Britney Spears goes Web 2.0 – Now with a blog and on Twitter
By Dave Parrack
Celebrities and personalities utilizing social media to promote themselves and connect with their followers is hardly a new thing, but the news that Britney Spears is the latest Web 2.0 convert is big news. Why? Because it’s Britney of course.
Personally, I’m not a fan of the woman, either her professional life or her personal one (insane haircutting escapades included), but she is still hugely popular with a young and naive demographic. And so her embracing Web 2.0, social networking, and blogging is a good thing for all concerned.
Britney is currently on a bit of a comeback trail, trying to put the last year or so of crappy songs and bizarre moments behind her. To that end, she has started using the Web in the same way that people like Kylie Minogue, Barack Obama, and you and I have been doing for a while now.
Techcrunch reports that Britney can now be found on Twitter, which is brilliant news for Twitter as it tries to break out of the current niche it fills and enter the mainstream. The chance to follow Britney on the site should persuade many a young girl and dirty old man to set up an account.
Webware also talks about Britney’s newly relaunched website, BritneySpears.com, which now includes a blog. It also includes links to Britney’s presence on YouTube, MySpace, Facebook, CircusVIP, and Twitter. Which is a nice addition.
There is one problem in all this, and it’s a rather big one. It’s not actually Britney doing any of it. The blog posts are written in third person, no doubt by an underpaid writer working long hours in their basement. And the Twitter posts, although written in first person as if it’s Britney herself sat at her computer, are probably the same person, and are all either adverts for songs and products, or snidey comments at bad press coverage.
I’m glad Britney’s advisers have the intelligence to give her a presence on the Web, but please don’t even pretend she has anything to do with it when she quite clearly wouldn’t know Twitter if it sneaked up and bit her on the bum. That sort of duplicity is treating the fans as idiots.
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October 19th, 2008
Dave, you’ve chosen a very flattering pic of Britney. Do you like bald women? I do agree however, that Britney on twitter is a tad cynical.
October 19th, 2008
Jason, I wouldn’t say I have a thing for bald women, no. Maybe I sympathised because I’m going bald myself!
October 19th, 2008
Oh yay, just in time for web 2.0 to be ending. Let’s hope she stays there as web 3.0 develops for those of us who care.
October 19th, 2008
“young and naive demographic” f’ you!
October 20th, 2008
LOL gary!
Sure you don’t listen to her music Dave.
You probably sing to her mp3s every night.
October 20th, 2008
Britney recently hired a new media director – the twitter account kicked off on October 10th and she’s already generating attention – I’d say they’re doing the right thing – now – as to having the artist doing it themselves – I quite agree – the website and blog can be managed 3rd party – but twitter has gotta come from the star – looking forward to seeing how this one pans out…