2007’s most historical moment has just been sold as an NFT, AKA, a nonfungible token, for over $41,000. The recipient of this heaping sum of money? Chris Crocker, the pop culture phenomenon who went viral after their “Leave Britney Alone” video went from MySpace to YouTube.
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Crocker auctioned off the original “Leave Britney Alone” footage from 2007 as an NFT. When the bidding ended on Monday night, an anonymous cryptocurrency bidder won their piece of mid-2000s pop culture history for 18.69, which translates to $41,000 in physical dollars.
The footage in which Crocker cries and begs the paparazzi and tabloids to “leave Britney alone” not only marks one of the first viral videos on YouTube but also represents how social media and the internet play a role in public opinion and collective thought. Crocker’s video can also be thought of as a small nugget of content as a burgeoning “meme culture” was beginning to take shape.
The “Leave Britney Alone” video is not the first piece of early viral content to be sold as an NFT at a high price. Earlier this year the Nyan Cat meme sold as an NFT for over $600,000.
During an interview with Insider 33-year-old Crocker explains that they chose to sell the video as an NFT as a way to reclaim its significance after the video was consistently parodied and because of the physical backlash they faced afterward.
Crocker shares, “I felt like a lot of people might misconstrue why I wanted to sell it. But the real reason is because I felt like I took a lot of hits — you know, literal hits,” adding that they have been “physically assaulted at gay clubs.” Plus, explaining that they received death threats and felt that the gay community was “embarrassed that I was a representation for them."
The pop-culture figure also explains that they never made any money off the original YouTube video that has now morphed into various versions and parodies at this point. The original video was never monetized on YouTube. By selling the original footage as an NFT, Crocker felt this was their moment to receive “retroactive” funds for the video that drastically changed their life.
Crocker also shared that first and foremost any of the money made from the sale of the NFT would go towards helping their grandmother, but if anything were leftover they would “absolutely put that towards, like, me being able to become myself,” explore their transgender identity, and live openly as a woman, explains Crocker.
The Bristol, Tennessee resident told Insider that they identify as Transgender and has wanted to present as a woman, but does not feel safe doing so in a rural Southern town until they can afford to transition. Crocker shares they are “not picky” with pronouns but typically uses “they/them” pronouns.
Crocker concludes, “And that's why I've always been scared to do the baby steps very slowly, because I was like, well, if I can't afford the full transition, my safety is really gonna be a concern. People are very backward, and I already stick out for being feminine. So I've always thought if I am going to do it and still be here and live around my family, I have to go, like, all the way."
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