This week something has been missing.
Ze Frank’s The Show finished last week.
Unlike some other video blogs that claim amazing success (but I sometimes wonder how many people watch them just for the pretty faces) Ze Frank actually created real success because he had a higher goal than just to ‘be famous’.

The Show wasn’t ever about quirky stories (something that I think Rocketboom seemed obsessed with, although I haven’t watched it in ages). It was about getting people to stop being passive watchers and to inspire people who wouldn’t normally do strange/quirky/wacky things to be creative. The simple way in which he explained issues that aren’t typically under the media microscope was also refreshing. And let’s not forget all the in-jokes which made his viewers feel part of a community. The fact that within minutes of a new clip being posted someone would transcribe it on the relevant wiki page is testament to the devoted and loyal fans that Ze Frank managed to build.

Today Slate has an article about Ze Frank that talks a bit about how his popularity has risen dramatically in the past year (The Show only ran for one year).

And if you’re of the whole “gah, I don’t want to watch a whole year” attitude then just take a look at the talk he gave at TED a while ago.