CHANEL LALLOUZ: Who is WHAT THE BUCK & Michael Buckley? Are they one & the same?
MICHAEL BUCKLEY: I'd like to say that WHAT THE BUCK is an extreme version of Michael Buckley. In real life I'm definitely not that mean, that bitchy, maybe that gay... No, I probably am! No, WHAT THE BUCK show is a scripted comedic show making fun of celebrities, and me being jerky. In real life I'm a little more soft spoken. I'm a little less opinionated. I'm a little less judgmental. I enjoy scripting the WHAT THE BUCK show, just being all like "Hey, WHAT THE BUCK! This person is an A-hole, WHAT THE BUCK! I can't believe she did this, what a jerk!” You know, calling people out and stuff. But in real life, I'm much less confrontational. So... there's a difference. You know, some people might not see it when they meet me. They might be like, "Wow, he's nothing like that!" And then some people will be like, "Yeah, that little bitch... he's one in the same." I guess you'll have to judge for yourself!
CHANEL LALLOUZ: What actually inspired you to start your channel on YouTube?
MICHAEL BUCKLEY: I actually knew nothing about YouTube when my first video was posted. I was doing a public access show in town in the Summer of 2006, and my cousin took one of the clips and posted it on YouTube and a couple of people saw it, and I ended up putting it on my MySpace page, and a couple of people said, "Hey, you're really funny, you should do this more.” So it went from being an occasional thing, to once a month thing, to a once a week thing, to a five time a week thing. Now I've cut back to approximately a three time a week thing. But it was strange, because for the first year, I didn't even have a YouTube account. He just posted them on his account, and I really didn't even know how YouTube worked. It was very strange. I didn't even have high-speed internet when this whole thing started. So, I really was not necessarily inspired to be on YouTube. Now, I certainly am. But back in the first couple of months, I really had no idea what it was and what I was getting in for.
There are a great deal of personalities out there, but none as unique and impressive as Michael Buckley. Creator of the 'What The Buck Show’, Buckley is affectionally referred to as ‘Buck’ by his YouTube subscribers and audience.
The 'What The Buck Show’ comes to life on computer monitors worldwide, making Buck Hollywood just as popular as any television series, if not better! With over 280,000 subscribers, and more than 90 million views, the ‘What The Buck Show’ is the top rated show on the entire YouTube network. Buckley effortlessly pulls it off time and again, week after week. His dedication is evident in his one man show... the scripting, the preparation, the editing. He’s got a quick tongue, witty sense of humour, and a style all his own!
The GL AWARD recognizes leadership qualities for ‘Contributorship’ to the following categories: Arts & Entertainment, Politics, Journalism & Literature, Film, and Philanthropy.
Exclusive LIM Interview with Chanel Emmanuelle Lallouz
MICHAEL BUCKLEY: (Acceptance Speech)
“I would like to thank everyone at LALLOUZ INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE for giving me this award! I LOVE awards! This is the second award I've ever won, so I'm super excited. I actually, you know, ‘trophy shelf’... 6th grade soccer trophy, YouTube Best Commentary Award, and this is going to go RIGHT NEXT TO IT with a big spotlight on it!
So thank you so much for thinking of me, and considering me. And you guys have a great website, so it means a lot to me that you reached out to me to give me this award. And thank you to all my subscribers and viewers on YouTube who have made all of this possible. Thank you to everybody over at the BUCK HOLLYWOOD forum who hang out everyday, and chat with me, and you know, make it so much fun for me. And yeah... thank you to Jesus... aren't I suppose to say that? Thank you to Oprah... Tyra... American Idol for all the material! And, my husband and four dogs. WHAT THE BUCK!”
MICHAEL BUCKLEY
On behalf of LALLOUZ INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE, Junior Copy Editress, Chanel Emmanuelle Lallouz, takes great pleasure in awarding this year’s GL Award ‘for Contributorship to the Arts & Entertainment’ to... Mr. Michael Buckley! Congratulations, Buck!
CHANEL LALLOUZ: Did you ever imagine it would be so popular?
MICHAEL BUCKLEY: I kind of think I did, because I really believed in the show, and I thought it was really funny. I thought there would be a good audience for it online. I had no idea that I would get the amount of subscribers and the number of views that I got... over the last two years, but at the same time, I did believe in it. I kind of put it out there to the universe. Like you know, I definitely wasn't somebody who just posted videos haphazardly, and was like... “Yeah, maybe a couple of people will see this, and that would be cool.” I definitely wanted to build a large audience and a large subscriber base. So, did I imagine that it would become so popular? Yes and no. You know I mean, it's very surprising and wonderful. But at the same time, I definitely wanted it, and you know, could see it coming.
CHANEL LALLOUZ: In your opinion, what's HOT and what's NOT in Hollywood?
MICHAEL BUCKLEY: Well, I live in New England on the east coast. Complete opposite of Hollywood. So I really don't think I'm an expert on what's hot, not hot in Hollywood. I just you know, read PEOPLE magazine just like all of you. I don't know! Jonas Brothers are really HOT. Britney Spears, not so hot. You know anybody knows what's hot and what's not. Just read one of those magazines. I don't know, I'm really not an expert in anything... except eyewear.
CHANEL LALLOUZ: Talk about Lips & Ears ‘your segment with Fox News’.
MICHAEL BUCKLEY: I was very lucky, because the host of Lips and Ears, Courtney, had seen me on YouTube and had emailed me and said she liked my videos. And then in September of 2007, she had written to me and said, "Hey, would you like to come on the show sometime? I'll have my producer contact you." So I went into New York, and I did an appearance on Lips and Ears, and within an hour I got a call from them saying, "Hey, can you do this every week?" So I was like, "WOW!" I knew it went really well. I was really excited, and since then, I've been a recurring guest on the show many times. And, they ask me to do little 30 second rants every week. So, as much as I can do them, I like to contribute. It's great for me, because it airs on the FOX news channel which is cable network, so a lot of people see it. Yeah, it's a good experience.
The GL AWARD for ‘Contributorship to the Arts & Entertainment’ will find a home next to Buckley’s ‘YouTube Award for Best Commentary’. Michael Buckley aka “Buck Hollywood” has got the spice and flavour that make him one of the hottest YouTube sensations. One of the most ‘subscribed to’ YouTube Channel, Buck will give you the lowdown in celebrity news and gossip.
CHANEL LALLOUZ: Most embarrassing moment, and most gratifying moment?
MICHAEL BUCKLEY: Online or in real life? In real life or online? My most embarrassing moment... I've had a couple of videos that were definitely clunkers. I'm trying to think... well, I mean my most popular video, it’s so embarrassing is my ‘Two Girls One Cup’ reaction on my other channel (Peron75). It has almost 7... 8 million hits of me just screaming watching porn. So, I mean, as wonderful and gratifying as it is to have 8 million views, it’s a little sad that all the work that goes into scripting the WHAT THE BUCK show, and all the hours of filming and editing and whatever, and then my most popular video is me reacting to porn. So, I find that both embarrassing and gratifying!
CHANEL LALLOUZ: Do you ever think there will be a gay US president?
MICHAEL BUCKLEY: Do I ever think... I definitely think there will be a gay US president. We probably already had one, and just didn't know it! You know, why would I say, "Oh, no there’ll never be a gay US president”. Because... never say never! I'm not sure in my lifetime, if an openly homosexual living male of female will be elected president, but definitely at some point, I imagine a gay US president. You know, I'm a dreamer. I'm a big dreamer, so I'm putting it out there!
CHANEL LALLOUZ: Who do you think is going to win the next presidential election?
MICHAEL BUCKLEY: I can't believe you're asking me about politics?! I don't like to talk about politics on the WHAT THE BUCK show. I like to talk about Britney Spears' crotch. Who do I think will win the next presidential elections? Just like Hillary Clinton said, "WE MUST ELECT BARACK OBAMA!" Did you believe what she was saying? That was so funny, it was like this very rhythmical... you don't know what I'm talking about, do you? "WE MUST ELECT BARACK OBAMA!"
CHANEL LALLOUZ: Any political aspirations of your own?
MICHAEL BUCKLEY: ABSOLUTELY NOT! Unless they have a mayor of YouTube, then I'm happy to run and represent my people... but, NO THANK YOU!
CHANEL LALLOUZ: Favourite Broadway show?
MICHAEL BUCKLEY: This has got to be the hardest question! My favorite broadway show... I have every broadway CD, I've seen so many shows on Broadway. I guess I should have a set answer, because I get asked this all the time. But, I love so many shows. I love ‘Wicked’. I love ‘Avenue Q’. I love ‘Caroline, Or Change’. I love ‘Light In The Piazza’. I love ‘Aspects Of Love’, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s show. I love this small musical called ‘John & Jen’ that was probably never on Broadway. I love ‘A New Brain’, which was never on Broadway, off Broadway. I love so many musicals, and I know when I stop talking, I'm just going to remember... something is just going to pop into my head. But, I love so many... I love Sondheim. I love everything Sondheim. I love ‘Into The Woods’. I love ‘A Little Night Music.’ I love... I love it! You can't ask me this question. I'm done. I'm done! I'm NOT answering this question! I love Broadway.
THE NAKED KNEE
CHANEL LALLOUZ: Favourite sport?
MICHAEL BUCKLEY: I have a tie for favorite sport between gymnastics and figure skating, because I have one winter Olympic sport, and one summer Olympic sport. Growing up, I was obsessed with gymnastics. I have every gymnastic competition on tape since, like 1985. I used to tape it, watch it over and over. And, I love figure skating. Since around '88, I've been obsessed with figure skating. So, I'm a big fan of both sports. I really keep up with them, and I'm super excited its the summer Olympic year. GO USA! But, I love the Olympics. I've always been a person who... I love seeing people train for something their whole life, and it comes down to that one moment. It really gets my adrenaline going, so I'm a HUGE Olympic sports person. I'm going to watch, I watch the whole summer Olympics, pretty much every sport. Maybe not one or two... but, don't want to disparage them, ‘cause, you know... they work hard too!
CHANEL LALLOUZ: Why the 'naked knee'?
MICHAEL BUCKLEY: I don't even remember how the naked knee started! OH, I know how it started! There was a picture of me in the paper, and so people saw that I was wearing a blazer and shorts. Because, I always film in a blazer and shorts... because it’s so hot with all the lights on. So, after the article came out, someone was like, "Do you really have shorts on? Let's see your knee." So I brought up my knee, and people were like, "Oh, he really does just... he’s sitting there in a sports coat, and boxer shorts, or you know... shorts.” And so, it just became like a funny little joke at the end of the show... like, "Hey, you want some of this?" So, I've always been lately showing my knees. And if I don't, people are like, "Why didn't you show your knee?" And I'm like... OKAY. So, it’s a little running joke... in running shorts.
CHANEL LALLOUZ: Your mugs & t-shirts... how can fans get hold of these things?
MICHAEL BUCKLEY: I sell these mugs and t-shirts on the CafePress site. I'm trying to come up with another means of merchandising. ‘Cause you know, I don't really make any money from this. I’ve made VERY LITTLE MONEY and sold quite a bit of these. I love this mug though, it’s a great mug. So you can get these at... there's under BuckHollywood.com, under links, there's a link to all these. The mug is highly recommended! It's a great mug, and it’s cute little art work. So, you can go under BuckHollywood.com links, and there's t-shirts, and mugs, and wall clocks, and mouse pads, and cute things. So, yeah, cool.
CHANEL LALLOUZ: What's the next level for Michael Buckley/Buck Hollywood?
MICHAEL BUCKLEY: I think I've reached a very high level on the internet, and I do believe that's where my future is. People are always talking about going for mainstream success. And I do believe that I built my audience, and my success online. And I do believe that my future will continue to be an online video. Side things continue to come up, in TV and radio that I will continue to pursue. But at the same time, I do believe my home base will always be the internet. And, that my greatest success, will continue to be on the internet. I am developing something for TV, separate from WHAT THE BUCK that I am working at, so hopefully you'll hear about that soon. And yeah, who knows though? I'm always open to ideas. But again, I know where my core audience is. Like I said, I belong online! I do believe that. If other things come up... great. But, I belong online.
CHANEL LALLOUZ: Message for the generation of the future?
MICHAEL BUCKLEY: I would just love to tell the generation of the future to believe in yourself, and if you have a dream, go for it. But don't be surprised if you're 30 years old, and something comes up, and it changes your whole life. Because honestly, that's what happened for me! The best thing that has come out of all of this, is that I'm 33 now, but at 30 years old, to kind of figure out what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. And it happened accidently, and it happened in this new medium that I knew nothing about, and suddenly this is where I'm thriving and working. And it’s crazy! So, I mean, don't be surprised if life takes you in a direction that you didn't plan on. And when it does, just enjoy it, because that's what I'm doing. About a year ago, I could have stopped and I could’ve been like, "Yeah, I did well... it’s time to move on.” But I really believed in it, and I believed that bigger things would come of it. And now, a year later, it has. And so, just find something you love doing. I didn't even know I loved writing. I didn't even know I loved any of this! And now, this is what I love doing... so, WOW! Like I said, that's the best thing. So, generation of the future, you know... get an education, and you know, pick a life path, and then don't be surprised if your life path goes somewhere else, and then, just enjoy it! Make the most of it.
CHANEL LALLOUZ: Any plans for a WHAT THE BUCK doll?
MICHAEL BUCKLEY: Just because I like to play with dolls, doesn't mean I want to be doll! But, can you imagine if there was a little WHAT THE BUCK doll? Little shorts, little blazer, and the glasses. I think that would be really cute. You could like, you know... "WHAT THE BUCK. WHAT THE BUCK. Britney Spears is a skank! WHAT THE BUCK!"
Michael Buckley is an American internet celebrity based in Connecticut, USA. He has one of YouTube's most subscribed channels with several million viewers each month. In October 2007, Buckley broke all records of YouTube ratings when 4 of his shows ended up on the week’s 10 top rated videos. Visit www.youtube.com/WhatTheBuckShow and
SEE GL AWARD WINNER MICHAEL BUCKLEY IN AN EXCLUSIVE LIM MEDIA INTERVIEW.
PAINTING OF “THE GL AWARD” BY ELYAHOU LALLOUZ
Past Recipients of ‘The GL Award’ Series include: Luigi De Laurentiis, Dean J. Trantalis, Dr. Guy Harvey,
Michael Putney, Arturo Sandoval, Governor Charlie Crist, to name a few.
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Art Prodigy, Teen Philanthropist, Award Winning Student Film Director of HOMELESS EASTER, Ambassador for Artists for Charities, and creator of “PUT YOUR 2¢ IN” feedback column, LIM Junior Copy Editress, Chanel Emmanuelle Lallouz is pedigreed on the prestigious National Honor Roll. Her repertoire, greater than 200 paintings, continues to thrive. Visit www.chanellallouz.com
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