Permalink Reply by matt on October 15, 2009 at 16:45
Edwardians postcarding is one thing. With Twitter you get mass followings. But is it what is being said that is interesting or just an extension of 'celebrity culture' ... ? Sarah Brown has just pipped Stephen Fry into no.1 spot ... so maybe QI indeed. :)
Permalink Reply by Liz on October 15, 2009 at 17:26
Why this obsession with the celebrity angle? That really is a very minor point.
You follow someone who has interesting stuff to say or link to. It's a great network for dipping into and picking up stuff that you might not come across in the usual course of things. It's a fun way to have short conversations. It can be a source of useful info about stuff that you want to keep an eye on. I 'follow' a couple of musicians I like not because I think I can 'talk' to them but because they tell us about upcoming gigs/albums etc. No different from getting an RSS feed.
Sure some people may think they will get a bit closer to famous people, but they also probably write fan letters and stand around in the freezing cold for autographs. Obsession with celebrity was not born on Twitter. You could argue that in fact mainstream rags like the Mail and 'entertainment' channels like ITV2 feed this much more than Twitter ever could.
Ultimately, its just a tool that can be used for social good, frivolity, promoting democracy or reinforcing tyranny. Like paper, like books, like TV. If you don't like it, don't use it. Why waste your breath trashing people who do?
Street Porter has made her fortune peddling celebrity to the masses with her youf culture programmes. I don't remember her doing much in depth stuff mainly people shouting into mics and walking around. If anyone is to blame with obsessions about celebrity toast, its her. Funny how these people who work in mediums that rely on celebs and people's interest in them can't wait to rubbish it and get all holier than thou about the value of a good walk/book/blah blah.
p.s. @Stephenbln just read a fascinating article about flash mobbing used by German trade unions which I found and sent to you on Twitter