The cult of Westchesterson keeps on spreading as the Agawam native's music video continues to crop up in cyberland.
Agawam native Doc Westchesterson has scored a big hit with his rap video "413," an homage to the people and places of Western Massachusetts. The video has already racked up more than 87,000 YouTube hits since Friday.He's short. He's smart. He's funny.
And his catchy rap video featuring well-known Western Massachusetts landmarks is nearing 100,000 views on YouTube, the popular online video-sharing site that has skyrocketed regular Joes and Janes to national and, in some cases, international fame. In short, the pipe-puffing man with the brown polyester suit has become a virtual overnight star from the "413," the area code for this region.
We're referring to Agawam's own Doc Westchesterson, also known as Dr. Westchesterson, a self-described MD who went on the lam after running afoul of the law in Oregon due to an apparent penchant for "prescribing" medical marijuana to people. Separating truth from fiction with the good doctor, who's apparently holed up at his parents' Agawam home ("living underground, on the fringes of society," according to his blog), may prove to be a Herculean challenge.
In the meantime, though, the doctor is enjoying his 15 minutes of fame, which could last a good deal longer — especially if he produces a follow-up effort to his 3½-minute "413" video, which already has racked up nearly 87,000 YouTube hits since going viral on Friday.
As the so-called social media experts continue to debate what exactly constitutes a "viral video" — some say 1 million views, others say 5 million — there's no doubt that Dr. Westchesterson has become a hometown hero to many residents of the 413. The doctor has scored interviews with all three local network TV news stations and continues to log air time on local radio programs, including the popular Bax & O'Brien show. Westchesterson gave a heartfelt shout-out to John O'Brien, who's undergoing cancer treatment and was absent when the doctor made a housecall on Tuesday.
Many Western Massachusetts residents are tired of the second-class-citizen status foisted on the region by the eastern portion of the state (FYI, the state line does not end just west of the Worcester city line). And many have responded favorably to the doctor's cure for classism: a fun video featuring the people and places that make the 413 a special place to live. Some locals say the video has even boosted their sense of hometown pride, which is sorely lacking in some parts of the region.
Boston-area media outlets are starting to pay attention, too, as the cult of Westchesterson spreads eastward. And his video is now listed as one of the seven-best viral videos on the Web.
Westchesterson is chronicling his meteoric ascent in "Deconstructing the Blur," a blow-by-blow, hour-by-hour blog account of his media appearances and daily comings and goings since the "413" video went up on YouTube. The moment of clarity for Westchesterson, when he acknowledges his fame is on the rise, apparently came at 12:27 p.m. Monday: "I realize that I've made it."
The deconstruction post includes a humorous bit about him wandering the streets of Springfield after forgetting to jot down the address for CBS 3, where he was scheduled to do a TV interview with the news station. Running late, he calls up rival station ABC 40 and asks for directions. Here's Westchesterson's 6:45 p.m. Monday entry about the mishap:
"I walk around aimlessly. I start to panic. I'm going to be late AGAIN! This time because I'm an idiot. I call Jessica at TV 40 and ask her if she can guide me to her station's competitor. She graciously obliges after kind of chuckling at what a dope I am."
In his blog entry for 12:26 p.m. Monday, Westchesterson sounds like a kid on Christmas morning:
"Steve Nagle from WAQY 102.1 FM calls to arrange an interview on the Bax and O'Brien morning show at 7 a.m. tomorrow morning. I'm going to be on (expletiive) Bax and O'Brien talking about my music. On the frequency that has been my default station since I popped out of the chute. I used to call and harass the DJ's to play KISS songs when I was 7 years old."
WATCH Westchesterson's "413" video: