There's a particular formula for becoming a YouTube star -- shades funny, shades talented, shades blithely un-self-aware that yields a ridiculously watchable, viral result. So when the internet video's reigning champions went on "America's Got Talent" YouTube Show Wednesday night, we were curious to see how Rebecca Black, Keenan Cahill and early YouTube phenomenon Tay Zonday of "Chocolate Rain" fame would fare. (Other-act-of-the-night Ok Go also performed, but the treadmill-happy band hardly counts as being unseasoned on stage). After all, between the three of them, they've amassed hundreds of millions of views and collaborations with bona fide celebrities, like Katy Perry and 50 Cent.
So did they deliver? Well, it was pretty much as you'd expect. Tay Zonday performed first, singing a refrain from his lower-register song while sitting in a golden throne and looking awfully serious. Keenan Cahill was the worst of the three, despite a much-needed boost from host and singer Nick Cannon, since Cahill's comedy is mostly derived from subtle head shakes and he looked rather uncomfortable commanding a very big stage. And newly home-schooled Rebecca Black, as enthusiastic as she appeared, demonstrated that the auto-tune in the official "Friday" music video was probably a good idea.
What do you think? Were the three YouTube stars as good live as they are in their videos, or does something not quite translate when they are on front center on stage?
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