Miley: Love It, Hate It or Laugh!

"We can't stop.  We won't stop!"

Yes, these are the lyrics to the hit Miley Cyrus preformed last weekend on the VMAs, but they might as well be a description of the public reaction too!  Yeah, we just can't stop talking about Miley's performance!  Okay, so obviously I have my opinions, but looks like everyone else does too.  So, for your satisfaction, I've condensed the most popular reactions into three groups as well as one example from each category that has gone viral!  So here we go, when it comes to Miley, you can shame her, defend her or laugh with her: 

Reaction #1: Shame Her

Yeah, shame is a strong word. But, for some it really rings true!  This blog, written as a letter from a twenty-something to Mileyherself, is a great example of this.  It describes how Miley's actions- since she's in the spotlight- leads to more attention.  But those same actions by an everyday person lead to sometimes tragic results.  Its a good read, and a logical response to a crazy performance!

Reaction #2: Defend Her, Sorta

This almost defense of Miley's actions.  I guess it is more of a call-out of people being hypocritical in what they accept and what they don't.  For example, if you've ever seen the music video "Blurred Lines" - the song that Miley was singing with RobinThicke, you'd know that the women in that video wear LESS clothes than Miley was wearing on stage.  Hard to believe, right?  Yet, the reaction to Miley was far more vicious.

Reaction #3: Laugh with Her

Yeah, sometimes you just need to laugh.  And social media's made sure that you can do that with Miley!  Here's my favoriteblog from this category, that shows Miley pulling her move on just about every popular internet meme there is!  

What was YOUR reaction to Sunday's performance?

Ben Affleck as Batman? Twitter says NO!

When the Twittersphere has an opinion, they make it known!  

Just yesterday, Warner Brothers announced that Ben Affleck would play the title role in the new Batman movie.  While this is great news for Mr. Affleck, most of social media is NOT having it.

Twitter went CRAZY with mostly negative remarks about the new Batman choice.  

Get this, social media analytics firm Fizziology reported that almost 100,000 tweets were sent in the first HOUR after the casting announcement was made and more than 70% were negative!  That's a whole lotta NOs!

So why the negative sentiment?  Well a big part of it could be shock.  Ben wasn't even on the short list of possible Batman actors that The Hollywood Reporter published a few weeks ago.  That list was topped with names like Ryan Gosling and Josh Brolin.  

The other reason is probably because of Affleck's attempt at a superhero in Daredevil, which was a major flop.

I guess we will see!  What do you think?  Do you agree with most of the Twitter talk, or are you ready to see Batman Ben??

Death By Twitter: Stupidest Tweet Of The Week

Don't do drugs.

Okay? Just don't.

But here's some more free advice. Don't ask for drugs on social media.

Sometimes you just have to shake your head and sigh.

Okay, folks, here is the latest death by Twitter.

Sunith Baheerathan, a 20-year-old Canadian posted this tweet on Tuesday. It was answered, quite quickly, by the York Regional Police. Baheerathan deleted his Twitter account not much later.

 

You can bet that tweet is on his list of regrets! The police got involved immediately. Yikes. Plus, since Baheerathan - the genius that he seems to be - requested the drugs be delivered to his place of employment, he has now been fired from his job at Mr. Lube.

Well, folks, take this as a warning and a way to remember that you do not need to share every request or detail of your life on social media.

And stay away from illegal activity!

Another Social Media/Reality TV Crossover!

 Reality TV takes some cues from Instagram!

We've all seen Twitter and other social media sites abuzz with news from the latest reality TV show.  But how about when the tables turn? This week there is news of social media spurring a new reality TV show!  

If you've spent much time on Instagram, you may have heard of "The Rich Kids Instagram".  This group of twenty somethings on Instagram loves posting pictures of their overly extravagant lifestyles and even have a slogan of "They have more money than you and this is what they do."  Check out some of these pictures...

Wow, right!?  So now, almost like a new version of "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous", the reality show based on the lives of these wealthy young'uns is set to debut on E!  Sources report that it will be called "Rich Kids of Beverly Hills" and, even with the similar name and some of the same individuals as the Instagram feed, it claims not to be connected with the social media site.  Yeah, right. 

I wonder how many more social media starlets will spring onto television and movies!?  There's been news that the meme "Grumpy Cat" is getting a movie deal!  Who else would you like to see follow suit?

Time To Tweet Royally

The biggest news in social media last week would probably have to be that news which was of royal proportions.

That's right, the royal baby.
Surrounding the birth last Monday, hash tags including #RoyalBabyWatch and #RoyalBirth flooded Twitter and Facebook posts. But now, almost two days later, the chatter has quieted a bit and we're beginning to see some of the gems through all the noise.

And who else to cash in on this royal infamy than good old consumer brands on Twitter!  Remember when Oreo posted this ad on Twitter during the Superbowl blackout?  That was so relevant and timely it seemed amazing!  

Well, tons of brands are now cashing in on this real-time tweeting to newsworthy events.  Check out some of the most outrageous from the #RoyalBirth!

My personal favorite is the Play-doh one.  I mean, come ON! Who doesn't love a royal baby built from Play doh!?  

Did you have a favorite? Or see any others you think are worthy of an honorable mention?

A New Spin On "Six Seconds of Fame"

There has been a lot of movement lately in the short-video sharing space.  Whether it is Vine or Instagram, people love it.  But what about making a living from it?  Or how about using it to gain a life of fame and fortune?

Well, get this, Gary Vaynerchuk, a legendary brand consultant and author, is starting a talent agency specifically for stars of Vine.  Yes, those who have garnered large followings for their 6-second videos will now have a new avenue to achieve fame.  The agency, reported to be called "Grape Story" will capitalize on the skill set needed to create compelling and popular stories in mere seconds.  

And this new set of digital starts already has a company looking to hire them!  Apparently, Virgin Mobile is looking to contract the clients of Grape Story for new partnerships.  And according to Vaynerchuk, this could mean big bucks.  He thinks an average of 20 videos a year could make someone a great living.  Wow.  Living off of work that takes you a total of 2 MINUTES seems crazy.  What do you think about this new kind of fame?  

Poor Miss Utah!

I would bet that there have been more tweets about Utah in the past 24 hours than ever.  Usually known for Salt Lake City or great skiing, the state has erupted on social media sites for a new reason: Miss USA pageant answers.

 

That's right.  Last night, during the Miss USA pageant (I still love watching these!), there was a new botched response in the traditional Q&A session.

 

I say "new" because many of you might remember last year's cringe-worthy answer from Miss Teen South Carolina, Caitlin Upton.  Well, this year, she has transferred the crown of "Most Incoherent Answer" to Miss Utah, Marissa Powell.

Judge NeNe Leakes questioned Marissa about income inequality, asking “A recent report shows that in 40 percent of American families with children, women are the primary earners, yet they continue to earn less than men. What does it say about society?”

 

Good question, right!?  But that's when Miss Utah's eyes began to glaze over and she just started... just saying words... poor thing.  Among long pauses and "um"s, quips included: "the men are … um … seen as the leaders of this" and "we need to see how to … create education better".

 

Yeah, there was no real answer.

 

And, of course, Twitter noticed.  The pageant has brought about increase Twitter usage by hosting a "tweet for your favorite contestant competition" earlier in the evening.  But trending topics ended up with Miss Utah's botched answer at the top of the list.

 

It didn't turn out all bad for our poor Marissa Powell, though.  She ended up coming in fourth place, just behind Miss Connecticut (the winner), Miss Alabama, and Miss Illinois.

 

Did you watch last night?  Do you think the judges were too gracious with the scoring, or did Miss Utah deserve the crown?