How Twitter rocks the celeb world

(First of two parts)

Twitter has rocked the celebrity world. Some are basking in the magnificence, speed and the borderless landscape of social networking while others are languishing in its pernicious powers and excessive vitriol. But first, let’s take a closer look at both worlds to understand how the relationship will eventually play out.

Let’s define Twitter. According to Wikipedia, “Twitter is an online social networking service and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, known as tweets.”

Still from Wikipedia, Twitter had its inception during a brainstorming session held by the board members of the podcasting company Odeo. Jack Dorsey introduced the idea of an individual using an SMS service to communicate with a small group. It is said that the first project code name for the service was twttr. On March 21, 2006, Dorsey posted the first Twitter message at 9:50 p.m. Pacific Standard Time (PST), “just setting up my twttr.” Then they came across the word “twitter.” According to Dorsey, “The definition was ‘a short burst of inconsequential information’ and ‘chirps from birds.’”

The first Twitter prototype was utilized as an internal service among Odeo employees and the full version was launched to the public on July 15, 2006. In October 2006, Biz Stone, Evan Williams, Dorsey and other members of Odeo created Obvious Corporation and acquired Odeo and all of its assets like Odeo.com and Twitter.com from the investors and shareholders. Twitter became its own company in April 2007.

Twitter has brought communication to an unimaginable dimension. It connects people across the globe. It accelerates interaction and gives a glimpse of the person being followed. It’s supposed to give followers an idea on how a person is feeling, where he is, what he is eating, what he is watching, who he is dating and who he is leaving. It celebrates homogeneity.

On the other hand, what are movie stars? Movie stars are public figures who are created to be bigger than life. They are expected to be role models. They are seen as idols and people copy their fashion and lifestyle. The most famous actors are called “superstars.”

What are the tools used by a star? A star must be everything and anything that the public wants him to be. He must be able to sing, dance, act and host. He must have the right combination of luck, timing, connections and must possess tenacity, courage and hunger if he wants to make it big in show business. A star must be beautiful, appealing and enigmatic. He must have the X factor. Her skin must be flawless, her body voluptuous or he must have four pairs of deadly abs. Stars are considered extraordinary and they earn more than the ordinary person. They move around with an entourage and they live in fabulous houses.

Stars are like the stars in the sky. They are unreachable. You see them twinkle and sparkle but you can’t touch them. They glow and you don’t know why but you are mesmerized.

There are no formulas, no hard and fast rules on how to make a star. There is no manual that teaches the right steps to be a star. In the galaxy, stars shine brightly. In the darkness of the night, they glitter.

Then Twitter and movie stars meet. What happens? The Twitter world is egalitarian where everyone is equal. Nobody is bigger than life. In the Twitter world, you can be truthful about your name, you can use an alias, or you can be anonymous. There is boundless liberty. There is free expression and when the ideal is pushed, anybody can express himself on Twitter in any way he desires. You can praise or bash people with impunity. Whether you are envious or intelligently criticizing, who knows? There are no rules, only freedom to be.

And then you have a star enter the world of Twitter. The contradictions, the clash and the war begin. Here is someone who wants to let his audience know everything good about him and here is a public who wants to be equal with him. Here is a public who feels that when a star enters into the Twitter world, he becomes one of them. But how can a star adored by millions for his good looks or naked guts be equal with anyone? When a star enters Twitter, he is in effect saying “I am game.”

Stars can actually use Twitter to their advantage. They can continue to seduce the public by tweeting, “Wow, what a lovely pair of Loboutin shoes; what a lovely Chanel bag; Hermes rocks; I just cried out my heart in a scene; or that was a lovely song I did for an exclusive party.” So it becomes a platform for seduction but the problem is, people can react instantaneously in anyway they want. When people react negatively, what does it do to the ego of the star who needs to be validated, affirmed and appreciated? That’s when hell breaks lose.

(To be concluded)