“Internet hoax is real deal for UNC graduate” |
| Internet hoax is real deal for UNC graduate Posted: 13 Aug 2010 06:09 PM PDT Elyse Porterfield, shown in a picture from www.thechive.com, struck Internet gold with her "whiteboard" performance. She is a former Greeley resident and graduate of the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley. Photo from www.thechive.com On the Web Check out Elyse Porterfield's portrayal of the "I Quit" woman at thechive.com. You can also find her on Facebook. Elyse Porterfield was mostly known for her resemblance to Angelina Jolie before she answered an ad for an Internet hoax. Porterfield, who graduated from the University of Northern Colorado in May, even made the front page of People magazine's website for that resemblance. Now everyone wants to talk to her for her portrayal of the "I Quit" woman on TheChive, a viral Internet site. "These last 48 hours have been absolutely crazy," said her sister, Ashley, a sophomore at UNC and Elyse's press agent for the moment. "It's grown so fast. We can't believe it." When we say everyone, we mean EVERYONE. Even us. Though we're not Jay Leno, who apparently is in a bidding war with shows such as "Good Morning America" to get her first, Ashley said. Ashley said her family had to turn off the phones and computers and leave their Glenwood Springs home to escape all the calls and messages. Elyse had been in L.A. only since June and was an unknown as recently as Monday when thechive.com posted pictures of a woman named "Jenny" who quit through a series of comments written on a dry erase board after she overheard her boss refer to her as a "HOPA" (and we're not telling you what that means, Urban Dictionary can do that for you). But it was her fresh face that helped Elyse get the job on Aug. 3 because it made the hoax believable. The photo shoot was Aug. 5, Ashley said. On Wednesday, TheChive revealed it was a hoax, and that's when the rabid attention shifted to Elyse. Elyse was excited about the gig, Ashley said, because, like many aspiring actresses in L.A., she'd been turned down a lot lately, but no one thought the photo shoot would be that big of a deal. Elyse was more excited about a part in an independent movie, even if it doesn't have a name yet. Thousands of Facebook friend requests and the clamoring of just about every talk show later, everyone knows Elyse. "She's just so grateful and happy," Ashley said, "and she's a bit overwhelmed." TheChive had pulled off minor hoaxes before, but this one struck a nerve, probably because of the economic climate, and it was released nearly the same time flight attendant Steven Slater quit his job by grabbing a beer and jumping out of the plane on an inflatable slide. The public's always been a little fascinated with the "Take This Job And Shove It" mentality (remember the song?), mostly because most of us don't have the guts to actually say that to our bosses but occasionally wish we could. "I really think this was a clear example of right place, right time," said David Grapes, director of the School of Theater, Arts and Dance at UNC. "It's funny what registers with people and what doesn't." Grapes said UNC's theater instructors talk to their students about using the Internet as a way to market themselves. Elyse's instant success shows how powerful it is now. "We talk to them all the time about getting themselves up on YouTube and how to create a Web site or a project," he said. "But we have lots of students with projects on the Internet. You can put 2,000 videos on YouTube and no one watches it, and then you put something up that strikes a nerve, and this one just blew through the roof. It's a great opportunity for her." Most of the attention was positive, though someone made a Facebook page saying Elyse was "ugly" because of the hoax. Regardless, Ashley and Grapes both said they hope this leads to a strong, well-connected agent for Elyse, as those are extremely hard to get in L.A. That could lead to roles on TV and in movies, which is Elyse's ultimate goal. "She's trying to make the most of it and keep it going for as long as possible," Ashley said. As for Ashley, she's studying theater at UNC, too, and she'll be back to school next week. She admits she's a touch jealous of Elyse's opportunity now, but she also said she's proud of her sister and that she's fine helping her field calls and e-mails. "I've been telling Elyse, 'Tell them you have a sister who looks like you,'" Ashley said and laughed. "I wish I could do it too. I've got some big shoes to fill at UNC." This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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