View source for Biography:Antoine Dodson

{{short description|American Internet celebrity, singer and actor}}
{{Infobox person
| name=Antoine Dodson
| image       = Antoine Dodson full body 2012.jpg
| alt         = 
| caption     = Dodson at [[Social:ROFLCon|ROFLCon]] 2012
| birth_name  = Kevin Antoine Dodson
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1984|06|27}}
| birth_place = {{wipe|Chicago}}, Illinois, U.S.
| nationality =  American
| other_names = 
| known_for   = [[Social:Bed Intruder Song|Bed Intruder Song]]
| occupation  = Singer, songwriter, actor
| relatives   =
| children    = 1
}}
'''Kevin Antoine Dodson''' (born June 27, 1984)<ref name="Facebook">{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/pages/Antoine-Dodson/102461723145137?v=info|title=Antoine Dodson Info|work=Facebook|access-date=September 15, 2010}}</ref> is an American [[Social:Internet celebrity|Internet celebrity]], singer, and actor. In 2010, while a resident of the Lincoln Park housing project in Huntsville, Alabama, he gave an interview on local television news prompted by the report of an alleged home invasion and attempted rape of his sister. The interview became an Internet sensation and resulted in the "[[Social:Bed Intruder Song|Bed Intruder Song]]," an [[Software:Auto-Tune|Auto-Tune]]d song by The Gregory Brothers that sold thousands of copies on [[Software:ITunes|iTunes]] and appeared on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 list.<ref name="Kennicott">{{cite news |title=Auto-Tune turns the operatic ideal into a shoddy joke |author=Philip Kennicott |newspaper={{wipe|The Washington Post}} |date=August 29, 2010 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/27/AR2010082702197.html }}</ref>

==Interview==
{{Quote box | quote = "Well, obviously we have a rapist in Lincoln Park. He's climbin' in yo windows, he's snatchin' yo people up, tryin' to rape 'em. So y'all need to hide yo kids, hide yo wife, and hide yo husband cause they rapin' err'body out here." —Antoine Dodson | width = 30% | align = right}}

Dodson was interviewed on July 28, 2010, by Elizabeth Gentle, a reporter for NBC [[Engineering:Network affiliate|affiliate]] WAFF-48 News, after an alleged intruder attempted to rape his sister in her second-story bedroom, in Huntsville's Lincoln Park housing projects.<ref name="out-of-the-hood">{{cite news |author=Paul Gallagher |title=Antoine Dodson: from local news item to internet sensation |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/aug/15/antoine-dodson-internet-sensation |newspaper={{wipe|The Guardian}} |date=August 15, 2010 |location=London}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |author=NPR Staff |title=Antoine Dodson: Riding YouTube Out of the 'Hood' |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=129381037 |publisher=NPR |date=August 23, 2010}}</ref> The account was later contradicted by the alleged intruder, Rashaad Cooper, who at the time was never identified to the police by the Dodsons or charged for the incident.<ref name="celebfight">{{cite web |url=https://www.al.com/news/huntsville/2014/10/the_bedroom_intruder_that_made.html |title=The bedroom intruder that made Antoine Dodson famous tells his side before their celebrity fight on Sunday |last=Corrigan |first=John |date=21 October 2014 |website=AL.com |publisher= |access-date=9 September 2022 |quote=}}</ref>

The video of the interview caught attention because of the passionate and flamboyant style of his delivery, speaking directly to the camera, in which he directly addressed his neighborhood's residents as well as the attempted rapist, and his use of [[Social:Vernacular|vernacular]].<ref name="out-of-the-hood"/><ref name="for-real">{{cite news |author=Jonathan Capehart |title=Antoine Dodson is for real, y'all |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/08/antoine_dodson_is_for_real_yal.html |newspaper={{wipe|The Washington Post}} |date=August 3, 2010 |access-date=August 26, 2010}}</ref> The reactions were mixed. Some local viewers phoned the television station to complain that interviews with people such as Dodson reflected poorly on the community,<ref name="out-of-the-hood"/><ref name="for-real"/> whereupon the station defended broadcasting the interview by stating that censoring such people is far worse. Jonathan Capehart, editorial page writer for ''{{wipe|The Washington Post}}'', wrote that Dodson became an instant Internet sensation because "in this age of fake reality TV, he puts the real in reality",<ref name="for-real"/> to which he later added that Dodson "is one of the strongest people we've seen in a while".<ref name="smarts-and-strengths">{{cite news |author=Jonathan Capehart |title=The smarts and strength of Antoine Dodson |url=http://voices.washingtonpost.com/postpartisan/2010/08/the_smarts_and_strength_of_ant.html |newspaper={{wipe|The Washington Post}} |date=August 19, 2010 |access-date=August 25, 2010}}</ref>

=="Bed Intruder Song" and rise to fame==
<!-- Do NOT use this image for the purpose of showcasing Antoine himself, e.g. as an infobox photo. It may ONLY be used to illustrate prose pertaining directly to the "Bed Intruder Song" music video. --><!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Auto-Tune the News 12c screenshot.jpg|thumb|right|A frame from the viral "Bed Intruder Song" music video, which sourced its footage from an interview NBC affiliate WAFF-48 News conducted with Antoine.]] -->

The video of Dodson's television interview [[Finance:Viral video|gained sudden popularity]] and then inspired several musical remixes, including a video by musical group The Gregory Brothers, known as the "[[Social:Bed Intruder Song|Bed Intruder Song]]". The song was a huge success and eventually reached number 89 on ''Billboard'''s Hot 100 list.<ref name="Kennicott"/> The popularity of the song inspired many covers and remixes, including a punk rock<!-- WARNING: Please do not change this to say "pop punk" or any other genre. The cited source specifically calls it a "punk rock cover", and on Wikipedia, we follow what cited sources say, not what editors think to be true. Refer to the official policies on verifiability (WP:VERIFY) and original research (WP:OR). --> version by a team formed by Hayley Williams of Paramore, Jordan Pundik of New Found Glory, and Ethan Luck of Relient K and musician Tony Lucca.<ref>{{cite web|last= Montgomery|first=James|title=Paramore singer collaborates with New Found Glory and Relient K members for 'punk rock cover' of the YouTube hit.| url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1646551/20100826/paramore.jhtml| work=MTV.com |access-date=August 26, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100828062400/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1646551/20100826/paramore.jhtml| archive-date= August 28, 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref>

Dodson was interviewed for the ''Today Show'' on NBC on August 31, 2010, about his newfound Web superstardom. On the program, Dodson's YouTube video was called "one of the most watched online videos ever", with the hosts noting it had already been viewed more than <!-- Dear Wikipedia reader: You may be tempted to change this number to a more recent view count. This would be a mistake, however, because -->1<!-- this part of the article does not refer to how many views the video has received in total. Instead, it refers -->6<!-- to the number of times the video had been viewed as of the 26th of August 2010. Views after that date are not counted in this section. Thank you. --> million times as of that date.<ref>{{cite web | title= Antoine Dodson |work= The Today Show| date= August 26, 2010| publisher= NBC | url= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-EPHOKm6qbk| via= YouTube| accessdate=}}</ref> Dodson has  appeared on radio shows in Australia, has fans in London and is widely recognized in his hometown of Huntsville.<ref name= EH>{{cite news| title= 'Bed Intruder' songster turning fame into a future| first= Errin | last= Haines | agency= Associated Press| date= August 31, 2010 | url= https://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ggQtXM4sns8W9tTgXM0vNgOQ14MwD9HUD3580| via= Google News | accessdate=}}</ref>

Dodson had launched a website in which he asks for donations to assist his family in moving "out of the hood".<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.antoine-dodson.com/ | title= Antoine Dodson: Antoine's World| website= antoine-dodson.com |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20101027065205/http://www.antoine-dodson.com/ |archivedate=October 27, 2010 | accessdate= August 28, 2010}}</ref> The money, as well as money from sales of "Bed Intruder Song" on [[Software:ITunes|iTunes]] and merchandise such as T-shirts, went to helping his family buy a new home and setting up a foundation for [[Medicine:Diabetes mellitus type 1|Type 1 diabetes]], a disease that has afflicted both his sister and his mother.<ref name="rape-victim"/>
In August 2010, Dodson noted the irony of having "a hit on iTunes, but we're still in the projects";<ref name= EH /> one month later, ''Us Weekly'' reported that Dodson had made enough money from the song to move his family out of the projects to a better house.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.usmagazine.com/celebritynews/news/bed-intruder-singer-moves-family-into-new-home-2010169 | title= 'Bed Intruder' Singer Moves Family Into New Home| date= September 16, 2010| website= usmagazine.com | publisher= | accessdate= September 17, 2010}}</ref> In September 2010, the Gregory Brothers reported that they had sold more than 250,000 copies of "Bed Intruder Song" on iTunes.<ref>{{cite web| url= http://www.barry.com.au/2010/09/17/gregory-brothers-interview|title=Meet The Team Behind The Meme| date= September 17, 2010| work= barry.com.au| access-date=September 20, 2010|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100921021002/http://www.barry.com.au/2010/09/17/gregory-brothers-interview| archive-date=September 21, 2010|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In October 2010, Dodson performed  "Bed Intruder Song" with Michael Gregory of The Gregory Brothers at the 2010 BET Hip Hop Awards.<ref name="Hip-Hop%2525252520Awards%25252525202010">{{cite web| url= http://www.bet.com/ |title=Hip-Hop Awards 2010 Official Site: Hip Hop Awards '10 Performances! |date= October 13, 2010|work=BET.com |publisher= Black Entertainment Television |access-date=October 16, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101016064118/http://www.bet.com//| archive-date= October 16, 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref>

Excluding major label music videos, Dodson's song was the most viewed YouTube video of 2010.<ref>[http://youtube-global.blogspot.com/2010/12/double-rainbows-annoying-oranges-and.html Double rainbows, annoying oranges and bed intruders: the year on YouTube] December 12, 2010. Retrieved December 13, 2010.</ref><ref>{{cite news | first=Liz | last=Kelly | url= http://voices.washingtonpost.com/celebritology/2010/12/celebritology_giftology_day_3.html | title= Celebritology Giftology Day 3: Meme-y Christmas from Antoine Dodson | newspaper= The Washington Post | date= December 13, 2010| accessdate= December 13, 2010}}</ref> It was chosen as the "Meme of the Year" in the 2010 Urlies – both as the People's Choice and the Editors' Choice – while the original video of Dodson's television interview was the "Video of the Year" – People's Choice.<ref>{{cite web |title=2010 Urlies Winners – Best of the Web in 2010 |url= http://www.urlesque.com/2010/12/08/2010-urlies/ |publisher=Urlesque |date= December 8, 2010 |access-date= December 19, 2010 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101212120831/http://www.urlesque.com/2010/12/08/2010-urlies/ |archive-date=December 12, 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

He was also featured in a segment on ''Lopez Tonight'' singing a "Chimney Intruder" song about Santa Claus,<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.funnyordie.com/videos/bbae0ca75c/antoine-dodsons-chimney-intruder|title=Antoine Dodson's 'Chimney Intruder'| work= funnyordie.com}}</ref> and on ''[[Social:Tosh.0|Tosh.0]]'' for a "Web Redemption".<ref>{{cite web| last=Pomranz |first= Mike|title=Web Redemption: Antoine Dodson|url=http://tosh.cc.com/blog/2011/01/12/web-redemption-antoine-dodson| date=January 12, 2011| publisher= Comedy Central| access-date=January 17, 2011}}</ref>

In the episode "Dancing with the Stools" on ''The Cleveland Show'',  Dodson is referenced when Roberta, Cleveland's stepdaughter, enters the kitchen wearing Antoine's famous bandana and says "Rallo, you are so dumb, you are really dumb, for real". Also, in episode "B.M.O.C.", Roberta states "Hide your kids, hide your wife didn't go to college" when listing famous people that didn't go to college.

In episode 2 of ''Jay Park TV'', Korean-American singer Jay Park mimics Dodson while wearing a makeshift bandana.
[[File:Antoine Dodson celebrating Halloween.jpg|thumb|242x242px|Antoine Dodson celebrity appearance at NYC Halloween 2010]]
Dodson plays a cameo role in the Tyler Perry movie ''A Madea Christmas'' saying a part of his line from his television interview during an interview at the end of the movie.

==Business ventures==
Dodson has capitalized on the success of "Bed Intruder Song". His first venture was a line of T-shirts and merchandise featuring the original album art from the [[Software:ITunes|iTunes]] release sold through zazzle.com. After a licensing dispute between the artist, the photographer, and his manager, he launched a storefront through districtlines.com with an unrelated line of merchandise. Since then he has authorized entrepreneur Fam Mirza for the creation and sale of a "Bed Intruder Costume" for Halloween 2010<ref name="Castina">{{cite web|url=http://www.popcrunch.com/antoine-dodson-halloween-costume/|title=Antoine Dodson "Bed Intruder" Halloween Costume!|last=Castina|date=October 17, 2010|publisher=PopCrunch.com|access-date=November 28, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101023102132/http://www.popcrunch.com/antoine-dodson-halloween-costume/|archive-date=October 23, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> and endorsed a "Sex Offender Tracker" [[Engineering:Smartphone|smartphone]] application for the [[Engineering:IPhone|iPhone]] and [[Software:Android (operating system)|Android]] platforms.<ref name="Newman">{{cite web|url=http://www.pcworld.com/article/208717/viral_vid_celeb_antoine_dodson_peddles_sex_offender_tracker_app.html|title=Viral Vid Celeb Antoine Dodson Peddles 'Sex Offender Tracker' App|last=Newman|first=Jared|date=October 25, 2010|work=PC World|access-date=November 28, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101028030214/http://www.pcworld.com/article/208717/viral_vid_celeb_antoine_dodson_peddles_sex_offender_tracker_app.html| archive-date= October 28, 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref>
In late December 2010, Dodson was featured in a commercial advertising the new ''[[Social:Tosh.0|Tosh.0]]'' season.

On January 21, 2011, MSN announced that Dodson was filming a pilot episode for a reality show, featuring Dodson and his family as they move from Huntsville to Los Angeles, California.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tv.msn.com/the-wrap/bed-intruder-shooting-reality-pilot/story/?gt1=28103|title='Bed Intruder' Antoine shooting reality show pilot|author=Molloy, Tim|work=MSN TV|date=January 21, 2011|access-date=January 21, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110125180753/http://tv.msn.com/the-wrap/bed-intruder-shooting-reality-pilot/story/?gt1=28103|archive-date=January 25, 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In November 2014, Dodson participated in a celebrity boxing match, hosted by Kato Kaelin, against "bedroom intruder" Cooper. Dodson won in the first round.<ref name="celebfight" /><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.al.com/entertainment/2014/11/antoine_dodson_vs_the_intruder.html |title=Antoine Dodson beats The Intruder in first round of celebrity boxing match; see brief video |last=Huggins|first=Paul|date=3 November 2014 |website=AL.com |publisher= |access-date=26 October 2022 |quote=}}</ref>

On September 24, 2022, Dodson plans to launch his own beer called "Run N' Tell That" in partnership with Huntsville brewery Straight to Ale.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.al.com/news/2022/08/antoine-dodson-of-tv-interview-meme-fame-launching-run-n-tell-that-beer.html|title=Antoine Dodson of TV interview meme fame launching 'Run N' Tell That!' beer|last=Thornton|first=William|date=August 29, 2022|work=AL.com|access-date=September 17, 2022}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Dodson grew up in Chicago, and moved to Huntsville in 2004,<ref name="on-a-roll">{{cite news |author=Mark McCarter |title=Antoine Dodson's on a roll – run and tell that! |url=http://blog.al.com/breaking/2010/08/antoine_dodson_internet_sensat.html |newspaper=The Huntsville Times |date=August 15, 2010 |access-date=August 25, 2010| archive-url= https://archive.today/20100818095422/http://blog.al.com/breaking/2010/08/antoine_dodson_internet_sensat.html| archive-date= August 18, 2010 | url-status= live}}</ref> where he attended [[Organization:Virginia College|Virginia College]], working on an associate degree in [[Social:Business administration|business administration]].<ref name="on-a-roll"/> He also worked as a hairstylist.<ref name="out-of-the-hood"/>

Antoine Dodson is the eldest of nine children.<ref name="out-of-the-hood"/> In an online Q&A video with fans, he answered questions regarding his sexuality: "Am I bisexual? No. Gay? Yes."<ref name="smarts-and-strengths"/> In an interview with CBS, Dodson told Shira Lazar that he had been a rape victim in the past.<ref name="rape-victim">{{cite news |author=Shira Lazar |title='Bed Intruder' YouTube Star Antoine Dodson Exclusive: I Was Rape Victim |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504464_162-20014008-504464.html |work=CBS News |date=August 19, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110818083732/http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504464_162-20014008-504464.html |archive-date=2011-08-18 |quote=I just want to be the voice of people who are going through similar situations that have gotten their case swept under the rug...  Most of my fans are victims of rape and molestation and they reach out to me anyway so I just talk to them and comfort them. I try to tell them the ways that I dealt with it because I'm a rape victim myself.}}</ref>

In May 2013, Dodson announced through Facebook that he has become a Black Hebrew Israelite, is "no longer into homosexuality" and that he wants "a wife and family".<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gillin |first1=Joshua |title='Bed Intruder' star Antoine Dodson announces he's having a baby |url=https://www.tampabay.com/bed-intruder-star-antoine-dodson-announces-hes-having-a-baby/2142783/ |work=Tampa Bay Times |date=September 19, 2013 |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Stanton |first1=Kate |title=Antoine Dodson, of 'Bedroom Intruder' Internet fame, expecting a baby |url=https://www.upi.com/blog/2013/09/18/Antoine-Dodson-of-Bedroom-Intruder-Internet-fame-expecting-a-baby/8411379550069/ |work=United Press International |date=September 18, 2013 |language=en}}</ref> Dodson and his wife announced her pregnancy in September 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hellobeautiful.com/2013/09/18/antoine-hide-yo-kids-hide-yo-wife-dodson-is-having-a-baby/|title=Antoine 'Hide Yo Kids, Hide Yo Wife' Dodson Is Having A Baby|first=Myeisha|last=Essex|publisher=Hello Beautiful|year=2013|access-date=2015-09-19}}</ref> In May 2014, they had a son. Dodson drew criticism shortly after when discussing the possibility of his son being gay. Although professing unconditional support, he included the phrase "if he couldn't be fixed".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/05/antoine-dodson-gay-son_n_5453062.html|title=Antoine Dodson says he would help turn his son straight if he turns out gay|first=James Michael|last=Nichols|work=The Huffington Post|date=2014-05-06|access-date=2015-09-19}}</ref> In September 2015, in a video posted to his YouTube channel, Antoine apologized to the LGBT community for his statements.

In an interview in April 2018 with BET, Dodson identified himself as a bisexual man, saying, "I don't know what the future will hold for me."<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|last=Kazek|first=Kelly|date=2018-04-12|title=Antoine Dodson discusses 'bed intruder' fame on BET|url=https://www.al.com/entertainment/2018/04/antoine_dodson_discusses_bed_i.html|url-status=live|access-date=2021-02-21|website=AL/The Birmingham News|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210917115851/https://www.al.com/entertainment/2018/04/antoine_dodson_discusses_bed_i.html |archive-date=September 17, 2021 }}</ref> Dodson also said he enjoyed working at Huntsville City Schools, where his nephews and nieces were enrolled, especially after having earned a license to become a substitute teacher.<ref name=":0" />

==Discography==

===Singles===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|+List of singles, with selected chart positions and certifications
! rowspan="2" | Title
! rowspan="2" | Year
! colspan="2" | Peak chart positions
! rowspan="2" | Certifications
|-
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| US<br /><ref>{{Cite magazine |title=The Gregory Brothers Chart History: Hot 100 |url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/the-gregory-brothers/chart-history/hsi/ |access-date=June 1, 2023 |magazine=Billboard}}</ref>
! scope="col" style="width:3em;font-size:90%;"| UK<br /><ref name="UK">{{Cite journal |title=Official Singles Chart for the week ending 22 January 2011 |journal=ChartsPlus |location=Liverpool |publisher=UKChartsPlus |issue=491 |pages=1–4}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| "[[Social:Bed Intruder Song|Bed Intruder Song]]"<br />{{Small|(with The Gregory Brothers featuring Kelly Dodson)}}
| 2010
| 89 || 180
|
* RIAA: Platinum<ref>{{Cite web |title=Gold & Platinum: Antoine Dodson |url=https://www.riaa.com/gold-platinum/?tab_active=default-award&se=antoine+dodson#search_section |access-date=June 1, 2023 |website=RIAA}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row"| "Lovesick Lullaby"<br />{{Small|(featuring Brent Morgan)}}<ref>{{cite web |date=2012-04-02 |title=Antoine Dodson's new song, and guess what? It ain't half bad! |url=http://www.lipstickalley.com/showthread.php/367285-Antione-Dodson-s-new-song-and-guess-what-IT-AIN-T-HALF-BAD!!! |access-date=2015-09-19 |publisher=Lipstick Alley }}{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>
| 2012
| — || —
|
|-
! scope="row"| "Get This Party Started"<br />{{Small|(featuring Chiyna Lee)}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=Get This Party Started (feat. Chiyna Lee) - Single by Antoine Dodson on Apple Music |url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/get-this-party-started-feat-chiyna-lee-single/1370103905 |access-date=June 1, 2023 |website=Apple Music}}</ref>
|2018
| — || —
|
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{IMDb name|4135756}}
* [https://www.cameo.com/antoine.dodson/feed/6250bbbf597462c9e3d1ce60 Antoine Dodson] at [[Cameo (website)|Cameo]]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Dodson, Antoine}}
[[Category:Internet memes]]

pt:Anexo:Lista de fenômenos da Internet#Antoine Dodson

{{Sourceattribution|Antoine Dodson}}