kato Kaelin Brian Gerard Kaelin (born March 9, 1959), known as Kato Kaelin, is an American actor and radio and television personality, who was a witness in the O. J. Simpson murder case. Early life and education Kaelin was born on March 9, 1959, in Milwau ...
, against "bedroom intruder" Cooper. Dodson won in the first round. On September 24, 2022, Dodson plans to launch his own beer called "Run N’ Tell That" in partnership with Hunstville brewery Straight to Ale.


Personal life

Dodson grew up in Chicago, and moved to Huntsville in 2004, where he attended Virginia College, working on an associate degree in business administration. He also worked as a hairstylist. Antoine Dodson is the oldest of nine children. In an online Q&A video with fans, he answered questions regarding his sexuality: "Am I bisexual? No. Gay? Yes." In an interview with CBS, Dodson told
Shira Lazar Shira Lazar (born May 6, 1983) is a Canadian television personality, actress, writer, and video blogger who currently resides and works in Los Angeles. Lazar's writing has been featured on Hollywood.com, CBSNEWS.com, MSN.com, and others, and s ...
that he had been a rape victim in the past. In May 2013, Dodson announced through Facebook that he has become a Black Hebrew Israelite, is "no longer into homosexuality" and that he wants "a wife and family". Dodson and his wife announced her pregnancy in September 2013. In May 2014, they had a son. Dodson drew criticism shortly after when discussing the possibility of his son being gay. Although professing unconditional support, he included the phrase "if he couldn't be fixed". In September 2015, in a video posted to his YouTube channel, Antoine apologized to the LGBT community for his statements. In an interview in April 2018 with BET, Dodson identified himself as a bisexual man, saying, "I don't know what the future will hold for me." Dodson also said he enjoyed working at Huntsville City Schools, where his nephews and nieces were enrolled, especially after having earned a license to become a substitute teacher.


Discography


Singles

*2010: " Bed Intruder Song" (
The Gregory Brothers The Gregory Brothers are an American musical quartet, specializing in comedy music and pitch correction through their YouTube channel Schmoyoho (). After the success of their songs 'Chrissy Wake Up' and 'It's Corn' in the summer of 2022, NPR r ...
, Antoine Dodson, and Kelly Dodson) *2011: "Gucci Bag" (Lady G featuring Antoine Dodson) *2012: "Lovesick Lullaby" (featuring Brent Morgan)


References


External links

*
Antoine Dodson
at Cameo {{DEFAULTSORT:Dodson, Antoine 1986 births Actors from Huntsville, Alabama African-American musicians Bisexual men Black Hebrew Israelite people Internet memes LGBT African Americans American LGBT musicians LGBT people from Illinois Living people Musicians from Huntsville, Alabama Musicians from Chicago Bisexual musicians 20th-century LGBT people 21st-century LGBT people 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American people pt:Anexo:Lista de fenômenos da Internet#Antoine Dodson