Celebrity TweetFace

With all the hoo-ha about Facebook and Twitter, it is not uncommon for mere mortals like you and me to 'befriend' a celebrity on an online social network, getting to 'know' them on a more personal level.



Posts on Facebook such as Los Angeles DJ Steve Aoki's post ("australia tour sold out! thank you guys. my last show - gold coast! let me know who can't get in and ill see if i can help.") makes their eager fans feel as though they are a part of his life--they feel included, informed and loved.



Tennis World Number 2, Rafael Nadal writes on his Facebook wall:
"La derrota mas feliz / the happiest defeat! No me quejo, de nuevo una final y aunque estoy triste por haberla perdido, feliz por haber tenido la oportunidad de una final otra vez. Ahora de vuelta para casa y mi proximo torneo Paris-Bercy. / I can't complain, I got back to play a final again and although I am sad for losing, I am happy to have had the chance to play one again. Now back to Spain. Next Paris-Bercy" [Complete with Spanish-English translation]

What most obsessive little teenage girls don't know, however, is that their charming idols are not the actual individuals monitoring and maintaining their profile pages. I'm pretty sure someone is paid to write up these 'Tweets' and help them upload their photos.

The use of online blogs and social networks to gain and sustain celebrity popularity blurs the lines between advertising and public relations: Celebrities 'advertise' themselves online to engage their fans in the daily events of their lives; at the same time, they are advocating their daily activities, maintaining rapport and personalization of their fans--showing that they are still human, and that they care about their online community.

Mm, mm, mm...No More Chicken?

The Convicted: Popeye's Chicken and Biscuits
The Claim: Earlier this year, on April 22nd, 2009, the fast-food restaurant held a "Popeyes Pay Day"; an 8-piece mixed Bonafide chicken for $4.99--one day only.
The Issue: Franchise in Rochester, New York, ran out of chicken.

Take a look:



Popeyes seemed to fall victim to their own advertising. Their success at getting all their customers to come and buy their fried chicken led to their popularity, and eventually, their fall. This is similar to the KFC event where their promotional marketing for their new burger had attracted so many customers that they ran out of their product.

So the moral of the story is: If you want to sell a product, make sure you have enough of it to sell!

Another issue I've noticed while watching the video is that ALL THE HUNGRY, ANGRY, FRIED-CHICKEN LOVING CUSTOMERS ARE AFRICAN AMERICAN.

What does this imply? Is the news report portraying a stereotype that reinforces the perception that "Black people gotta have their chicken"? I'm sure that whites and people from other ethnic minorities appreciate Popeyes, or fried chicken in general, as much as African Americans do. However, only the Blacks are shown in the clip. They are all expressing their frustration and resentment towards the fast-food chain for what they are craving--chicken.