Buy Or Don’t Buy

Apparently Ashton Kutcher (@aplusk) has been doing the Twitter thing for a while now.  I must admit, I was previously influenced by my interpretation of his personal brand as America’s Zany Prankster Bro, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the topics he Tweets about! He’s a big proponent of Social Media, and has actually been doing some fun stuff with the medium.  I’d like to get this article started by giving him the props he deserves upfront.

It came as no surprise when I found out @aplusk was the second most followed person on Twitter.  Well, actually he’s the FIRST most followed PERSON.  Second Twitterer only to CNN. Which isn’t a person but a massive, multinational, faceless, corporate-entity that masquerades as a ‘news’ organization.  (lol no bias)

Along the way, Ashton decided there should be a competition to see which of the two could get to a million followers first.  CNN, having been ingrained in our collective unconscious as the reliable cable news source that brought us such lovely additions to our lives as Silver Fox Anderson Cooper, is naturally in the lead. However, Dude Where’s My Car has been making great progress, and has somehow become the posterboy for the entire Social Media movement.

I mean, it does kinda make sense. Considering Twitter outscooped CNN on a number of recent news developments, its position as a prominent bellwether has started to get some notice. Real time, real people Vs. a 24 hour cycle of talking heads.

Back to giving Ashton props, he’s also now responsible for providing content and direction for a pretty sizable coalition. 954,563 followers, at the time I’m writing this article. And people around the Twitterverse as well as the general blogosphere are starting to feel it. Here’s a recent Tweetpic from Social Media guy @problogger about the ‘Ashton Effect’ made apparent when Kutcher linked his Twitter followers to one of his articles:

Naturally I’d like to see CNN go down hard. Not just because I’m a Power to the People kind of guy, but because I’m a Social Media kind of guy. News could take a hint from the internet and go 2.0, crowdsource, instant, and democratic. No more corporate filters. No more sponsored advertorials. No more Fox and Friends in the morning brought to you by Snuggie.

That’s something I can Tweet about.