August 23, 2009

The Modern Day Party Line


Just finished reading a brilliant post by one of my favourite blog/Twitter friends, Tania Kindersley. It got me thinking about Twitter and its wondrous ways.

I've spent almost 15 years in the entertainment industry and been lucky enough to have had several high profile and sought after jobs. But with that comes the hangers on and also the confidentiality aspects to what I do and see. I'm on Twitter and write this blog anonymously because my name can be googled and from there comes piles of mail and "please can you help me's, and I've written a brilliant script".

Twitter has been a joy for me. I've found and met friends that in ordinary life I may not have known about or had the chance to find. I have on-going emails exchanges with many and have had dinners, lunches and overnight stays with others. Brilliant, interesting, hysterically self-deprecating people who are not afraid to voice their opinions and defend them. Over the years working in this particular business I've built a slight wall and am a little more weary of new people's intent. The world in which I work and live is a glamorous and fun one but can also be superficial and phony and at times lonely and a little like living on Mars. Don't get me wrong, I love what I do but with every job there are amazing aspects and not so great ones. There's the opportunity of meeting and socializing with most of the "extremely recognizable people" on a daily basis. But I can also count the minutes, on one hand as to how much interest they have in my personal life or views; a vast majority are very self-consumed.

Twitter has opened up a new world for me - one in which I am "followed" and spoken to for my witty banter (well sometimes)and not because of what I can do for them or who I know. In the past, I've been slipped resumes, head shots, scripts and specs etc. in the most bizarre places and situations after thinking that my scintillating personality was what was intriguing them. Packages have been left at my house full to the brim with every details of a trying-to-be-discovered person's life. Very quickly I realize that its from a party goer who I might have met briefly the night before, who has taken note of my name and found my address. Oh joy.

I compare Twitter to a party line - anonymous people throughout the world coming together through shared views, interests, humour and in my case a LOVE of Jilly Cooper. It really bothers me that the stereotypical phase naysayers continually use is "why would I be interested in what someone had for breakfast". How closed minded! My confession - I don't follow or for that matter am interested in people who send out tweets like "still in bed, am bored". When growing up was never allowed to get away with saying I was bored (more about that in a later post).

I don't and can't send tweets out about what I'm doing on a daily basis as much as much as I would like to and know would get a laugh. What I enjoy is to sit back and watch my Twitter friends discuss a certain actor, movies or television shows and get their instant views, without them knowing that I have somehow had a hand in the project. Or my knowledge of what a huge nightmare the actor is or was, on that particular project. Biting my lip as I would really love to tell them that he is not a sexy beast at all but a huge drip.

So for the naysayers out there I say if you don't understand Twitter, you are not being forced to participate - no one is begging you to join. Find something to your own liking and please leave us be.

8 comments:

La Belette Rouge said...

I always enjoy seeing your tweets. Yes, sometimes I feel like I am eavesdropping. I am sure you are okay with that as you know I am there following you. Keep it up tweetheart!

Unknown said...

I'm fairly new to Twitter but enjoy it tremendously. Isn't it strange that people get so het up about something they can just ignore? I like to think they are just jealous...

Miss Whistle said...

Ah, So Lovely, most excellent wisdom. Glad you told them all to bugger orf. Bloody right. xx

Tania Kindersley said...

ADORE this post, and am madly flattered and touched at getting such a lovely mention. Thank you. Love too that you are such an international woman of mystery. Long may you blog and tweet and keep all your followers so very happy.

HelenSparkles said...

I just wanted to say that I am glad I don't know who people are, and perhaps that is the lovely thing about twitter, that we meet without preconceptions. I don't have anything to peddle myself, but found myself exchaning comment with someone, I later realised was somewhat of an expert on the subject. Was immediately cowed & the freedom previous exchanges has been thwarted. I'll get past that, but generally I thought that it is never nice to think someone was interested in you (meaning you) & then realising they also saw an opportunity, because I'm sure they were interested in you too.

corine said...

You're back too! Hey, I'd like to read your tweets, but how?

I can relate to the problem of not knowing if people like you for you... or in my case for your (I mean my) husband.

oneof365 said...

First: Extremely well-written. Second: I, too, am an anonymous blogger. I am not well-known like you, but I have had a glamorous job where people in my line of work would know who I am and I want to be able to be as honest as possible, and have people be as honest with me, without there being a boundary. I love Twitter. I don't understand why people slam it. I actually had a horrible experience on Twitter and still adore it. I met a man on this media phenomenon, spent the night with him after many tweets, and then he vanished....well...(and this is no self promotion but the story is too long to tell so if you choose to visit my site and look view "one") anyway I swore I would never Tweet again. But then when I started my blog, I decided the whole point of my blog was to reach out into the "Ether" and engage with people. Learn about them. Share myself and let them share themselves too. I have met extraordinary people. I lived in England for 8 years and just moved to Los Angeles and through Tweeting have been able to stay in touch with Blighty. On lonely nights Twitter has allowed me to spell out my stream of consciousness. You're right. There are very fake people. And I think Twitter really shows people's true souls. And you know what it has taught me---someone who was a real misanthrope----people ain't half bad. Thanks for the post and I will continue to read your blog with great interest and follow you now on Twitter ;)

xoxoox One of 365

exromana said...

cant believe i never left a comment, apologies. i , for one, am very glad you are on twitter as it is always wonderful to meet new people with whom you can see yourself developing a friendship. your anonymity is actually admirable.
xo