JoshHarriswasthedecadentgoldenboyotthedot-comboom;$100millionlater,hewokeupbrokeonanapplefarm.Nowhe'splottinghiscomeback.

BYJIMHANAS

[secondacts]

TheBubble

Boy

BLOWINGSMOKE?

-----

HarristhinkshisnextcompanywillsupplantYouTubeandestablish

Someday,JoshHarris

wouldliketotakeoverParis'sPompidouCenter.Hd:iliketocommandeertheentireMetropolitanMuseumofArt.He'dliketoberememberedasoneofthefirstgreatartistsofthe21stcenturyButrightnow-twodaysafterLaborDay-heneedsmoneyTheventurecapitalistsareoffthebeachesandbackattheirdesks,andHarrisisworkingthephones,tryingtoscareupfundingforOperator11,hisnascent"socialtelevisionnetwork.""Iwasworth$80to$100millionatonemomentintime,"hesays,gnawingonanunlitMontecristointheofficespaceherentsinLosAngeles,acrossSantaMonicaBoulevardfromtheHollywoodForevercemetery"AndnowI'mnegative.Ifthisfails,I'vegottogoworkforMcDonald's."He'skidding,butthereisatouchofdesperationinhisvoice.Harris'sfortunepeakedalongwithNasdaqinthespringof2000.Byautumnofthatyear,Pseudo,hisInternetbroadcastingcompany-whichwasbackedbymajorinvestorslikeIntel,yetattractedanoddballcoterieofartistsandhangerson-wasdead.JupiterCommunications,the

researchcompanyhehadfounded15yearsearlier,wasintroubleaswell.Themassivepoolofmoneyhehadreliedontofundextravaganthappeningslike"Quiet,"amonthlong,$1.8millionbashtowelcomethemillennium,quicklyevaporated.

"By

JulyS1£2000,IknewIwasfucked,"headmits."Ijustdidn'tknowhowfucked."WiththeburstingoftheInternetbubble,thecompany'sIPOprospectsquicklyfaded.HarrisfailedtounloadPseudoon'oneofthebigs"-AOL/TimeWarnerandCBSwere

candidates-andexistinginvestorsdeclinedtothrowinmorethanthe$36millionthey'dalreadyspent.Desperatetostayinthegame,heriggedhisBroadwayloftwithsurveillancecameras,enablinghimand

his

thengirlfriend,TlnyaCorrin,tobroadcasttheirlivesontheInternet-aprojecthedubbed"WeLiveinPublic."HarrishadsuggestedtoCorrinthatfootageofthecouple'sday-to-dayexistencewouldendupinamuseum,andthattheexperimentwouldlaunchathrivingbusiness,sellingBigBrotherstylecamerasetupstotapintothepublic's"pent-updemandforpersonalcelebridom.""WeLive

Public"wassupposedtorunfor100days,butCorrin-whowassouncomfortablewiththearrangementthatshewasafraidtousethetoilet-leftafter81,declaringtheexperience"averypublicnightmare,"andherrelationshipwithHarris'empty."(Heclaimshethrewherout.)Meanwhile,hewaswatchinghisnetworthapproachzeroandslowlycomingunglued."Icracked,"headmits."Iwaswiththesecamerasandlivinginpublic,anditcrackedme."EvenCorrinadmitsshefeltsorryforhim,watchinghimsleepaloneunderhisownsurveillancecalnerasduringthefinaldaysoftheproject.Now,morethansevenyearslater,Harrishasl'utonsomeweight,andagehasgivenhisfaceahardandseriouslook.(HecouldreasonablypassforAlGore'sintenseyoungerbrother.)Hewearsagrayworkshirtsilk-screenedwiththelogoforLivingstonOrchards,theISO-acrefarmheboughtinupstateNewYorkafterthe'WeLiveinPublic"debacle.Theplanwastogofromthecenteroftheworldtothefringe,toescapetheinsanityofSiliconAlleyforalifeofcontemplationandphysicalwork,wheretheonlyMacintoshhe'dhavetoworryaboutwasthekindpeopleeat."IthinkJoshburnedout-helivedreallyfastinaveryshorttime,"saysNancySmith,amemberofHarris'scirclewhofrequentlyvisitedhimupstate."Itwasgoodthathewentuptothefar111orecover."Hiswasnotarecoveryintheusualsense,however.Insteadofdrugs,hesays,hehadOD'don"mediatedsustenance"seekingtointensifyhisownlifeandconsciousnessbymakingitamediaevent."Iwasusingtheonlinewatcherstoseemyownself,andwhoIwas,andthepartofmeIneededtochange,"hesays."[Thatprocess]changedmeinawayI'mhappywith.ItmademewhoIwantedtobe."Butitwasalsooverwhehningenoughthatheneededfiveyearsaloneonanapplefarmtopullhimselfbacktogether.

JasonCalacanis,founder

ofthe

SiliconAlley

Reporter

andthesearchenginestart-upMahalo,hasknownHarrissincetireearlydays.Atarecentconferenceonpodcasting,heflashedHarris'spictureuponascreenandaskedifanyonerecognizedhim.Nobodydid."It'sironic,"Calacanissays,"becausealotofwhatpeoplearedoingtodayintermsofpodcastingandtryingtocreateshowsforthemedium,Joshdidin1996."Duringtheboom,HarriswasafixtureinNewYorkmedia,bothasdarlingandpunchingbag.

New}Ork

magazineput

him

onitscoverinlate1999,declaringhim"TheWarholofWebTV,"andgossipcolumnstrackedhiseverymove.Hisstoryhadinherentappeal.Havingstartedoutasageekynumbercruncher,foundingJupitertoofferanalyticalservicestoonlinefirmsbeforemostpeopleknewwhattheInternetwas,heeventuallydecidedhewantedinontheactionandconvincedonlineproviderProdigytolethimrunitschatrooms.Pseudowasthenextstep-aWebtelevisionnetworkthatalloweduserstochatwithoneanotherwhiletheywatched.AstheInternetblewupandusheredinaneraofstunningexcessandself-indulgence,Harris-theformerwonk-becameoneofitsflashiestandmostprofligatefigures.PseudosharedabuildingatthecornerofBroadwayandHoustoninSoHowithart-worldtitansJeffKoonsandMarkKostabi.VariouscolorfulcharactersdriftedintoHarris'sorbit,forgingascenethatproducedeverythingfromartopeningstoboxingmatchesandpublicorgies.In1998,hisinvestorsbecamenervousaboutthestrangegoings-onandinsistedonbringinginanewCEOtoreplaceHarris.Relievedofdayto-dayadministrativeduties,Harrisquicklybecameafulltimepatronandpuppetmaster,spendingmoneylike"sandthroughthefingersoftime,"ashesaidthen.AmongtheyoungandhiptechimpresariosofManhattan'sSiliconAlley,heemergedasasymbolofaneworder,inwhichworkwouldblendseamJesslyintoplay.Youcouldbecomeabillionaireentrepreneur,fulfillyourmostprofoundpersonalaspirations,andbeamediastar-allatthesametime.Thoughhebegantoseehisvariousprojectsasanewformofart-anInternetAgeversionofWarhol'sFactory-theartestablishmentneverknewquitewhattomakeofit.SmithrecallsthatHarrisandthosearoundhimweren'toverlyconcernedaboutthat.'Weweredoingthesehugeparties,"shesays.'Whocaredabouttherestoftheartworld?"Themostepicofthepartieswas"Quiet,"whichwasstagedonsixfloorsoftwobuildingsonlowerBroadway.Itwaspartrave,partStanfordPrisonExperiment.Incollaborationwithdozensofartists,Harrisconjuredadystopianfuture,completewithubiquitoussurveillancecameras,interrogationsbyparticipantstrainedbyaformerCIAspecialist,andcrampedcommunalbarracks.SculptorandBasquiat-forgerAlfredoMartinezinstalledafull-sizefiringrange.Thegunsshotonlyblanks,butamidtheirdinitwaseasytoforgetthatfact.Harrishimself,deckedoutashissinisterclownalterego,Luvvy,emceedalivesexshowinwhichhetriedtocoordinateasimultaneousorgasmfortheseveralcouplescopulatingonstage.Oneroomhousedan80-foot-IongtablewhereHarrisandcompanyservedupthreemealsaday,anddownwhichanudemarchingbandoccasionallyparaded.Vampirestendedbar.'Wedocumented,inamatterofdays,anentirecivilizationbeingsetup,"saysfilinmakerOndiTimoner-atthetimeyearsawayfromfinishingheracclaimedrockumentary

Dig!-whom

Harrishiredtorecordtheproceedings.ThepiecederesistancewasaJapanese-stylecapsulehoteloutfittedwithcamerasineverypod,andscreensthatallowedeachoccupanttomonitortheotherpods.Nearly100peoplecheckedinforthe10daysleadinguptotheNewYear-butonlyaftercompletingdetailedbackgroundquestionnaires,enduringintenseinterrogations,anddonriingorangeandgrayprisoner-styleuniforms.Everythingwasfree,aslongasyougaveuprightstoyourimage,whichwasconstantlybeingcaptured."Somepeoplecried,butthatwasJosh'sthing,"saysoneso-calledPodwellian,photographerDonnaFerrato."Hewantedtomakepeoplehurt,andgetembarrassedandscared,andfight."ByNewYear'sEve,thescenewasdevolvingintoalethargicmelangeofsex,drugs,andinterpersonalconflict,

Harris,decked

outashis

sinisterclown

alterego,

Luvvy,triedtocoordinateasim.ultaneousorgasm

forseveral

couplescopulatingonstage.

WWW.RADARONLlNE.COM

[secondacts]

"Iwokeupat

somepoint

andrealized.thatI'manartist,"

Harristold

hisdying

mothervia

videotape."Maybeone

ofthe

firstgreatartists

ofthe

21st

century."

WWW.RADARONLlNE.COM

andonJanuary1,withnoendinsight,theFDNY,NYPD,andFEMAarrivedtoshutitdown.Still,asaworkofart,theprojectwasasuccess.Artnet'sCharlieFinchcalledelementsof"Quiet""worthyofWarholathispeak,"whileAlannaHeiss,directorofNewYork'sP.S.1andanotherPodwellian,deemedthee~nt'oneofthemostextraordinaryactivitiesI'veeverattendedanywhereintheworld."

SittinginhisOperator11

offices,Harrisseemslikeamellowerversionofhisoldpersona.Hespeaksinanauthoritativedeadpan.Hishumor,whenitappears,isknowing,dry,andalmostneverathisownexpense.Thebrash•visionary-whoin2000announcedto

60Minutes's

BobSimonthathewasinaracetoputCBSoutofbusinessstillfavorstheprophetictonesheusedwhentellingSimonthat"BigBrotherishappening.It'saninevitablefact."Assomeonewhogrewupwatchingvastamountsoftelevision,Harrishasdevelopedanumberoftheoriesaboutmedia'spotentpsychologicaleffects."WhenyouwatchTV,you'reconditionedtoidolizethethingthatthecamera'spointingat,"hesays.Accordingtohim,whatweallreallywantistohavethecameraturnedonus,tobecomethethingthatweidolize.WhileWarholpredictedwewouldallbefamousfor15minutes,Harristhinks15minutesaday

morelikeit,andthattheInternetwillmakethispossible.Tosomeextent,thatwastheideabehindPseudo,whichallowedtheaudienceintotheframebypairingvideowithchat.Italsoinformed"Quiet,"whichprojectedafutureinwhichwewouldbecomeenslavedbyourowndesirefor

hisonlinefishbowl.

mediaexposure.'WeLiveinPublic"pushedthenotionevenfurtherbyturningHarris'sownapartmentintoasoundstage.AndthesameobsessionisattherootofOperator11,asocialnetworkingsitethatis,atleastintheory,muchmoredynamicthanFacebookorYouTube.Thecompany'sfreeproductisaco'i'nbinationofTVproductiontechnologyandteleconferencingsoftware.EachofOperatorl1'susersessentiallyrunshisorherownbroadcastchannel,buildingshowsoutofvideoclipsandlivecontributionsfromaudiencemembers.Anyonewhoiswatchingagivenuser'sshow-say,adiscussionabout.globalwarmingorrecentcelebrityantics(orboth)-canstartchattingwiththatpersonandrequesttobeincluded.Theprimaryusercanthencuttolivefeedsfromvariousaudiencememberswhowanttoaddtheirtwocents,muchlikeaproduceronacablenewsshowcutsbetweenshotsofremoteguests.Thelinebetweenviewerandparticipantisessentiallyerased.AndwhatcouldbemoreaddictivethanaTVshowstarringyou,yourfriendsandfamily,andaglobalcollectionofinterestedstrangers?Theaudienceforagivenprogrammaybesmall,butHarrisisbettingyouwon'tbeabletotakeyoureyes-orface-offit.''I'vegottheformuladownnow,"hesays."ImakethemostcompellingentertainmentontheInternettoday.That,I'msureof"It'saheadyboast-particularlyforyetanothersocialnetworkinanalreadycrowdedfield-butHarrisisquiteserious.Hebelieves"Quiet"wasthegreatestpartyinthehistoryofNewYorkCity,andthatthearrivaloftheauthoritieswasthegreatestafterparty.HethinksAndyWarholwashis