patriciaduffxy: Instagram prankster finds way into celeb pics

Friday, May 31, 2013

Instagram prankster finds way into celeb pics

Pop culture

Kurt Schlosser TODAY

1 hour ago

If you think celebrities are Photoshopped in many of the images they appear in, you're going to love the work of Instagram user PeejeT.

The 25-year-old, who goes by what he calls his "stage name" on the photo-sharing site and Twitter, is gaining attention and followers for his very fun ability to insert himself into events where only celebs previously existed.

@PeejeT

Instagram user PeejeT gives himself a seat next to Kim Kardashian, right, and shares a laugh with Jay-Z and Beyonce as Kanye West gets pushed back a row.

Many of his 100 or so photos have him sitting next to -- or on the lap of -- some of the leading women and men of hip-hop. And it's not a stretch to say PeejeT has a thing for Beyonce, Rihanna and Kim Kardashian in particular.

"Yeah, I am a fan of hip-hop and all of those ladies," PeejeT said via email on Thursday. "I'm sure they think I'm the weirdest dude ever."

Judging by the comments on Instagram, his 64,000 followers think he's hilarious. There he is sitting next to Kardashian at an awards show, with Kanye sulking in the background. Ever wanted to vacation with Beyonce? PeejeT took the liberty of making that happen for himself, despite the awkward presence of her husband, Jay-Z.

@PeejeT

PeejeT is poolside with Beyonce -- take another lap, Jay-Z.

"I've gotten some replies and re-tweets from the celebs themselves. It's cool when they realize it's all in good fun," PeejeT said. "Some hardcore fans of these people do send me tweets begging me to stop followed by many frowny faces. I'm sure Jay-Z, Kanye, and Chris Brown aren't my biggest fans either ... ha!"

What makes the photos fun is a mix of the moment PeejeT chooses to insert himself into, and the relatively amateur manipulation of the photos with the editing software.

"I don't claim to be some graphic design wizard or anything," PeejeT said. "I'm just a guy that downloaded and taught myself how to use Photoshop a couple years ago thinking it would be funny to put myself in some pictures with celebs. I started doing them for something my friends and I can laugh at."

He told The Daily Dot that he chooses pics by whatever is trending on Twitter.

"For instance, when Miguel leg dropped that fan at the Billboard Music Awards everyone was talking about it so I tried to get as creative and funny with it as I can," PeejeT said. "I just love making people laugh."

And for a guy whose web identity is growing by the moment thanks to this labor of love, PeejeT preferred not to take a phone call on Thursday ... because he was "at work."