When the great thinkers of the past came up with a revolutionary idea, they put pen to paper. In 2012, any- and everyone is a philosopher thanks to Facebook and Twitter. The evolution of thought has gone from “to be or not to be?” to “ate ham for dinner, how crazy.” Technology, how amazing are you? The weirdest phenomenon to come out of this instant feed of (most of the time) useless information has to be the amount of pressure it puts on people, especially celebrities.
A one-word slip of the fingertips and 140 characters can have them in deep trouble or, in light of recent events, vice-versa. mc chris was recently under public scrutiny over throwing a fan out of a concert because the fan tweeted some not so fond words about the opener. Was mc chris right to do that? Should celebrities expect the criticism from all angles now? Should fans be more careful who they tag on Facebook or @reply? All these questions popped up because of this one incident, so let’s try and answer them…
Let’s get to mc chris first. A fan attending one of his shows wasn’t into the opening act. He tweeted his sentiments to 100 or so followers: “Dear nerd rapper opening for Powerglove/mc chris. You’re not good enough to pander to me. Better luck next time.” mc chris then came out and asked for the person who tweeted. The fan took responsibility and came forward. He was then met with mc chris telling him that security was going to escort him out.
This wasn’t just embarrassing for the fan, but it dampered his image of an artist who he admired and respected for years. So was mc chris right to do what he did? Not at all. Tweets aren’t the definite in any manner. They’re opinions and thoughts. It’s not like the fan said anything offensive. The band it was aimed at wasn’t even mad. mc chris should’ve just noted the tweet and moved on. Shrug it off, man. It’s the Internet. Things will be said that you don’t like; you can’t control it. [Editor’s note: it seems mc chris has done just that and worked things out with the fan.]
Celebrities receive continuous criticism. It comes with the territory. Tabloid magazines and sites make so much off of their “does she look fat?” posts for our mere entertainment. Yes, it’s one of the stupidest ways to spend time online, but at the end of the day, talking (good or bad) about a celebrity won’t stop. Ryan Seacrest would be out of a job if it did. So with new forms of communication come new ways to get slammed. And what’s the saying? Any press is good press? At least they’re talking.
So is the responsibility on the fan? It’s common knowledge that a bigger celebrity who just uses Facebook and Twitter for PR purposes doesn’t ever see their replies. They have interns who do it (I was one last year). So if you @reply Megan Fox, she’s probably not the one seeing it. Now, if you’re one of the ones who mentioned how Castle’s Nathan Fillion looked a little chunky at Comic-Con, he saw it. He’s active on his account and you came across as a mean girl (or boy). Just be careful what you say online because while most celebrities will brush it off, some won’t. Rihanna even went a little nuts when a fan virtually got at her for reconciling with Chris Brown.
What it boils down to is that everyone needs to watch what they say to an extent online. You never know how your words will be taken in the long run. But on the other hand, it’s kind of juvenile to get heated over what can be likened to the 21st century’s version of a high school bathroom stall.
