The Blogosphere

Jenna Rousseau

English 125.093

November 2010

Brown

Welcome to the Blogosphere

Online social networks have revolutionized communication. TV and radio segments can have millions of comments within 30 seconds of airing. This instantaneous cyber conversation can make or break someone's image. A perfect example of this is how Kanye West repaired his reputation after the Taylor Swift incident at last year’s VMAs. It has been more than a year, and West is still dealing with criticism about that night. After laying low for a while, Kanye decided to make his recovery—as a public figure and an artist—using Twitter to connect with haters and fans alike. His first tweets boasted about the realness of his Twitter. After telling followers the tweets belonged to him (not a PR rep), Kanye apologized to Taylor Swift for his actions at the VMAs. These tweets were just the beginning of Kanye's quest to get his name back in the limelight. He proceeded to use his huge Twitter following to advertise his free downloads from the album he is currently working on. He tweets about all of his new songs, release dates, and album artwork. By doing this, Kanye encourages feedback from his fans and engages many of them in the greater conversation of HipHop. With free music and apologies, West has been successful in creating a new image for himself via Twitter. He denounced the stigma that he is a jerk by recognizing his outrageous actions and making himself and his music accessible to fans. This recovery would not have been possible without Twitter.