Fans of '80s and '90s teen sitcoms have been both appalled and enthralled by the infamous Dustin Diamond video circulating on the Internet. In the Dustin Diamond tape,
the former teen actor all grown up, was shown cavorting with two hired escorts. But it wasn't your run-of-the- mill celebrity sex tape -- rather, the Dustin Diamond tape seemed unbelievably graphic, crude, and even scatological.
Most fans, though, prefer to remember the actor before the Dustin Diamond video. Years before the Dustin Diamond tape, he was known for playing television's Screech, the annoying yet sometimes lovable nerd with a high-pitched voice on four different Saved By the Bell-related series. The character was so iconic, though, that soon Dustin Diamond himself became synonymous with it.
Maybe that's why he released the Dustin Diamond tape, to break away from that rep. The last Saved by the Bell series went off the air in 2000. So what has he been up to since then?
Well, besides the X-rated Dustin Diamond video, he's remained in the entertainment industry. Often it's been as himself or in cameo roles, including a more family-friend Dustin Diamond video role in an American Pie spinoff movie. He's also wrestled with Hulk Hogan, and starred on VH1's Celebrity Fit Club, just a year after the Dustin Diamond tape appeared.
So why the fuss about the Dustin Diamond video? Many saw the Dustin Diamond tape as a way to cash in and get extra attention for a waning career. In fact, he himself produced and helped distribute the Dustin Diamond tape! Unfortunately, the Dustin Diamond video was not much of a commercial success.
Beyond the infamy of the Dustin Diamond tape and reality TV, he's continued to find new ways to profit from his fame. The adult Dustin Diamond video might even be a plus to some fans who appreciate that he's grown up.
This summer he'll even appear at one of the most unusual festivals in the country, the Gathering of the Juggalos. The event, this year from August 10 to 14, brings together the best hard rock and underground hip-hop artists alongside comedians, wrestlers, and other personalities.
So what will he do onstage? Will he mention the infamous Dustin Diamond video? Or will he wrestle? Whatever happens, it's sure to be a highlight of the festival and an act for the gossip pages.
