Wednesday, February 18, 2009

The Value of Twitter


Boogie Woogie, originally uploaded by Dave Gorman.

I didn't watch The Brits tonight. I wasn't really aware that it was on so obviously didn't have any sense of anticipation about it either.

Instead, I ended up spending a good deal of my evening at my desk and with Twitter twittering away in the background.

And I have seen a constant stream of people bitching about the show. I have no idea if their complaints are merited because I have no empirical evidence of my own. But reading hundreds of impassioned comments from people who have - for reasons best known to themselves - sat through something that they're not really enjoying has been a real treat.

Occasionally circumstances leave me following a football game via an online text feed. It always leaves me wishing I was able to see the pictures. But with this evening's Brits that thought never crossed my mind. The text was more than satisfying enough. I can't see how watching it would have made it any better. Twitteriffic.

7 comments:

BenBeckford said...

Twitter FTW ;) @bbeckford

Anonymous said...

I was lucky enough to miss the Brits because I was down the local listening to real music by real musicians.
Nobody bitched there and everyone enjoyed the evening.
Life is too short to Twit about it.

Gio said...

What seemed odd to me was that there seemed to be next to no hype about the show this year, as I didn't realise it was on last night until after the event.

@KingOfAnkh - are Paul Weller and Iron Maiden "real" enough for you? Though I agree that it doesn't say much for the current crop of acts if these two can win best male and live act respectively...

Anonymous said...

We watched the Brits. We enjoyed the Brits. We like to play 'Guess the Winner (I guessed Iron Maiden, but my 'it better not be effing Weller' bore no fruit).

I liked the set and the presenters and the graphics and I think they did a much better job of it than previous years. Best bit for me was when Alex James tried to talk into a Brit rather than the microphone!

I watched a penalty shoot out on bbc live text feed the other night. It much more nerve-wracking than with pictures. Although you don't get to say thing like "oo, the goalkeeper looks confident, he could save this one."

Marty Byrne said...

Iron Maiden, Paul Weller, Alex James?

Not exactly sorry that I still don't have TV then.

Anonymous said...

My favourite write up on the Brits:

http://www.electricroulette.com/2009/02/the-brit-awards-yeah-stuff-given-out-speechez.html

I was out watching:

http://www.myspace.com/themasonics
http://www.myspace.com/thepriscillas
http://www.myspace.com/thelondondirtholecompany

@dirtypj

Anonymous said...

Getting wound up and shouting at the TV during the brits is all part of the fun. It's all a big joke anyway - I didn't watch any of this years awards either.

-Ben