Bill Maher Discussion: Are You on Social Networking Sites to Be Famous?
Latest Tweet: @Bill Maher "Hare Krishnas & Meatballs - Christine O'Donnell Politically Incorrect (Jul. 99)..". http://say.ly/Rii3GA1" (1 hour ago)
Latest Facebook Status: The Christine O'Donnell video plus an Overtime video -- "Bill and his roundtable guests, Arianna Huffington, Norah O'Donnell, Cornel West, David Cross and Joe Klein. answer your questions in the latest Overtime. Watch it here." (3 hours ago)
While Maher usually doesn't say anything too personal on his social networking links outside of promoting videos, his television shows and notifying fans when he'll be doing a comedy routine in their area, in the past, he has tend to sti his foot in his mouth on Twitter. An example of that would be in the late evening of January 14, 2010 with the following tweet: "Memo to media: yes Haiti is horrible but you can cover more than one story in the course of a week."
I wonder is his beef with social networking that people pay even more attention to what he says and then make blogs out of it or call him on it instead of giggling since they're on the panel. In Friday's discussion, they talked about how social networking affects users and politics.
Arianna Huffington of HuffingtonPost.com says, "There's also that kind of, that kind of battle between what's going to appear to our basic instincts and what's going to appear to our (unintelligible). These technologies like Facebook, like Twitter, they can be used for either. I mean look at the way they were used during the Iran uprising...the way they are being used in Haiti, the way they are being used to connect with other people."
Maher missed her point completely and countered with, "Most of it is bullshit." This is coming from a guy who follows 71 people out of his current 249,316 followers on Twitter and 388,880 people who like his Facebook page.
His complaint about Facebook: "This is my problem with Facebook is that this kind of stuff, to me, makes sure no one will ever read a book again because they just don't have time. Because it's so easy to spend all your time 'I took a shit and ate a banana.' And then that's posted on Facebook, and then eight people go 'I like that.'"
Judging from his response, it sounds like Maher is following the wrong 71 people. Contrary to his belief, I'm a social networking expert who has regularly used sites like Twitter for professional and personal use. However, that has never stopped me from picking up a book. (Feel free to check out book reviews on Examiner, on Amazon Vine and Amazon.com, and on my AC page at any time.) Every time I walk out of the door, there's a book in my hand. I get on trains with books. I keep a book on the passenger seat of my car. While it may be easier to believe that everybody on Facebook or Twitter is using it to dumb down the Internet (and some of those Trending Topics weaken my argument), there are people who use it for informational purposes outside of stupid, stereotypical Twitter topics.
David Cross is out of touch, too, assuming social media is a waste of time and a way to get famous. He actually believes that everybody is trying to be on a new type of "Jersey Shore" and is part of a "culture where you can be famous on the Internet." I'm not sure why it's not crossing Cross or Maher's minds that social networking could be treated as any other forum. There will be those who have intelligent debate and those folks who you hope will have their Internet service permanently shut down, but everybody's not trying to be Snookie.
Dr. Cornel West and Klein were mainly quiet on this issue, but Huffington seemed to understand social networking. "Self-expression is the new entertainment. Some self-expression is trivial. Some self-expression is great."
Personally I'd rather find out what real people are talking about and network with other like-minded professionals than watch television. There are times when I get news and political views first on Twitter before I can go to more mainstream news sites, and it's also a way for me to immediately find out about news articles or people I want to know more about without constantly revisiting their website and looking for new stuff. And yes, even when I am eating a banana while I'm on TweetDeck.
Sources:
"Political talk show host Bill Maher bored with news on Haiti"
Published by Shamontiel
Shamontiel is the author of Round Trip and Change for a Twenty, and in mid-October became the Chicago Tribune s Digital News Editor. She works on National Travel, Health and occasionally Breaking News, and w... View profile
- Talk Show Hosts from the 2000-2009 DecadeI tried to pick the most influential talk show hosts of the previous decade.
Social Networking - a Good Way to Snoop on Those Who Snoop on YouSocial Networking - A good way to snoop on those who snoop on you- Parents Acting as the Watchdogs on Teenagers Interacting with Social Networking We...Parents acting as the watchdogs on teenagers interacting with social networking websites like MySpace and Facebook
- Social Networking: The Fastest Growing Trend on the InternetSocial Networking is a phenomena that has seen a rapid growth over the last several years. If you are not involved in one (or more) of these sites you are probably wondering, 'so what is this Social Networking thing a...
Fanpop! - Newest Social Networking SiteSocial networking sites needs to be more than just a pointless popularity contest these days. On the decline are the days of MySpace, and on the rise is the next big thing......
- Bill Maher: Fascinating Facts About the Talk-Show Host and Comic
- Bill Maher is Angry with Barack Obama
- (Video) Just How Many Oddball Christine O'Donnell Video Clips Does Bill Maher Have?
- Are Beck, Palin, and Limbaugh Really Seditious?
- Interview with Derek Bartholomaus, Creater of Jenny McCarthy Body Count
- Conservative Fox TV and Radio Talk Show Host Sean Hannity is Clueless
- (Video) Christine O'Donnell 'Dabbled in Witchcraft' is Bill Maher's First Revelation?
3 Comments
Post a CommentJudging from his Haiti post, it was him posting it. Since then, after he had to explain himself, they've become very impersonal so I think he learned the hard way about posting his opinions. I wish he'd have stuck to that though. I don't have to agree with him all the time, but I enjoy his show. As for reading, exactly! I've had people ask me how I don't fall down because I'm constantly reading while talking a walk instead of pulling out my mp3 player. Then I'll come right home and get on Twitter (don't care for Facebook). If you like to read, you'll do it regardless. If you don't, social networking isn't the problem. It's up to that person and his/her parents.
In my circle, people who do not read books, but spend a lot of FB and Twitter time, are the ones who never read books. The people who always read books still find time to read them. One props a book up in front of sink to read while washing dishes.
Since I stopped watching television ref. to TV shows are lost on me. I do hear a lot about Jersey Shore via FB friends whose status updates talk about that and other shows.
Other friends do read books, especially when they lose Internet connection for one reason or another.
I often wonder about people like Maher, if they actually do their own FB posting or have someone manage their account for them.
Editor's note: Sorry about the typo. "tend to sti his" should be "tended to stick his"