Re: To Tweet or Not to Tweet.
Recently, Real Housewives of New York City’s Kelly Bensimon posted a public service announcement on YouTube. Seated in an over-sized blue chair, Kelly helpfully tells the world that bullying is not cool–not at age four and not at age 40. The age 40 part is a reference to herself because Kelly feels that she was victimized by the other housewives on the show this season, particularly during a trip several of them took to the Caribbean. What she doesn’t mention in her PSA is that the housewives and the audience watched her have what appeared to be a small mental breakdown while on the trip. Not coherent at the best of times, Kelly took it to the next level with nonsensical references to Al Sharpton and a paranoid delusion that “housewife” Bethenny was going to kill her. After the show aired, Bensimon attempted to defuse the situation by claiming that she is not crazy and had a nervous “breakthrough” rather than a nervous breakdown. Apparently, part of this breakthrough included the idea that it would be good PR to launch a transparent and pathetic anti-bullying campaign with herself as the victim.
Kelly’s crusade didn’t stop at YouTube. A few anti-bullying tweets showed up on her Twitter feed in between updates on partying in Las Vegas and a crush she seems to have developed on Giuliana and Bill Rancic. While it’s easy to dismiss Kelly’s desperation, her use of social networking to air grievances speaks to a larger trend among celebrities who now broadcast their thoughts on sites like Twitter, often to their detriment.
Take the case of Demi Moore versus Kim Kardashian. Awhile ago, Kim tweets that she is “big pimpin’ ” with a few girlfriends including Serena Williams. Concerned, Demi wonders if by “pimpin’ ” Kim is referring to men who are in charge of prostitutes. Kim tells Demi that “Big Pimpin’ ” is a song by Jay-Z and her and Serena have not actually become working girls. Rather, they are dancing to the song in a club. Determined to save them from their ignorance, Demi then gives a Twitter dissertation on why the use of the term pimp glorifies the slavery of women.
Here’s a tweet between the lead singer of Smashing Pumpkins Billy Corgan and Courtney Love:
Corgan: Sleep knowing you have no honor.
Love: He’s like a jealous little girl.
Jim Carrey felt compelled to comment on the Tiger Woods’ scandal by suggesting that Tiger’s wife Elin “had to be a willing participant on the ride” because no wife “is blind enough to miss that much infidelity.”
The intimate nature of Twitter has seduced celebrities into thinking that they can have an honest opinion but without gatekeepers many reveal themselves to be petty and in need of a college degree. Uncensored, they remind us that they are real people but the power of celebrity lies in not being too ordinary. Fantasy and illusion are important. Whatever you may think of Kelly Bensimon’s mental state, her life as a single mother would not be appealing without her life as a party-hopping ex-model living in New York City. This is her carefully constructed image and celebrity image is an industry that requires professionals. Forget privacy issues, social networking’s biggest controversy is the death of the publicist.
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