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protocelebrities
Lyle Lodwick, Dynastic Fameball
Eric Lodwick is the brother of hipster Web millionaire Jakob Lodwick. He's also now Lyle Lodwick, at least as far as his modeling career goes. Is it fair to tie the Topshop poster boy to his notorious fameball brother? More » -
urban anthropology
The Jakob Lodwick Crack-Up Goes Taxi Driver
Vimeo founder Jakob Lodwick is now sporting a haircut straight out of Taxi Driver. Which wouldn't be disturbing, except that the young millionaire seems to be having a breakdown that would make a fitting sequel for the gritty film. More » -
Crack-ups
The Scary Knife Rites of an Apostate Fameball
Hipster millionaire Jakob Lodwick can't stop seeking web attention. Yet even the dim lights of internet semi-fame drive him up the wall. So he's left to stab in frustration, in the dark. More » -
oversharing
Do Not Think About Possible Jakob Lodwick Sex Pics
Internet fameball and brand new blogger Jake Lodwick maybe posted a sex picture of himself? Unfortunately we are obligated by fate to bring this to you. Compare and contrast if you want to (don't): More » -
butterflies
Fresh-Faced 'Jake Lodwick' Is New on the Blogtard Scene
Once upon a time there was an odd young internet fameball named Jakob Lodwick who decided to quit the internet entirely after it failed to adequately explain China. In unrelated news, 'Jake' Lodwick is blogging! More » -
jakob lodwick
A Fameball's Slow Crack-Up
Jakob Lodwick became a millionaire brokering hipster attention on video-sharing site Vimeo. Now, years later, the former dealer can't stop using, and it seems to be driving him crazy. More » -
details, details
Correct out-of-touch New York style rag's Internet gossip!
It's complicated. God, is it ever. The same October Details story that follows around New York's "Internet playboys" and their bicoastal hangers-on runs with this chart of who dated, funded, or hated in this overdocumented side of the Web scene. So sweet to know we're not the only ones keeping a scorecard, but one of its subjects, Caroline McCarthy, claims there's inaccuracies! Let's do Details and the kids recently fanning their fameballs from the coverage a favor and fix it up then. Ready? Let loose in the comments with your errata. -
digital music
MySpace Music — like Muxtape, except people who wear deodorant will use it
MySpace Music, a joint venture between the News Corp. social network and music labels Universal, Sony and Warner,finally launches next week, says Fortune, though it still won't have a CEO. MySpace users will be able to listen to and organize playlists full of songs from all three music labels for free. (EMI is the lone holdout, which means no coldplay.) Playlists will include affiliate links to Amazon.com's MP3 store. MySpace CEO Chris DeWolfe says ad revenues and song kickbacks are going to save the music industry, replacing lost CD sales. More » -
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rumormonger
Muxtape's spending real cause of music site's shutdown
Muxtape founder Justin Ouellette says he's shut down the mixtape-hosting website because of a problem with the Recording Industry Association of America. A statement from the RIAA itself seems to confirm the story. Bu we hear another reason Muxtape is shutting down is that it got too expensive for Ouellette to keep up. More » -
clips
Classic Jakob Lodwick video further explains post-Lodwick productivity surge
Even when Manhattan's favorite Internet hipster Jakob Lodwick isn't high, he's not that hard-working. Connected Ventures cofounder Zach Klein reminisces about the early days of Connected Ventures, the IAC-backed testosteronefest behind CollegeHumor and Vimeo. Lodwick leads the startup's crew in singing "Semi-Charmed Kind of Life," and trashes cofounder Ricky Van Veen's cardboard cutout of Shaquille O'Neal. Any questions on why Vimeo's performance soared after IAC fired Lodwick? shaq attack from Amir Cohen on Vimeo. -
fameballs
Jakob Lodwick Could Never Quit Us
Only weeks after the millionaire tech-boy stormed off the Internet in a huff, he reappears in this video on his website. SERIOUSLY Jakob, you should just bring your blog back because posting stuff like this anywhere simply invites more abuse. Also, this vid will be especially relatable if you've ever smoked a boatload of weed and ate a bag and a half of 'shrooms at the same time. -
earnings
IAC down more than half a billion in second quarter
In the second quarter, IAC swung from a $94.6 million profit last year to a $421.6 million loss this year. Don't blame Jakob Lodwick! His former company, Vimeo, is nowhere near the top of IAC/InterActiveCorp's expense report for the past quarter. The real problem at Barry Diller's Internet empire is Cornerstone Brands, a rollup of catalog companies undermined by weak consumer spending in home and apparel retail. Cornerstone's losses led to a $300 million writedown in goodwill in IAC's second quarter. In addition, the soft real estate market cut revenue for home financing site LendingTree nearly in half. More » -
vimeo
Amateur video site overrun by — no, not porn
Victim of their own success: Vimeo, the online video-sharing venture owned by Barry Diller's IAC. The site has been been doing well since IAC fired Vimeo's founder, wacky Web 2.0 poster boy Jakob Lodwick. But Vimeo's ample capacity is now bogged down by a glut of videogame screen-capture movies, sometimes called fraps. Why is that a problem? More » -
publicity stunts
Five Annoying Online Publicity Stunts
Michael Ian Black, comedian and VH1's go-to analyst of pop culture, has started an online feud with testosterone and beer-fueled guy blogger Tucker Max. Black challenged Tucker to a fight, Tucker accepted, and now they are both talking trash in a way advantageous to the promotion of Black's new book. This would all be cuter if Black didn't just try to start another online feud with David Sedaris, to promote the same book. These online publicity stunts are incredibly difficult to pull off without being annoying; below, a jaded look back at five that sucked the big one: More » -
wantrepreneurs
Julia Allison: HTML tutor to the nonstars
It's been just a little over a year since Julia Allison touched down in Silicon Valley, strutting past the hand-stampers at an arts fundraiser and informing anyone who would listen that she was looking for a boyfriend to help her with her website. It hasn't exactly paid off. The so-soft-it-hurts launch of her new startup, Nonsociety.com, is a technical tour de farce. The rumored-to-death project wraps glamour shots of Allison and friends like comrade Meghan Asha Parikh, TechCrunch editor Michael Arrington's ex-girlfriend, around sideways-scrolling feeds ("lifestreams"!) of their Tumblr blogs. Meghan, a former hedge-fund analyst, shows off her tech creds here. She's the only one who seems to have a functioning "lifestream," even on launch day. Allison's and a handbag-designing ladyfriend's came up 404. We salvaged the launch video, in case the whole thing collapses: More » -
Andrew Pile
New Vimeo boss mocks Jakob Lodwick's pet wantrepreneur
On Monday, we posted Muxtape founder Justin Ouellette's accidentally-emailed-to-the-Internet photo of a napkin on which he'd scribbled details of his investment deal with Jakob Lodwick. Lodwick, best known for getting fired from Vimeo, an online video-sharing site he founded, now owned by IAC. He now spends his days playing the solipsistic teenager in a man's Crocs-shod body. Now Lodwick's replacement at Vimeo, director of development Andrew Pile, joins the fun. More » -
the chart
Vimeo without founder Jakob Lodwick: quite successful
Is IAC's Vimeo, the video-sharing site founded by bizarrely charismatic (and just plain bizarre) New York entrepreneur Jakob Lodwick, missing its founder? In a word, no. Lodwick lost his job due to insubordination last November; his dare-you-to-sue-me funding of an IAC employee's music startup, in an apparent violation of his noncompete agreement, is right in line with the nose-thumbing he did while on the job. We heard IAC finally fired Lodwick because he would blow off meetings with upper management when it wanted to talk to him about things like marketing and growth. So who got it right — IAC chairman Barry Diller's suits, or the wannabe iconoclast? More » -
confirmed
Napkin shows New York ubergeek Jakob Lodwick encouraged IAC employee to two-time Barry Diller
Once an oversharer, always an oversharer — no matter what it costs, personally or financially. When IAC fired Jakob Lodwick — the Internet's own Howard Roark — from Web video site Vimeo, IAC agreed to pay Lodwick $100,000 a year until 2011, just so long as he stayed away from IAC employees in any new ventures. Lodwick, reportedly bipolar and never much one for consistency, has proven unable to resist the temptation. An image posted to former IAC employee Justin Ouellette's personal blog seems to confirm what's already been rumored: Lodwick funded Ouellette's side project, an online-music site called Muxtape, with enough cash — $95,000 in exchange for 1 percent of Muxtape's equity, going by the scribbled napkin — so that Oullette could quit IAC to run Muxtape full time. More » -
the
One Post Wonders: Blogs That Died at Birth
From the hoary old crypts of the most ancient corners of the Internet comes a massively awesome collection of blogs that no one cared about. Like whatever it was that Jakob Lodwick invented, but worse! Each began with one post from some cyber-dreamer, and that one post has been preserved, all on its lonesome, to this day. For instance: More » -
not afraid to be servicey
How To Not Storm Off the Internet in a Huff
Yesterday, a grown man threw a tantrum and stormed off the internet. Because we bullied him. It wasn't pretty. Are we proud? Well, it's a living. We spent today mulling over some wise advice we received. And, of course, it's true. We should be constructive! In the spirit of friendship, we'll explain how to survive the Internet without letting the bastards get you down. Heed our words, and you'll never have to shut down another blog. Or quit a message board, or ban yourself from a comments section. Never again will you hear the sirens of the waaaahmbulance.
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exits
Jakob Lodwick too good for the Internet, leaves it to you animals
It's hard out there for an Objectivist. At least, that's according to Normative founder Jakob Lodwick, who cites his mama when deciding that we're all just too negative to appreciate the risk-taking, innovative soul behind Vimeo and (too a much more secretive extent) Muxtape. You animals have scared him away from the Internet with your snide comments and ad hominem insults! Never mind that markets, like emotional states, tend to be volatile — if your will is positive enough, you can conquer all, promise! At least, that's the theory. Lodwick has decided to stop trying to live up to it and will cease to publish anything but positivity online, presumably with comments disabled. More » -
jakob lodwick
World's Saddest Millionaire Quits Internet
Jakob Lodwick, the entrepreneur who still takes Ayn Rand seriously even though he presumably graduated high school, is off the net because of you. He half-quit once before, back in February, when he was concerned that people were being mean to him because he over-shared too much personal information. Now people are being mean to him because he's patently ridiculous, which means he has to scale back his internet presence even more. All because he wanted to learn about China! Lodwick, who is famous because the streaming video site he founded before YouTube failed to become as popular or successful, says, "I may be a millionaire but I this sort of thing still hurts." Like Molly the Bear, Lodwick cannot understand anyone's hostility toward him. After the jump, the 2 a.m. email your day editor received from the 15-year-old girl who took over the 25-year-old tech entrepreneur's body.
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not afraid to be servicey
In Which We Help Jakob Lodwick Understand "China"
You are pretty much everything that is wrong with everything. Read a goddamn book. You are seriously the worst. [The Tumblr That Represents All That Is Wrong and Evil In This World] -
crossovers
The Unlikely Confluence of Julia Allison's Techboys in Esquire
Vimeo's Jakob Lodwick, the ex-man of both Star talking head Julia Allison and her BFF Mary's little sister, 18-year-old soap star Leven Rambin, is in Esquire this month. He's finally fulfilled his dream of becoming a model! (They featured boys of the web, who got to keep their clothes on.) Meanwhile, Iminlikewithyou's Charles Forman, pictured on the left, has finally fulfilled his dream of dating Julia Allison. And now they're pictured in the same spread—awkward! Click to enlarge. [via AlleyInsider] -
wantrepreneurs
Why are Jakob Lodwick and Charles Forman in Esquire?
We don't own a smoking jacket or get manicures, so were unaware that New York wantrepreneurs Charles Forman of Iminlikewithyou and fired Connected Ventures cofounder Jakob Lodwick appear in the latest issue of Esquire until Forman pointed it out to us this morning. "Good to see you yesterday," Forman managed to say before asking: "Are you going to put my Esquire thing on Valleywag?" Fine. But only because it gives us a chance to examine what, exactly fellow wantrepreneur Julia Allison sees in him. Yes, the pair are dating. (Though we hear she sometimes forgets his name when introducing him at parties.) More » -
breakdowns
Muxtape hacked, causing emo indie types to weep more than usual
Reports came in over the last hour that Muxtape was hacked, and the online-music startup has confirmed the news on its blog.This afternoon, someone gained access to our server and caused some problems. We are investigating and will have more information soon.
All the various mixes played one song and one song only — noodly downtempo chillout "Good Disease" by Aim. Could a sufficiently emo Connected Ventures engineer ticked at Muxtape backer Jakob Lodwick's poaching of Justin Ouellette have decided to take matters into his own hands? -
critical stalker
The Fameball Game
Last night I decided to play a little game to pass time at the gym: take the treadmill in front of the window, overlooking Broadway, and run until I saw somebody famous walk by. Exactly thirty minutes later, Vimeo-founding Julia Allison-ex and web-boy Jakob Lodwick strolled past, as if on cue. Damn. I was hoping for SJP. Thanks, Internet. -
journalist math
Founder of music startup Muxtape learns art of obfuscation from his master
Interviewing Muxtape's Justin Ouellette for Listening Post, Eliot Van Buskirk asked "How many users are there at this point? How many muxtapes?" Ouellette's response — "more than the population of Germany, less than the population of Japan" — puts the number between 82 million and 127 million users. Compete.com puts the number around 52,000. Ouellete might have been joking, but Van Buskirk published the numbers without comment. And remember, with Ouellete and his Muxtape partner Jakob Lodwick, whom Barry Diller fired from his post as founder of online-video site Vimeo, you can't judge what's actually going on based on what they say. More » -
Flaming Balls of Douche
Jakob Lodwick is Sick of Your Infernal Minimum Wage
Why all the poverty in America? Vimeo-founding Julia Allison-ex and tedious fameball douche Jakob Lodwick thinks it's because all those poor, poor corporations are forced to pay a minimum wage that many prospective workers are simply not qualified for. In a rhetorical interview with himself (Oh, what a device!) Lodwick sure does make some convincing arguments.
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jobs
Jakob Lodwick gets it for free — now with interns
Promiscuous hipster investor Jakob Lodwick is once again looking to score for free. "Basically, if you want to work your ass off for me a few days a week," Jakob wants you for his music startup, Normative. Noting Lodwick's post-IAC riches, Tumblr'r Corinne offers this rewrite of his ad: More » -
exits
Barry Diller is paying Jakob Lodwick more than $100,000 a year to stay away from IAC employees
We heard Jakob Lodwick may have broken his severance agreement with IAC's Connected Ventures when he poached Vimeo Web designer Justin Ouellette to help him start Muxtape, an online mix-tapes startup. How much could the gaffe cost the Connected Ventures cofounder? Reportedly, $100,000 a year through 2011. "What a mess," an IAC exec tells us. True, but mostly for Lodwick. IAC can hire more Web designers to replace the one Lodwick's entrepreneurial ventures have cost them so far. Diller's six-figure dole will be harder for Lodwick to replace. -
vimeo
Barry Diller's video site cashing in on searches for "beastiality"
Doing some follow-up research on Vimeo's traffic after our post earlier today, a tipster made an intriguing discovery. Compete.com lists "beastiality" (sic) as the fourth-highest search term driving traffic to the IAC-owned video-sharing site. Which may have something to do with open-minded libertarian founder Jakob Lodwick's choice of "Obeastiality" as the name of his blog (it now redirects to jakoblodwick.com). Sadly, there's no hot monkey sex on the site, but I did find a clip of a woman making out with a cat, so that's something. Interspecies lovin' on Vimeo, after the jump. More » -
exits
Lodwick's Muxtape mess
Jakob Lodwick, the fired founder of Vimeo who's now dabbling in online music, rushed out an announcement of his involvement with Muxtape, an online mix-tapes startup — shortly after we started asking questions. But in his attempt to spoil our scoop, Lodwick may have put the payout he got from Vimeo's parent company, IAC, at risk. We're told that part of Lodwick's severance package included a fairly typical agreement to not poach any of his former Connected Venture colleagues for future projects. But with Muxtape, that's just what Lodwick's done. More » -
mareen fischinger
Lodwick's latest flame pitches Muxtape for him
Meet Mareen Fischinger, a photographer from Düsseldorf, Germany, according to her Tumblr blog. "I don't know anything about her," a source tells us, "Just that Jakob [Lodwick] is [redacted] her." We have a little more to add to the scoop. Besides her obvious eye for photography, Fischinger shares her boyfriend's talent for pitching Muxtape without disclosing his relationship to the company. -
rumormonger
Is Jakob Lodwick the moneyman behind Muxtape?
Jakob Lodwick now admits he's involved with Justin Ouellette's Muxtape. What the Connected Ventures cofounder, ousted from his job at the IAC-backed venture by Barry Diller, doesn't disclose: a financial stake in Ouellette's online mix-tapes project. We hear it's more than plausible Lodwick is an early investor in the startup. Lodwick has already shown a willingness to invest in projects he admires, such as David Karp's Tumblr. Before publicly disclosing his employ with Muxtape, we asked Lodwick to explain his connection to Muxtape. In an email, Lodwick changed the subject to fantasies of his personal life. More » -
casting call
Julia Allison, The Movie
It's either a belated April Fool's joke or a stroke of genius: College Humor-ists Sam Reich and Ricky Van Veen have just completed a script called "Jakob and Julia," at least according to a post on Reich's Tumblr. If you look closely at the photo of the script (reproduced after the jump), you can see it is addressed to "__???____ Agency" at a Beverly Hills, California zip code. This implies a screenplay (as opposed to a Broadway musical) about, of course, the doomed relationship between Star editor-at-large Julia Allison and Vimeo co-founder Jakob Lodwick. This raises so many questions: Real or fake? Movie or TV pilot? And, most critically, which Hollywood stars should play Julia and Jakob? Post your answers in the comments. After the jump, videographer Loren Feldman's December 2007 dramatization of the Julia-Jakob relationship. UPDATE: Plus a short email from Ricky Van Veen. Sounds like a joke. More » -
julia allison
Did You Think There'd Be No JA Today?
Here is cute-to-some, hateful-to-others Star magazine editor-at-large Julia Allison singing along to Madonna in a sushi place. Watch it! -
manhattan media clusterfuck
Jakob Lodwick Thinks He's "Diluting" Mary Rambin's "Brand"
Total class: Vimeo founder Jakob Lodwick explains about "this girl Mary [Rambin]," the handbag designer-or-whatever and Julia Allison bestfriend (whose seventeen-year-old sister he shagged), revealing why he's named his moustache after her. It's because she said he "looked like an idiot" via a deleted blogpost... (She wasn't wrong, but later apologized.) "Since she's not currently well-known, if my readers later hear her name in a legitimate context, they'll think of my moustache. I'm diluting her name and her brand..." More » -
jakob lodwick
Jakob Lodwick now even more unemployed-looking
A tipster sends us this photo of departed Connected Ventures cofounder Jakob Lodwick and his mustache. He's named it "moustache." Perhaps he'll win over Scarlett Johansson by offering her a ride? -
julia allison
Mark Zuckerberg In The Presence
Admit it: Julia Allison is irrepressible. The Star magazine talking head abandoned her personal blog because it was ruining her life; and broke up with her webtard boyfriend, Jakob Lodwick, because he slept with her "adopted" little sister and was crushed commercially by Youtube. But she's merely moved up the internet food chain. On photo sharing service Flickr, Allison shows her act is still fresh outside New York. Here, at the SXSW conference in Austin, Texas, she pushes out her chest into friending distance of the alpha geek of the moment, Mark Zuckerberg. Coincidentally, the Facebook founder was recently named by Forbes as the world's youngest billionaire.
































