Chapter 1: What is Boy Throb and why is it going viral?
There's a new boy band that's going viral on social media. They're called Boythrob.
Boythrob debuted on TikTok in November.
Their vibe is lighthearted, and the boys are often decked out in a set of pink velour tracksuits. Think NSYNC meets K-pop, but on a smaller budget. There are four members, Evan Papir, Anthony Key, Zachary Sabania, and Darshan Magdoom.
I'm Darshan. I'm stuck in India.
This is one thing that really makes the band stand out. While three of the boy throbs dance in sunny California, the fourth one, Darshan, is pasted into their videos using a green screen. Because he's in Mumbai, in India.
We feel incomplete without Darshan.
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Chapter 2: Who is Darshan Magdum and what challenges does he face?
Our immigration lawyer told us we need one million followers in order for Darshan to be given a visa so he can sing and dance with us on U.S. soil.
We'd really love to meet him. Will you help bring him to America by following us?
To make their musical dreams come true, the band wants to get Darshan to the U.S. But for that, he needs a visa. And so they started singing about it. Here's our colleague Michelle Hackman, who covers immigration and, these days, boy bands.
So this video comes out and like three people almost instantaneously text me this Instagram reel because I guess it's like peak Michelle content. Like it's really on the nose for me. And they're singing about the O-1 visa.
Yeah.
Which is like kind of a deep cut visa. It's not even the one that like most people know. And it's very accurate.
A petition's been submitted and is awaiting its review. USCIS will adjudicate in 15 business days. Adjudicate means formal judgment. We hope it goes our way. For someone who's like a huge immigration nerd, I was like, what? To schedule this can take a month. So while we wait, we sing. And if all this goes according to plan, I'll be here in the spring. I will be in America soon. Straight boy drop.
But actually getting Darshan stateside is not that simple, because Boithraab needs to earn one big fan, the U.S. government. Welcome to The Journal, our show about money, business, and power. I'm Jessica Mendoza. It's Monday, February 16th. We've got a lighter listen for the holiday weekend. Coming up on the show, Boy Throb's quest to bring Darshan to the U.S.
This is the journey.
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Chapter 3: What is the visa process for extraordinary ability?
This is me for me and for everyone.
For the rest of you guys, what is it about Darshan that made you think, you know, this is the guy, this is our fourth?
Oh, well, first of all, he's so darn cute.
I mean, look at him. I can argue that. Thank you.
Yeah, man. When we saw Darshan, you know, we've seen that he's killing it in India. You know, he's sweet. He's very successful in India. Imagine what he can do, you know, here with us. But it was just like one little problem. Darshan doesn't have a visa to get to America.
That problem didn't stop the rest of the band. They got themselves an immigration lawyer who told them that the more famous they were as a band, the better their chances would be to get Darshan a visa.
The lawyer they consulted said, well, it would be really great if you had a million followers on TikTok because that would show you guys are like a real deal. You're really viral.
So, Boythrob, a name their fans came up with, by the way, started posting more videos. And they decided that they wouldn't hide the fact that Darshan was stuck outside the U.S. Instead, they would make it a part of their story.
Oh, I like Darshan in the U.S.A. Oh, I need him here by New Year's Day. It's the way Boythrob can stay in L.A.
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Chapter 4: How does Boy Throb plan to gain followers for Darshan's visa?
For example, you know, have you exhibited your artwork at this, you know, well-known fancy gallery? Are you getting write-ups in places that you can't pay for, like the Wall Street Journal that are independent arbiters of how good you are?
Have you seen other cases of influencers or people who are internet famous trying to apply for O-1 visas?
I mean, one kind of funny case is that a lot of OnlyFans stars are using the O-1 process and arguing that they're extraordinary because of how much they're getting paid, how many fans they have on OnlyFans.
That is unusual.
Not something I ever thought I would be talking about at work.
I mean, could this redefine what extraordinary ability means?
I definitely think that there's a broadening going on here that we have to think about art in sort of new ways. In some ways, it's really fun to think about, like, you know, what counts as art, what counts as worthy art.
The way U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services puts it on its website, applicants have to, quote, demonstrate extraordinary ability by sustained national or international acclaim. For Boithraub, that basically means they need to make it big. And the band's been working on it. Boythrob has grown its social media following to more than a million on TikTok.
In the past few months, they've been featured in outlets like Teen Vogue, Cosmo, and yes, the Wall Street Journal. Actually, it's possible that an immigration officer is listening to this podcast right now. So hi there. The band also released a single called Finger. They're also getting attention from establishment forces in entertainment.
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