Social Media Fame: When a Celebrity Hits “Like”
Why do we get so excited when a celebrity likes one of our tweets/posts/blogs? I mean, they must see hundreds–sometimes thousands, or hundreds of thousands–of posts a day. (Provided that said celebrity actually runs their own social media account…remember, some of them have “people” to do that.) So I guess it’s just that tiny bit of acknowledgment from someone who seems larger-than-life, that brief second out of their busy day where they took notice of something you said and publicly declared that they noticed it. Like. Repost. Retweet. Reply.
It all starts with one little click of a button. On some occasions, the response is just some innocent fangirl/boying. I mean, oh my God so-and-so just noticed me! We’re pretty much friends now! I can’t wait to tell everyone I know! As long as you remember that the celeb who just replied to your comment may not remember who you are the next time they see one of your tweets or posts, you’ll be okay. But there are some fans who take it to the next level, who decide that their fave celeb is now their BFF. Then things can get kind of tricky. By association, you might think that you’ve achieved some tiny bit of their fame.
The tweets increase. The posts, the blogs, the tags… Why isn’t so-and-so replying to the last three tweets I posted? Did I do something to make them mad? Maybe if I just send one more, explaining how much I love them and their acting/writing/singing… And of course, your friends will want in on the action. If [insert celebrity name here] responded to you, then certainly he/she would respond to them. Thus the cycle continues.
Now I’m not saying I’m above a little fangirling myself. Just this morning, an actor replied to one of my tweets, and for a moment, I got super excited. Then I remembered something:
Celebrities are people, too, and this is a fact that’s often forgotten in today’s world of instant connection. Not to say that they don’t occasionally make friends with fans; it happens on occasion. But these are real people, with real lives and real jobs that keep them really busy. There may be a retweet now and then nothing else for months–or ever. It’s okay to get excited when they do respond to your social media. It’s natural; everyone wants to be in the alpha’s favor, and the A-list is filled with alpha-type personalities. Hell, even the B-list has some heavy hitters. Me? I’m somewhere down by the Q’s.
I don’t expect many celebrities to remember my name, or even that they ever talked to me (and I’ve spoken with some of them on the phone). But yeah, that brief flash of fame as someone you view as larger-than-life notices you is pretty bright.
Go ahead, get giddy when you see that like. Just remember that celebrities are human, too, and they have their own private lives to carry on while they’re perusing Twitter or Facebook or whatever platform you use. Be friendly, but don’t expect to make friends right off the bat. Take your time. Give them space. Who knows? You may end up “Internet Famous.”