How Twitter Has Changed Celebrity Culture Forever

Centuries ago, what we now consider “celebrities” were nothing more than a name. Without photography or access to such media we take for granted in this day and age, not many people knew what famous philosophers, scientists and wartime figureheads (to name a few) actually looked like unless they had met them in the flesh. Even the paintings and early photography we now have easy access to via a quick search of the internet were only available in family albums. Limited printing, let alone networking methods, meant images never travelled too far at the time such historic people were alive.

Even 50 years ago Footballers which we now see plastered all over the media would not get recognised in the street. In his autobiography Farewell But Not Goodbye, former-international player and manager Sir Bobby Robson talked about 1961 and how he went from scoring the winning goal for England against their rivals Scotland in the afternoon, to going home on the train and no one recognising him in the evening. He continued to explain that despite Football’s huge popularity even back then, related imagery and media was limited beyond trading cards in cigarette packets and radio broadcasts.

Within history, the invention and access of film is considered the turning point when famous profiles started to progress into how we view them now.

If this was the technology that “put a face to the name”, then social networking is the technology that has “put a personality to the face”.

20 years ago, beyond interviews, tabloid/paparazzi coverage and press releases, we had very little insight into what celebrities did in their spare time and aspects of their personality. Twitter has been a big game changer in this trend. Whilst Facebook is considered a network where you share information with friends over a private bond, the simplicity of Twitter has attracted celebrities to happily talk and interact with their fan base without the fear of giving too much private information away.

Celebrities can use Twitter to post short messages to their followers about how they are feeling, what they are thinking, where they are going and what they are doing. Almost like a platform to interview one’s self, no longer are we limited to the information a certain journalist felt the need to extract from someone, but the information said person feels they want to tell us. This can range from important things such as career matters to things as nonsensical as what they’ve just eaten for breakfast. Many celebrities use Twitter to get their opinions across about current trends and goings on in the world that years ago we might not have found out.

With celebrity culture on Twitter we also get an insider to the social lives that used to be limited to the backstage area and private meetings. A prime example of this would be Lord Alan Sugar and Piers Morgan sharing their light-hearted but often heated rivalry between their respective Football clubs Arsenal and Tottenham. This ribbing has become an entertainment purpose in itself by providing fans with a talking point that raises both public profiles.

Sports personalities have felt a great benefit from Twitter too. Whereas before the only opinions you would hear from sportsman would usually be regarding their own team or performance in pre/post-game interviews, with social networking you can now get the opinions on all aspects of certain sports and the goings on within them from players as well as pundits. This is great for fans to get an inside look at behind-the-scenes information; a view of training aspects and social life habits, thus gaining a greater understanding of how things work off the field of play and what effects it can have on it.

In the past there have been many wide spread rumours and stories regarding musicians and what they get up to on tour and in the studio. Twitter has served a positive role for both musicians and fans in communication. Not only can fans see what their favourite artists and bands are up to, but fans have a direct way of praising them and feeling like a part of something special with the artist and other fans, much like signing up to a fan club via post many years ago. Artists are reliant on their fan base to keep them going via record sales, concert tickets and merchandise, and Twitter is a quick and easy way to ask everyone what they want. “Where do you us them to play?”, “what T-Shirt designs would you like to see?” and “what are your favourite songs?” are just a few of many example questions that artists have asked their fan base in the past to get a greater understanding of their appeal and work towards new goals.

Throughout celebrity history many factors, revolutions and inventions have affected the way we communicate with and view famous stars in the public eye. The invention of film and photography, advances in printing & networking, the evolution of the tabloid press, paparazzi and the internet as a whole are all considered historic turning points.

Will we look back in twenty years and see Twitter on this list too? My guess is more than likely, yes we will.

AUTHOR PROFILE:

Tim Jackson is a writer and tester for satellite internet provider Bentley walker. He takes a great interest in internet trends and how they’ve changed everyday life over the last decade.