In case you haven't noticed, Twitter has been making headlines. For instance, some congressmen/women were publicly criticized last month for twittering during President Obama's speech. Also, Dallas Mavs owner Mark Cuban was just fined $25,000 for his "tweet" about the refereeing of his team's 103-101 loss to Denver. In addition, rock musician Courtney Love is being sued for defamation because of some recent messages she posted on Twitter.
Like Facebook and MySpace, Twitter--a free social messaging utility for staying connected in real-time--has taken the world by storm. While the majority of people utilizing the network are random citizens of the world, several celebrities (both A-list and D-list) are using it as well. As such, we might ask ourselves how the platform affects (if at all) our relationship(s) with Hollywood stars and the star system. For instance,
- Does Twitter truly allow for any barriers to be broken down, and if so, how?
- Do we now see these people in a different light because of what they say as opposed to what the media and paparazzi say about them?
- What does it mean (if anything) when celebrities respond to their "followers," non-celebrities and celebrities alike?
Then, by 11:59 PM on Saturday, April 11, collect enough data to answer any or all of the above questions regarding Twitter and its (possible) effects on stardom. Here, data means actual "tweets" (postings) by those whom you are following.
