I keep talking about launching a secret Twitter feed called “Dumb Artist Tweets”, which I guess I can’t do now that I’ve told you all. But really, there is some Truly Terribly Tweeting out there.
As blogged about here, I think publicists/managers/”social media experts” ((shudder)) Tweeting as artists is a waste of everyone’s time. The entire point of social media is that you have this immediate, unfiltered, access to the artists, and if they “don’t have time” or “aren’t into that stuff”, then they should interact with their fans in other ways.
Another hilarious thing is when we all try desperately to determine and express the point and reach of social media. Yes, we all want to know the silver bullet for selling out halls with Facebook, but it’s never going to be a simple, numerical answer. Sites like Klout claim to measure your degree and areas of influence using algorithms. Mostly Klout results in a lot of ridiculous robo-Tweets, with people giving each other Klout scores and upgrades back and forth. I figure if you’re spending all this time working on your influence, you’re probably not very influential?
Today, for example, maestro Lorin Maazel (“Lorin Maazel”) learned and announced he was a top influencer of classical music!
I’m sorry that he didn’t know he was a top influencer of classical music throughout his five decade career, but thankfully, an algorithm came along to tell him so.
THEN HE (“HE”) SASSES THE NEW YORK PHILHARMONIC, where he served as music director from 2002-2009.
BURNED!! Yer Klout Score is DECENT. Slam.
It just all makes me want to put my face on my desk and not come up for air until after the world ends some time this year, per the Mayans.
Sometime around 1920, people like Edward Bernays learned that after the development of mass media, history would be determined by those who mastered phrases of 140 characters or less. Who would have thought that entire world views would be shaped by sound bites. Now we have firms that specialize in “on-line reputation management,” “search engine optimization,” “social media optimization,” and the creation of “on-line identity.” As Jean Baudrillard has noted, we no longer see the world, but only its simulation through video screens. Google is “reality.” Yes, life’s a pitch.
I don’t understand why you are making any sort of deal about this. In fact, I find it unbelievable that Mo. Maazel would post this knowingly. Someone on his staff must think he needs to tweet in order to be hip with the twits that can’t function without their smart phones. I doubt if the NYP gives a rat’s a$$ about this post either. Slow news day indeed.
That’s the point: he’s Lorin Maazel! He shouldn’t have a team trying to make him “hip with the twits that can’t function without their smart phones.” What is “his” Twitter account doing for his career? -AA
Silly “Captain Spaulding”. The point of the post is that Lorin Maazel was the music director of the New York Philharmonic for seven long years, and now he pays someone who pays for a website that Tweets for him at the New York Philharmonic about how they could have no influence. I don’t think Amanda meant it as news. In fact, this nonsense is happening all around us and is no longer news.
I find a deeper dimension in all of this image management which might be expressed in broader metaphorical terms – though it sounds a bit odd. If life’s a pitch, does it mean that we can’t love, but only seduce? If life’s a pitch, would artistic expression only exist theoretically in some sort of after-life? Is art something beyond life which is only merchandizing? Does artistic life only begin when we end our life? Is a Facebookified Twitterverse all seduction and no love? Perhaps thought for future blogs…
This post is totally hilarious. I completely agree with you Amanda, it’s irritating when musicians have a “social networking presence” that is really their agent, manager, or … are you serious about the “social media expert”!?!?! The sad result of this is that their social media feels hollow and boring.
As usual Amanda, you are right on….beautifully written, thoughtful, and – most importantly — hilarious.
This is kind of stupid , the algorithm that is going thru all the data can’t decide who is more influential in classic music , because there was great compositors that all dead , so at best this algo can decide who is most influential NOW , not ever .