Today you’re not a celebrity if you aren’t on
Twitter. Even though twitter was
launched in 2006 it wasn’t popular until 2009. “Twitter had approximately 18.2 million users in May 2009,
increasing to 27.2 million by January 2010.” (Marwick 2011) Twitter makes
it possible for you and I to be “friends” with people like Kim Kardashian and
Rihanna. Twitter is where people
can make or break a brand for themselves, whether they are an up and coming
music star or a reality TV show star trying to get their show on the map.
Celebrities
who use Twitter use it to shape their personal brand and connect with fans.
This doesn’t always have a good outcome for each celebrity who tries it. Take for example, Amanda Bynes, she has
been off the acting scene for a while and her recent activity on Twitter is
destroying her reputation worse than her 2012 DUI arrest and charges of a hit
and run. (Jacobs 2013) Bynes
recently tweeted to rap star Drake that she wanted him to do sexual things to
her over Twitter. This comes along
with Bynes other tweets that “If I don’t follow you on Twitter, I hate
you.” Bynes tweets seem to be
tarnishing her reputation every 140 characters she chooses to tweet.
On
the other hand Kim Kardashian seems to be getting the best of what Twitter can offer
to a reality star. While connecting with her fans Kim is also getting paid from
companies like shoedazzle.com for each tweet she decides to send out. Reportedly around $10,000 is what
Kardashian makes for these tweets.
Kardashian uses twitter to show the good side of who she is so that she
doesn’t disappoint her follows.
Before she made her perfume she went straight to twitter to ask her
followers what type of smell it should have. “She’s the ninth most-followed person on Twitter, with 15.7 million
followers; why, according to one branding expert, she was recently tied with
Snooki at the pinnacle of the celebrity-loyalty index.” (Wallace 2012)
Other
celebrities like Snoop Dogg, Charlie Sheen and Whitney Port all get paid to
send out a simple tweet. Each one
of these tweets helps this celebrity make their brand even stronger. “We find that celebrity practice involves presenting a
seemingly authentic, intimate image of self while meeting fan expectations and
maintaining important relationships.” (Marwick 2011) Each one of these celebrities wants to give off the
impression that they are completely free with their tweets and they don’t hold
anything back. I am sure a lot of
celebrities do do their own tweets but most have their publicist tweet for them
as long as they OK it.
Musicians
and other stars that might not be as well known take to Twitter to make a name
for themselves. Once these celebrities get their name out there and get followers
it becomes much easier from them to build a fan base and make revenue. Especially bands that might be just
starting out and have one song on the radio. Twitter makes it easy for them to connect with their
fans. Twitter has become a
marketing tool for so many different acts today. You can either make or break yourself.
We
try to understand celebrities better through Twitter; we look at their tweets
and their pictures and monitor them as if we are actually friends with them. We try to get celebrities to notice us
by tweeting out to them with the (@) sign. If these people we follow do something
unworthy of our followership we unfollow them on Twitter and sometimes in real
life. Actions that these celebrities make could cost them their fans depending
on what is posted. That’s why each
tweet that gets posted is most likely to try and inform us or make us laugh.
“Twitter attracts actors, pop stars, authors, politicians,
and others with established fame, such as Oprah Winfrey, Senator John McCain,
Shaquille O’Neal and Weird Al. Although people known primarily for their online
presence, like marketer Pistachio and video blogger iJustine, are
well-represented on Twitter, the most-followed Twitter users are, for the most
part, the conventionally famous.” (Marwick 2011)
Twitter isn’t just for one type of celebrities, and it can
be beneficial for any celebrity to get on twitter and show their fans
appreciation. Twitter gives fans a
sense of friendship that they never thought they would experience with a person
they never met before.
Works Cited:
Jacobs,
Matthew. "Amanda Bynes Takes To Twitter Again: 'All That Matters Is What
Your Lover Thinks Of You'" The Huffington Post.
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 28 Mar. 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.
Lee,
Youyoung. "Kim Kardashian, Snoop Dogg Get Paid HOW Much To Tweet?" The
Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 29 Jan. 2012. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.
Marwick,
Alice. "To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter." Convergence: Journal of Research into New Media Convergence: The International
Technologies 17.2 (2011): 139-58. Sage. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.
Wallace,
Benjamin. "What Will the Fashion World Do With Kim Kardashian?" The
Cut. NY Magazine, 12 Aug. 2012. Web.
Social Media is changing the landscape for how celebrities interact with their fans. Twitter is one of those websites that many stars have flocked to in order to connect to their fan base. As Natalie stated, " Twitter makes it possible for you and I to be “friends” with people like Kim Kardashian and Rihanna." (Royals). Twitter is the bridge that connects you and I to celebrities.
ReplyDeleteCelebrities using social media are just another part of the whole celebrity package. Theses days a celebrity needs to have many more aspect to them then just acting or singing. People want the personal connection, so that they feel as if they are friends and can relate to a celebrity. In an article titled Hollywood's Twitter Jitters Mara Buxbaum states, ‘One of the basic questions that studios now ask actors early on is whether they are on social media, because if they are, then they want to figure out ways to cross-promote,''(Markovitz). In a world we everyone is always connected online it is important that celebrities are not social media sites like twitter promoting their brand as well as talking to fans.
It is really important for celebrities to engage fans on Twitter because if is done right there is a whole lot that can be gained. The authenticity of a celebrities tweets play a big factor whether they get a big following or not. Kim Kardashian is using Twitter how it is supposed to be used. She constantly retweets her fans. This is important because even if it is just a few fans, it should seen that the celebrity is interactive and authentic. Additionally Kim Kardashian gets paid to send tweets. It is best described in To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter, "... A restaurant’s floor is frontstage, since employees must interact in front of an audience of bosses and customers. More candid talk between servers can take place backstage, away from the watchful eye of the employer" (Marwick, 144). This is the same with Kim Kardashian, she interacts with her fans and tries to make it an authentic experience that her followers can enjoy. On the other hand this is also part of the job of being a celebrity and she is getting paid endorsements to promote brands. Kim Kardashian has such an influence on so many of her followers that when she plugs the website Shoedazzle.com she earns $10,000 per mention (Lee). This is beneficial for both Shoedazzle.com and Kim Kardashian as both of their brands are generate buzz.
On the other hand there are some celebrities whose careers have faulted from Twitter. Recently, former child star Amanda Bynes has recently been tweeting bizarre tweets such as, " It doesn't matter what you think about yourself. All that matters is what your lover thinks of you" (Jacobs). She also tweeted that to rapper Drake saying something inappropriate (Jacobs). These are examples of how celebrity can be used the wrong way on twitter. Since these tweets she is in the news about how she is falling apart and how she is not the girl viewers thought she was.
Twitter is a great social media site where celebrities are in control of how they want to be perceived. There are really positive upsides like Kim Kardashian's brand, and downsides the mess Amanda Bynes has put her self into. At the end of the day it is all a business and Twitter is just another part of being a celebrity.
Work Cited
Jacobs, Matthew. "Amanda Bynes Takes To Twitter Again: 'All That Matters Is What Your Lover Thinks Of You'" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 28 Mar. 2013. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.
Lee, Youyoung. "Kim Kardashian, Snoop Dogg Get Paid HOW Much To Tweet?" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 29 Jan. 2012. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.
Markovitz, Adam. "Hollywood's Twitter Jitters." EW.com. N.p., 07 Dec. 2012. Web. 31 Mar. 2013.
Marwick, Alice. "To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter." Convergence: Journal of Research into New Media Convergence: The International Technologies 17.2 (2011): 139-58.Sage. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.
Twitter has been an up and coming form of social media over the past few years. It is designed for people to express themselves in 140 characters or less, and allows users to follow their friends, family, and most importantly, celebrities. Many users are using Twitter in order to stay updated on what their favorite celebrity is doing, allowing the fans to connect more on a personal level with celebrities.
ReplyDeleteCelebrities are a main reason why Twitter has been so successful as a form of social media. “Although people known primarily for their online presence… are well-represented on Twitter, the most-followed Twitter users are, for the most part conventionally famous” (Boyd, Marwick). We are able to stay updated more easily, and feel a sense of connection with these celebrities because we are able to immediately know what they are doing and have the ability to communicate with them. Not only can we contact them, but celebrities may also tweet back at us, giving us a feeling of excitement. Twitter also gives an opportunity for the celebrities to promote themselves or their work. As stated in Hollywood’s Twitter Jitters, social media “is increasingly critical now that actors’ accounts on services like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook have become key parts of the publicity machine.” Through these forms of social media, celebrities are able to give sneak previews, show pictures of the set, and promote a movie or song they are working on. Fans thrive off of this because they want to know what is coming out next or any secrets of a new movie or song.
Although Twitter has helped celebrities to boost their fan base and promote themselves and their work, there have also been some issues when it comes to twitter content. Some celebrities have been known to tweet some inappropriate things, causing a scene in the media and having to have a public apology. As Natalie brings up in her blog, Amanda Bynes is one celebrity that has posted inappropriate comments. Amanda Bynes isn’t the only celebrity that has gotten into trouble though. Many professional athletes have had issues with Twitter and other social media sites as well. For example, Rashard Mendenhall of the Steelers and Tony Sanchez of the Pirates posted offensive comments, and were required to apologize to those they offended. With the resources of social media, celebrities and even average people must be careful of what they post because it can come back to haunt them in the future.
Twitter has some other positive uses as well though. As Natalie says in her blog, musicians and other stars that are not well known have been using Twitter in order to boost their popularity. “…Musicians just are who they are- and that’s easier for people to connect with online” (Markovitz). This just goes to show that Twitter is a great way for people to become known, just as musicians used to use Myspace. Word spreads like wildfire through this type of social media, and Twitter is a world of opportunity for celebrities waiting to be found.
Overall, Twitter has its ups and downs for celebrities, but does not seem as though it is going to go away in the near future. Twitter is one part of social media that has allowed for a close-knit relationship between celebrities and fans, causing a tremendous change in the way celebrities interact with their fans.
Works Cited
Marwick, Alice and Danah Boyd, “To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter,” Convergence 17.2 (2011): 139 – 158.
Markovitz, Adam. "Hollywood's Twitter Jitters." EW.com. N.p., 07 Dec. 2012. Web. 31 Mar. 2013.
Twitter fits right in with today’s society. With the ever-growing incline of reality television shows, it is obvious that people today want to witness every part of their favorite celebrity’s life. For instance, the Kardashian’s, just one family, have multiple television shows that their dedicated fans watch religiously. However, the great part for these fans is once they turn off their TV, they can just go to their phone or computer and check out the latest tweets from any one of the sisters from the show. Fans especially love the feeling they get when they feel as if their favorite celebrity has personally interacted with them in some way. Some celebrities are very good with attempting to respond to those that tweet at them—at least a few people a day. This personal touch creates an even stronger bond the fan feels toward the celebrity. “Part of the appeal of Twitter…is the perception of direct access to a famous person, particularly ‘insider’ information, first-person pictures, and opinionated statement (Marwick). Once the celebrity understands that their tweets directly affect the climate of their fans’ attitudes toward them, they are then able to craft a specific plan of how to effectively brand themselves.
ReplyDeleteTwitter, as is evident by the 3.8 million followers Justin Bieber has, is an extremely popular and effective tool for artists and musicians. Eight of the top ten Twitter accounts with the most followers is an artist or musician. It’s no surprise that Rihanna and Lady Gaga are high at the top of these ranks; they are, after all, extremely popular artists. But why aren’t actors and actresses with equal fame like Jennifer Lawrence or Daniel Radcliffe rivaling them? Markovitz points out that “movie actors might…be leery about posting too much about work because they don’t want any on job to define them, whereas musicians are inherently represented by their work—and aren’t shy about plugging it” (Markovitz). It may take a while for movie actors to break the ice on social media, but maybe the public doesn’t really want to know too much about the actor when they are trying to envision them in a completely different role.
Finally, because Twitter is inherently public (those that set it to private—especially celebrities—clearly missed the point of the social media network), every single character is analyzed by an audience of critics. One tweet has the power to change the attitude someone might have toward a specific celebrity. This can be either positive or negative, but typically negative reactions travel quicker and penetrate deeper. Looking at this idea as a Media Studies major, it is clear that each celebrity should have a well-trained public relations staff before they begin typing 140 characters. While each tweet may not need to be passed by someone else before being sent, it is extremely important that the celebrity’s brand is represented properly and that they are not sending damaging tweets. Twitter can be used as such a profitable tool and is a great (and free) way of marketing one’s self to an audience of loyal fans.
Works Cited
Markovitz, Adam. "Hollywood's Twitter Jitters." EW.com. N.p., 07 Dec. 2012. Web. 31 Mar. 2013.
Marwick, Alice. "To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter." Convergence: Journal of Research into New Media Convergence: The International Technologies 17.2 (2011): 139-58.Sage. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.
In the past few years, it really seems as though Twitter has skyrocketed to the top of the social media world. I made my Twitter account last summer and it is by far the social media website that I utilize the most often. Twitter has brought a whole new dimension to fan-celebrity interaction. With Twitter , I feel that we have really gotten a better idea of who our favorite celebrities truly are. “Twitter allows celebrity practitioners to create a sense of closeness and familiarity between themselves and their followers (Marwick).” By following their favorite celebrities and interacting with them I feel like many people do feel like they have established a closer, “inside” relationship.
ReplyDeleteAlthough many rumors tend to originate on Twitter, I have found through my experience that if following reputable accounts, there is no faster way to get my news. There have been times that I have fell victim to false news on Twitter. Twitter has made the competition to break news even more intense and with that comes some tweets that are rushed without verifying sources. When the school shooting occurred in Connecticut in December, I remember my Twitter account blowing up that the shooter was a Quinnipiac student. This of course turned out to be false, as it was his brother but it showed how quickly a false rumor can generate on the internet.
Probably about 80% of my Twitter use occurs from my iPhone. I would guess that smart phones are the most popular way to access Twitter due to their convenience. I would say that I use Twitter more for news then to actually tweet. I am constantly checking scores and updates from my favorite sports teams and players. By having the ability to interact and follow coaches and players, I feel like it has definitely allowed fans to more closely connect with the team.
After reading the original post I was stunned to find out that some celebrities actually get paid to tweet. I find this pretty ridiculous, especially if they are not actually doing the tweeting and it is their publicist. Celebrities are no different then the average person when it comes to tweeting. They are not utilizing a special skill or talent, rather they are simply doing what everyone else does and saying what is on their mind.
While many celebrities have used Twitter in a positive way to establish fan interaction and relationships, there have been handful who have actually hurt their image. As discussed in the blog, Amanda Bynes has really further damaged her image lately just by inappropriate tweets. I have heard of instances where people have actually lost their jobs due to tweets. Gilbert Gottfried, who is a comedian that I follow, was fired from his job as the voice of the Aflac duck due to jokes on Twitter about the tsunami in Japan. There are also celebrities who are simply annoying to follow because they tweet their every move. I think Tom Hanks summed this up nicely when he said, ''I do not tweet things like 'Hey, just having some soup on a rainy day, I am more active when I have something to promote (Markowitz).” Out of all people celebrities should truly be the most careful about what they say on Twitter, as one spur of the moment tweet could forever put a negative mark on their career.
Works Cited
Marwick, Alice. "To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter." Convergence: Journal of Research into New Media Convergence: The International Technologies 17.2 (2011): 139-58. Sage. Web. 31 Mar. 2013.
Markovitz, Adam. "Hollywood's Twitter Jitters." EW.com. N.p., 07 Dec. 2012. Web. 31 Mar. 2013.
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ReplyDeleteSince Twitters creation in 2006, it has grown to be one of the most used social media sites by people worldwide. It has rapidly gained popularity, including celebrities and political figures, with over 500 million registered users as of late 2012. It generates over 340 million tweets daily and is one of the most visited websites on the internet (mashable.com). Twitter is used to connect with your friends and family as well as your favorite celebrities. It allows for fans to feel a closer more personal relationship with famous actors, musicians, comedians, etc. “The fragmented media landscape has created a shift in traditional understanding of ‘celebrity management’ from a highly controlled and regulated institutional model to one in which performers and personalities actively address and interact with fans” (Boyd, Marwick), in To See and Be See: Celebrity Practice on Twitter, Alice Marwick and Danah Boyd address the fact that celebrity personalities have gone from private figures to publically speaking out to fans about their life and personal issues.
ReplyDeleteUsers are able to stay updated about the daily lives of their favorite celebrities a lot easier now that Twitter exists. We are able to feel a sense of a connection with them especially since they have the ability to tweet back at us. Natalie brings up a great point with regards to how Twitter can either tarnish a celebrity’s reputation or improve it. Amanda Bynes is a great example of a celebrity whose status and character are being completely ruined by a simple tweet of 140 characters or less. John Mayer was another celebrity whose reputation is in jeopardy. In 2012 he used the N-word in an interview and proceeds to apologize via twitter while just making the entire situation worse (flavorwire.com). Mayer’s answer to the problem was to delete Twitter all together.
Although Twitter can have its down side for celebrities, it can also be extremely beneficial. Like Natalie brings up, musicians and other stars use Twitter and other forms of social media to help try and make a name for themselves. It allows for unknown artists and actors to get their name out there and reach a wider audience to gain followers and build a fan base. Twitter is also good for marketing uses. “One of the basic questions that studios now ask actors early on is whether they are on social media, because if they are, then they want to figure out ways to cross-promote” (Markovitz), here Adam Markovitz, author of Hollywood’s Twitter Jitters, explains how directors and producers are using celebrities twitter profiles, as well as other social media like Facebook and Instagram, to help promote their projects to a wider audience. Since social media continues to grow, it is a great way to market and support upcoming projects.
Twitter for celebrities is still part of their business. It has its ups and down but as of now it is not going away in the near future. I think that celebrities have come to that realization and are using Twitter to their advantage. It is a great way for celebrities to interact on a more intimate level with their fans as well as to help promote and inspire people with their music and movies. As long as you use it the right way, it will always be a great and beneficial social media site for celebrity powers.
Work Cited
Marwick, Alice. "To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter." Convergence: Journal of Research into New Media Convergence: The International Technologies 17.2 (2011): 139-58.Sage. Web. 28 Mar. 2013.
Markovitz, Adam. "Hollywood's Twitter Jitters." EW.com. N.p., 07 Dec. 2012. Web. 31 Mar. 2013.
Berman, Judy. "The Top 10 Celebrity Twitter Scandals." Flavorwire. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013. .
Cashmore, Pete. "Twitter Guide Book." Mashable. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2013.
I have to admit. I am not one to tweet and the most interaction I have on Twitter is when a friend tags me in a tweet in 140 characters or less. I am not a fan of Twitter and I have not come to the conclusion why yet. Social media has very strange patterns of people that are popular.
ReplyDeleteTwitter is a very interesting form of social media. The actors/musicians with the most followers are no surprise, but someone with very little following did surprise me. “It gets weirder: Ben Affleck, a Best Director front-runner for Argo, has 136,000 followers for his Twitter account, where he's been posting tidbits about his movie and charity projects every few days since June” (Markovitz). I love Ben Affleck and I’m sure many other females do. He is extremely attractive and brilliant in all that he tackles whether it be producing, acting or charity work. Is there anything this man can’t do? Maybe his fans should be more supportive of his work and not follow him for the individual he is.
In Ryan Pearson’s article, he mentions Selena’s interpretation of her fans going to show their support for her new movie. "I think they're really here to see me. I don't think they're here to see the movie," she said. "This was a little bit different. So yes, they shouldn't go see this" (Pearson). The fact that Selena believes the fans were really there to see her and not the movie says a lot about the influence social media has on fans.
What is the majority of the truth you see on Twitter? Natalie mentions that companies are paying celebrities to tweet. This has me thinking if the tweet is actually coming from the celebrity or if one of the interns is on the job around the clock. The tweet from Kim Kardashian for shoedazzle.com is really hard to believe that the words are coming from her mouth. I highly doubt Kim wears any shoe from that website due to the fact that she doesn’t wear anything other than brands, such as Christian Louboutin, that cost thousands of dollars for a single pair of heels. Natalie believes that the tweets from these celebrities are strengthening their brands, but I have to differ. I think the brands that are being made for themselves are dishonest. If anyone should be receiving support for a brand, it should be Ben Affleck for his charity, which should be trending.
Yes, Twitter does have positive advantages too, but sometimes the negative can really outweigh the positive. If a celebrity or better yet their intern makes one mistake, it can damage their reputation and career for the rest of their lives.
The best part about being a Media Studies major is that this new world is just beginning and the future has so much in store for us. We are such diamonds in the ruff at the moment because we have the knowledge that companies want to make money or get followers. It is a great time to be graduating college since there is such a high demand for people with social media expertise.
Works Cited
Markovitz, Adam. "Hollywood's Twitter Jitters." EW.com. N.p., 07 Dec. 2012. Web. 31 Mar. 2013.
Pearson, Ryan. “Selena Gomez in an “awkward” transition in R-rated “Spring Breakers”” Associated Press. 15 Mar. 2013.
In my opinion, Twitter is the most innovative form of social media in the current industry. Other sites like Facebook or Google+ are interested in creating a vast blank canvas for users to express themselves with detailed biographies, intricate friendship listings, and hundreds of connected applications. That’s all well and good, but it’s interesting to me how those sites, which are so open and free for users to do whatever they want, compete with Twitter, which lays out a strict set of rules about how much a user can create. By restricting tweets to only 140 characters, users are limited to expressing simple thoughts or ideas as opposed to the long, drawn out statuses of other sites. Simple is always an attractive concept, with all the clutter of the Internet in today’s world, “simple” appeals to the masses looking to keep things quick and easy. Not to mention it keeps some of the intrigue about a particular tweeter high. There’s not a lot you can really find out about someone on Twitter as opposed to Facebook or Google+ because biographies are limited to 160 characters and photos don’t contain tagging features that connect you to other’s uploads. Hence why I believe Twitter is such a hit with celebrities. Celebrities love their privacy, and most I know of have no affiliated Facebook page other than a fan page. Twitter is simple and secure enough that celebrities feel comfortable sharing their thoughts with their fans and keeping the rest under wraps.
ReplyDeleteWhat are the advantages of this, though? Why do we really need to know what’s going on in a celebrity’s life? Well first off it’s important to note that there are two types of celebrity twitter accounts. Although both can be “verified” (which essentially means Twitter themselves have confirmed this is in fact an official outlet for the celebrity in question), “ghost twitterers” can tweet from an account as a celebrity even if it really isn’t them (Marwick 143). These are usually easy to spot, for instance when a celebrity’s tweets are mainly advertisements for the work they have done or the work they will be doing. When celebrities really are behind their twitter, it can act as a way for fans to truly engage and feel incorporated with their favorite people. Twitter is a place where celebrities can showcase the fact that they too are human, and do human things like go to the grocery store or spend a night out with friends. Most people seem to forget this fact when gazing at their favorite celebs in magazines or on television, and creating a relatability factor in your brand can only increase the amount of fans you earn.
The downside? Twitter popularity can get a little out of hand. Justin Bieber has about 31 million followers on Twitter (Markovitz), and they are all young girls who take the star very seriously. When he allegedly was caught smoking weed in a picture, fans tweeted back images of themselves cutting their arms in protest. However, some might argue this has a lot less to do with twitter and a lot more to do with the psychological status of his cult-like fan base. As Natalie mentioned, though, celebrities like Amanda Bynes are digging themselves into PR holes by tweeting inappropriate things, and harming their chances of ever climbing back up the ladder of stardom.
Overall I think Twitter is a smart outlet for celebrities. As long as their tweets are honest and appropriate, creating a sort of close friend relationship fans will only increase their popularity and hopefully create enough buzz for them to keep getting work. And who doesn’t love the guilty pleasure of reading tweets like those of Amanda Bynes’ for a quick laugh? Sometimes there’s humor in the downfall of the rich and famous.
Works Cited
Markovitz, Adam. "Hollywood's Twitter Jitters." EW.com. N.p., 07 Dec.
2012. Web.
Marwick, Alice. "To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter."
Convergence: Journal of Research into New Media
Convergence: The International Technologies 17.2
(2011): 139-58. Sage. Web.
Social networking has really become a fundamental part of the global online experience. I am sure that many people these days get their first experience of the Internet through a social networking site. Twitter happens to be the one social networking site that I personally use the most and regularly. For the uninitiated, Twitter is a micro-blogging site where people post short messages online using up to 140 characters. It makes it possible for me to be friends with millions of people including my favorite athletes and celebrities by the click of simple icon called “follow” with the option to “unfollow” whenever you want to at your own choice.
ReplyDeleteCelebrities now because of Twitter will tell you what they are doing that given time as well as what they are looking forward to. By reconnecting with the fans they are proving they are real people just like us. It takes seconds for a celebrity to write a quick update on their mobile phone and you can even send them a direct message in response - although unsurprisingly the chances of a reply vary hugely.
As stated in To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter “Twitter allows celebrity practitioners to create a sense of closeness and familiarity between themselves and their followers.” (Marwick) Celebrities used to just use a simple web page in order to promote their brand and their image. You could conduct a simple Internet search and within minutes you would be linked to various websites about various celebrities. There are many celebrities who are now using twitter to bolster their brands because twitter has been growing incredibly over the past few years.
However, there is also a dark side to Twitter when it comes to celebrities. The brand of some celebrities has certainly taken a hit over the years for tweeting inappropriate things. All of them usually delete the tweet once they receive the backlash from all the critics. It never really matter because once the tweet is sent, it only take one person to see it and “retweet” it to one other person and it’ll spread to thousands people in a matter of minutes. Natalie brings up a great point in her blog by mentioning Amanda Bynes as one of the celebrities who should have probably let her public relations team “tweet” for her. However, she is not the only one that has posted many inappropriate things on twitter and got in trouble for it. Mark Cuban, the outspoken owner of the Dallas Mavericks, got fined for $25,000 for tweeting a complaint about the refereeing of a basketball game. Comedian Gilbert Gottfried, voice of the Aflac duck, made some jokes about the Japanese tsunami over Twitter and got fired. The list goes on and on, but the point is that celebrities and even us have to be careful with anything we post or “tweet” online because it’s there forever and you never know how it would affect you. What we do know is that we are living in a different era of technology and everything gets around quicker and faster than we’ve ever seen. As stated in Hollywood’s Twitter Jitters “Everybody is growing up online, there are unknown but soon-to-be-big stars who are already using social media.” (Markovitz)
The bottom line is that Twitter is by far the most important social networking trend out right now with the potential to be larger than Facebook in terms of numbers of users multiplied by numbers of messages read or sent. All our favorite celebrities are joining twitter and it’s very simple to use. What more would anybody want?
Works Cited
Marwick, Alice and Danah Boyd, “To See and Be Seen: Celebrity Practice on Twitter,” Convergence 17.2 (2011): 139 – 158.
Markovitz, Adam. "Hollywood's Twitter Jitters." EW.com. N.p., 07 Dec. 2012. Web. 31 Mar. 2013.