Between All-Star Weekend in our city of Orlando, Florida, and the 82nd Annual Academy Awards Sunday evening, it was a hectic 48 hours in the social media stratosphere. On-site updates were rolling in at breakneck speed; so much so that my thumb is sore from repeatedly tapping the ‘refresh’ button in a feeble attempt to keep up. In this week’s blog, we attempt to roundup the top Twitter trends and highlights from an electrifying weekend.
Jolie’s Leg Blows up the Internet
Award shows always dominate the Internet, and last night’s Oscars were no different. The main trend, however, was regarding the awkward pose Angelina Jolie struck while presenting the award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Showing off her right leg via the extremely high slit in her dress proved online-gold, as #angiesleg immediately topped the trends on Twitter, going as far as spawning the spoof-account @AngiesRightLeg (which garnered nearly 13,000 followers overnight.) Tweets about the starlet’s stance came in at the staggering speed of nearly 3,500 a minute.
All-Star Weekend Invades Orlando; Dunk Contest Social Media Savvy
Orlando was the focus of the sports nation over the weekend, playing host to the 2012 NBA All-Star Game. Reports of celebrities mingling with common folk and grabbing drinks at local watering holes were rampant; the town was truly abuzz with basketball fever and enjoying national exposure.
For the first time ever, the NBA dunk contest utilized Twitter to tally the votes for the evening’s winner. By tweeting ‘#SpriteSlam’ with the name of who they felt won, the fans decided the winner in the judgeless competition. Incorporating social media allowed for an unprecedented level of fan-interaction and boosted ratings for the annual contest.
Norm Macdonald’s Real-Time Twitter Commentary
Norm Macdonald has normally been regarded as the anti-Hollywood. His deadpan, oft confused and mumbling delivery are not always well received, but his snarky real-time narration and mockery of the Oscars was terrific. His Twitter handle, @NormMacdonald, provided up to the second one-liners regarding the awards show, gracing the Internet with gems like, “I think it would be cool if an actor changed his name to Oscar Buzzworthy,” and “I was hoping another movie I’ve never heard of would win.”
Twitter gives creative minds like Norm an outlet and arena to deliver an entertaining take on events such as the Oscars, often making the actual affair appear mundane in comparison.
It was a watershed weekend for Twitter interaction, from the Academy Awards to All-Stars, alley-oops to acceptance speeches. Social media made Angelina Jolie’s extremities famous, gave fans an online voice and made Norm Macdonald relevant. We are just beginning to see the benefits of using this medium, and every new national event is another possibility to break new ground.
-Carter Breazeale
PR/PR Public Relations
