Last night, the highly anticipated Mother's Day episode of Saturday Night Live with host Betty White and a whole ensemble of previous female cast members aired on NBC. The show was extremely entertaining, but for me, this was not the most interesting aspect of this episode. According to ratings, SNL "scored its highest metered-market household rating in a year and a half, since the pre-election telecast of 2008." This all coming from a grassroots internet campaign where fans expressed their desire to see Betty White host SNL.
In a recent interview, Betty White stated that she had been asked to host SNL several times in the past and had always denied it. However, amid all the online demand from fans, her agent had jokingly told her that she had to do it or he couldn't represent her anymore.
It's fascinating how the public can have a significant direct impact on the portrayal and image of stars today. We have seen this online fan-based movements in the past: see Samuel L. Jackson's performance in "Snakes on a Plane." And now, with celebrities constantly sending daily messages about themselves or internet-fighting with each other on Twitter, fans have an even greater channel into the lives of celebrities and how they are portrayed. It will be extremely fascinating to see how the internet continues to influence and shape the concept of a star image.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
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