Twitter is a phenomenon. It started as a simple website. The purpose is for people to announce what they are currently doing. Each Twitter user can choose to "follow" other members of the site. Those followed can choose to follow back, leave it as is or block the person.
Each individual tweet is limited to 140 characters or less. We're talking a sentence or two, not paragraphs. After all, does the world want to know the details of that hot fudge sundae you're having? Twitter began quite humbly with a small staff in an office, and there was a great risk taken on the website.
The Celebrity Factor
Twitter gained national attention with Ashton Kutcher presented a challenge for a million followers on Larry King Live. He followed through and won the challenge, being quicker to come up with a million followers than CNN itself. There are thousands of more people joining up for the website every day, which peaks the interest of celebrities eager to reach people who will support their careers.
Twitter hasn't been without its drama for those who follow celebrities. Kirstie Alley and Perez Hilton, both very likable celebrities, had a public tiff on Twitter. Kirstie Alley was a childhood hero of mine, and it's fun to read her tweets. That's the bit of a phenomenon of it. It appeared that there are fake celebrities on Twitter, such as an imposter Steve Buscemi that even fooled fellow celebs.
Kind-hearted Twitters
There are also very charming twitter celebrities like Melissa Gilbert, Allison Arngrim, and Quinn Cummings, all three television sweethearts as children, who use Twitter as a very interesting forum to chat and discuss things both important and insignificant. (The point of the site, after all). They also use Twitter to fight for worthwhile causes. It gives power to advocated and to those in the public forum to address important issues.
Soleil Moon Frye (yes, television's Punky Brewster) uses her twitter as a positive outlet to encourage and inspire others, while giving followers a glimpse into her simply exquisite life as a business owner and mom to very young kids. She hosts a dj website and talks of her organic baby boutique. Not how you pictured Punky Power? Her twitter posts are very uplifting, and she encourages user interaction by asking frequent questions.
Alternative Twitter
Another fun aspect of Twitter for the observer is celebrities interacting with fellow celebrities on Twitter. It makes for entertainment in and of itself. One heartwarming occurrence was when Miley Cyrus let Perez Hilton know that she supported gay marriage after Miss California dissed it. Other celebrities also rallied around Perez in the fight for human rights. Another aspect of Twitter: potential political power.
Twitter also gives hope to people around the country (and world) who want a closer glimpse into the life of a celebrity. Through reading little updates on what is going on in their lives, it lets you get a bit closer to the kind of Hollywood lifestyle that has such a hold on the imaginations of so many. Yet, when you read that favorite celebrity moaning about working out and needing coffee, it's also a reminder that lives--even on a grand scale (where millions are in accounts rather than hundreds or thousands), our lives really aren't all that far apart from those we see as different or very privileged.
