Benni Cinkle from the Rebecca Black "Friday" video is using her Internet fame to take on bullying, discrimination, and other tough issues.
"That Girl in Pink" Benni Cinkle was just 13 years old when Rebecca Black's "Friday" video gained Internet infamy - though you would never guess it from the way she's handled her fame. That's because Cinkle has used her influence to rally support for the causes she believes in.
As her "Friday" fan base grew (Cinkle has hundreds of thousands of followers on her Facebook, tumblr, and Twitter - all as a result of her brief appearance in the Rebecca Black "Friday" video), Cinkle saw an opportunity and decided to use her new-found platform to talk about a few things that had been on her mind for a while.
A year before Rebecca Black asked Cinkle to dance in her "Friday" video, Cinkle had discovered SixBillionSecrets.com, a website where anonymous teens can share their experiences with bullying, abuse, rape, and shame. "It was awful to read such heartbreaking stories, but at the same time I was very inspired. I knew if these kids could overcome such amazing obstacles, I could do big things with my life, too." Cinkle recalled.
Those thoughts became a song, which Cinkle showed to her mom a year later, after the Rebecca Black "Friday" video exploded on YouTube. "Initially, Benni's song was a ballad," Pati Cinkle noted. "But what she really wanted was an upbeat song that gave hope to kids who would hear it."
A few phone calls later, and Cinkle had booked studio time to record her first song, "Can You See Me Now."
After recording her song, the next step was for Cinkle to create a music video, which she did by weaving together six common themes found in stories on SixBillionSecrets.com. The video deals with child abuse, homophobia, teen pregnancy, bulimia, bullying and cutting. "My video sheds light on the experiences some kids and teens face every day. If this is really happening, we need to be talking about it," Cinkle stated. "I wanted to get the conversation started and show my support for teens who face these tough issues."
The sixth story deals with bullying and was pulled from Cinkle's own experiences in the wake of backlash and cyberbullying caused by the Rebecca Black "Friday" video. "All the words that flash across the screen were said to me online after people watched that video," Cinkle pointed out. "I knew if I was getting cyberbullied, there must be a lot of other kids dealing with it too. I wanted to show them that they aren't alone and that it isn't their fault."
Despite the subject matter, the overall message of the video is one of hope and encouragement. "I want whoever watches this video to know that the things they are dealing with will make them stronger, that they can get through it, and that there's hope," Cinkle added with a smile. "If I can touch just one person with that message, then I'll be happy."
"That Girl in Pink" Benni Cinkle was just 13 years old when Rebecca Black's "Friday" video gained Internet infamy - though you would never guess it from the way she's handled her fame. That's because Cinkle has used her influence to rally support for the causes she believes in.
As her "Friday" fan base grew (Cinkle has hundreds of thousands of followers on her Facebook, tumblr, and Twitter - all as a result of her brief appearance in the Rebecca Black "Friday" video), Cinkle saw an opportunity and decided to use her new-found platform to talk about a few things that had been on her mind for a while.
A year before Rebecca Black asked Cinkle to dance in her "Friday" video, Cinkle had discovered SixBillionSecrets.com, a website where anonymous teens can share their experiences with bullying, abuse, rape, and shame. "It was awful to read such heartbreaking stories, but at the same time I was very inspired. I knew if these kids could overcome such amazing obstacles, I could do big things with my life, too." Cinkle recalled.
Those thoughts became a song, which Cinkle showed to her mom a year later, after the Rebecca Black "Friday" video exploded on YouTube. "Initially, Benni's song was a ballad," Pati Cinkle noted. "But what she really wanted was an upbeat song that gave hope to kids who would hear it."
A few phone calls later, and Cinkle had booked studio time to record her first song, "Can You See Me Now."
After recording her song, the next step was for Cinkle to create a music video, which she did by weaving together six common themes found in stories on SixBillionSecrets.com. The video deals with child abuse, homophobia, teen pregnancy, bulimia, bullying and cutting. "My video sheds light on the experiences some kids and teens face every day. If this is really happening, we need to be talking about it," Cinkle stated. "I wanted to get the conversation started and show my support for teens who face these tough issues."
The sixth story deals with bullying and was pulled from Cinkle's own experiences in the wake of backlash and cyberbullying caused by the Rebecca Black "Friday" video. "All the words that flash across the screen were said to me online after people watched that video," Cinkle pointed out. "I knew if I was getting cyberbullied, there must be a lot of other kids dealing with it too. I wanted to show them that they aren't alone and that it isn't their fault."
Despite the subject matter, the overall message of the video is one of hope and encouragement. "I want whoever watches this video to know that the things they are dealing with will make them stronger, that they can get through it, and that there's hope," Cinkle added with a smile. "If I can touch just one person with that message, then I'll be happy."
About the Author:
More information on Benni Cinkle is available on her non-profit website That Girl in Pink and YouTube channel.. This article, Rebecca Black "Friday" Break-Out Star's Debut Single and Video Tackle the Hard Issues is available for free reprint.