Greg Brady -- you know, from the Brady Bunch -- isn't really Greg Brady, though Barry Williams, the actor who played the iconic character, doesn't mind if you call him that. In fact, the character serves as an excellent brand vehicle by which Williams can reinvent himself online via a new social network for fans called
"I always reinvent myself as Greg Brady," Williams tells me in a phone interview. But Greg Brady fans should come expecting to see a lot more of Barry Williams.
"I'm well aware that most people are familiar with that name attached to my face and that's just fine. If they come looking for Greg Brady I think they will be disappointed because it's Barry William's fingerprint all over the blog. But it's also to let people know that I am comfortable with that."
But he's not really comfortable with calling it a Brady Bunch fan site either. Though there will be places there for fans to ask questions and discuss things like the license number of the car when the whole crew went to the Grand Canyon, or what really happened to Tiger, the site is more about current events, reconnecting with fans and maintaining relationships.
Besides, what really happened to Tiger is addressed in his book, Growing Up Brady, which is available for purchase via The Greg Brady Project, along with Brady Bunch action figures. "I felt that when Greg Brady actually became a bobblehead, I had made it. I had arrived."
And yes, he does have one on display. But the site's not about merchandizing, either. It's more about that social glue that is shared memory, or nostalgia, that bonds people together in the present. At the Greg Brady Project, fans of the show can connect to share about modern pop culture and um, "brady-ness," as Mr. Williams calls it.
That "brady-ness" can come from anybody, which is why Williams has employed 
The draw of celebrity, Williams hopes, will also bring more attention to a charitable cause called "
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!