Five years on I thought it would be interesting to reflect on how Russell Crowe uses his official Twitter account.
'Life In The Twitter Village With Russell Crowe' was a post I wrote and published over five and half years ago. This post remains one of my most frequently visited posts. At the time of the writing and publishing of this post, Twitter was Russell's only official social media account. Since then he has created an official Facebook and Instagram account mainly to combat the number of fake accounts that continue to emerge.
While much has stayed the same, a lot has changed. For many years Russell followed 99 people. The number of people he is now following has increased to well over 180. Russell remains loyal to his friends (both old and new) and often promotes their work and achievements via his official Twitter account.
One of those things that has remained the same is Russell constantly shares his love of music with his fans and followers. I have been introduced to many interesting artists and musicians because of it. Some of them I have loved and others not so much. One of my new favourites is talented American sister duo Larkin Poe.
One of the things that has changed considerably over the past five years is the amount of celebrity news coming from Twitter and social media feeds including Russell Crowe. He continues to defend himself and correct journalists who may get things wrong and in particular those commenting on his personal life.
Perhaps one of the new developments are the gangs of fans, mostly mature age women. These women are often the first there anytime Russell tweets day and night. They also share a considerable amount off topic fan stuff they find online and personal details and information. Some tweets initiated can contain up to 30 individuals and can contain well over 30 or more response tweets. For example, celebrities timelines become filled with gifs for someones' birthday and other personal stuff. While this is all nice and good this kind of thing belongs more in a Twitter fan club than a celebrities' timeline. The number of fan clubs have increased.
There is also safety in numbers for these mature age fans who gang up on people who question them or one of their friends and also Russell. Some of these women think that the more their face is in a celebrities' timeline they might get noticed and responded too. Often other mature age women fans have asked to be untagged from these conversations.
These mature age women also make it difficult for other fans who have something interesting and on topic to say to get noticed and difficult for a celebrity with a genuine interest in fans to respond too. But these fans are learning to put things on the end of tweets initiated by Russell himself rather than leaving them in the main Twitter feed.
One of the things that remains the same is Russell still blocks people occasionally in sensational form and people have to delete their accounts which initiated the original post 'Life In The Twitter Village With Russell Crowe' below...
'Life In The Twitter Village With Russell Crowe' published 23 July, 2013...
Yesterday an Italian Russell Crowe fan was blocked from his Twitter account in front of over a million followers. @Russellcrowe to @franzecchini What could possibly be the point in tweeting that? Blocked 24 July 2012. The original tweet deleted.@franzecchini to @russellcrowe I meant that I don’t like her as actress not as person of course, just a point of view…Can’t understand why u blocked me 24 July 2013
I first followed Russell Crowe over three years ago in 2010 and stopped in April of 2012. Previously I had followed a Russell Crowe Facebook site that posted his tweets from Twitter. I was under the impression for a long time I was friends with him and sending posts to Russell Crowe not a fan page. I didn’t realise until much later he didn’t have an account on Facebook and the only social media account he had was Twitter. I stopped using my Facebook account in 2010.
At the time I joined the village a fictional space in cyberspace where he and followers known as villagers congregate and live by a specific philosophy that promotes caring and kindness not only towards Russell Crowe but to each other there were approximately 50 000 members. Russell Crowe was on a break from making movies spending time with his family, involved in his football club and doing the odd documentary. He tweeted American women (whose description shall remain private), his mates from Australia and America and the rest of us. Today gone are the young pretty women (whose description shall remain private) and is now more interested in comments. Twitter was seen as tool of amusement and relief for his boredom when away from his family and a way to defend himself against the journalists and newspapers.
Part of me is grateful for his presence on Twitter and social media. I have met many nice people and engaged in some delightful and fun twitter conversations. I have shared in the delight people get from being tweeted by him and his friends in particular more than once. (I was only tweeted once by Russell Crowe over two years and I eventually moved on). I have been introduced into some wonderful music through him for example Alan Doyle, Great Big Sea and Scott Grimes. I have been introduced to some interesting people that I would not have normally met like Allan Hawco who writes and produces a wonderful television program Republic of Doyle in St John’s Newfoundland. In 2010 Russell Crowe filmed an episode with his co stars from Robin Hood and I have remained a fan of the show ever since.
Russell Crowe has done many nice things and made a lot of villagers extremely happy. He has taken on the role of the birthday God wishing people happy birthday some who once they got their tweet were never seen again. He has retweeted for good causes, people have their questions answered, their comments responded to, their artwork praised and become Twitter friends with a famous actor/celebrity. I have seen him promote a range of musicians and artists for example Alabama Shakes. His followers have shared in the making of his movies, publicity stints and the ups and downs of his football club in Australia South Sydney. Perhaps one of the really nice things he has shared was his relationship with his children.
But for all the feel good stuff there has been a dark side as there is with any engagement with social media. I have witnessed some extremely bad bullying. I have seen people who as fast as they become friends with a famous actor ignored, dumped and occasionally publically ridiculed to a point they have to protect their Twitter sites. For anyone who follows Russell Crowe knows he is extremely loyal and I imagine quiet generous to his friends and business partners in his life. This is perhaps one of the most unspoken rules of being in the village loyalty not only to him but his friends as well. Any kind of criticism constructive or not may not be taken too kindly in particular when he is having a bad day.
It can be quiet devastating to those who get blocked for expressing an opinion. For many of them English is not their first language and they can be quite blunt unintentionally with what they say. Non English speakers are not as skilled as some Americans are at expressing themselves in the way he wants to be tweeted to. They are often unskilled or do not know what is expected when tweeting an actor/celebrity like Russell Crowe. To be humiliated in front of more than a million people can be a sole destroying experience to say the least and not deserved. Then there are those that get away with a lot worse behaviour and are never blocked or publically humiliated. People lose faith and move on very quickly. If they are really keen they can just create a new account and off they go again trying not to make the same mistake.
I have seen some other not so nice things. I have seen people ignored and blocked for no other reason other than their age or their photo or they might say the wrong thing on a wrong day when he is not at his shining best. Some women are more likely to get tweeted if they are young and pretty and have a nice looking photograph. And once tweeted off they go. So what is new in this world? And that is a frustrating thing for older mature women who tweet him regularly. There have been huge put downs and the total outright criticism of people’s art. Twitter no matter how controlled reveals a lot more than the user imagines. I didn’t like some of the things that were happening and I felt like a fool letting them take place unnoticed. There is a long list. Despite Russell Crowe revealing a lot about himself, there is part of me that remains loyal in not revealing what I learnt.
As the fan and the blocked fan’s followers and regular Russell Crowe villagers tried to explain the unspoken rules of village and comfort her, her apology seems to have fallen on deaf ears. If a villager speaks up they should be warned they may be ostracised into the village wilderness in public or just ignored not only with Russell Crowe but with other groups and individuals associated with Russell Crowe as well. Yet there are people who continue to follow him in the thousands. What is interesting in watching the Russell Crowe justice system in action is the number of villagers who just stand by and watch it all happen, without speaking up and without defending the victim. All for the promise of something as insignificant as a tweet. A tweet that buys silence to humiliation and suffering of someone they may have called an online friend and the fandom associated with being an online tweeting 'friend'.
Over the years he has endured many sensational episodes from what he has written on Twitter and reported by journalists. They range from Jewish circumcision, to criticising the media, opinions of politics, his separation from his gorgeous wife Danielle, to the heart break of missing his children, to the release of nude photos and his weight loss journey. I found this story about his Australian citizenship quest the most interesting.
'Oscar-winner Russell Crowe denied citizenship' by Vicki Roach News published by news.com.au on 26 June, 2013. ( No copyright infringement intended)
Because of this, he fails to meet the criteria for permanent citizenship under the Family and Community Services Legislation Ammendment (New Zealand citizens) Act 2001.
"Apparently I fall between the cracks,' said Crowe this week when asked about his citizenship status during an interview to promote the hit new Superman movie The Man of Steel.
Crowe intended to become an Australian citizen in 2006 at an Australia Day concert on the lawns of Parliament House, which was to be telecast live on Channel 10.
But the ceremony was canned at the eleventh hour because "the Government wasn't able to facilitate the process in time,'' according to a Ten spokeswoman. "He's keen but ... there are obviously certain protocols that need to be adhered to."
Seven years on, Crowe still hasn't satisfied those protocols.
"It's a very complicated situation,'' he said.
"This is the country I choose to live in, this is the country in which I spent my formative years, so it's kind of frustrating.
"But I am not the only person in that boat - there's a whole bunch of New Zealanders who have committed to a life here, who have had children here, who bought their first houses here, who have been productive, taxpaying members of society.
"I know why the rules are in place and I understand and respect that but there has to be some form of arbitration where you can sit down and state your case.
"These rules are not big enough to engage with the complexity of people's lives."
Crowe arrived in Australia in 1968. He has lived in Australia for 37 of his 49 years.
"As a young kid, I stood on the hustings at Watson's Bay and gave out pamphlets on how to vote for Gough Whitlam at the polling booth.
"I got a (Centenary of) Federation medal (in 2003). I was made into a stamp. Until recently I had an Australian wife. I have two Australian children. But I still fall between the cracks."
Crowe said while he identified as Australian, the most important reason for him to become a citizen was his two boys, Charles and Tennyson.
"If something goes down overseas we have to go to two embassies," he said.
But the actor also admitted that despite throwing his support behind Julia Guillard via Twitter last week, his current immigration status meant that he would be unable to follow that up at the polling booth come election day, since only Australian citizens can vote.
Yesterday an Italian Russell Crowe fan was blocked from his Twitter account in front of over a million followers. @Russellcrowe to @franzecchini What could possibly be the point in tweeting that? Blocked 24 July 2012. The original tweet deleted.@franzecchini to @russellcrowe I meant that I don’t like her as actress not as person of course, just a point of view…Can’t understand why u blocked me 24 July 2013
I first followed Russell Crowe over three years ago in 2010 and stopped in April of 2012. Previously I had followed a Russell Crowe Facebook site that posted his tweets from Twitter. I was under the impression for a long time I was friends with him and sending posts to Russell Crowe not a fan page. I didn’t realise until much later he didn’t have an account on Facebook and the only social media account he had was Twitter. I stopped using my Facebook account in 2010.
At the time I joined the village a fictional space in cyberspace where he and followers known as villagers congregate and live by a specific philosophy that promotes caring and kindness not only towards Russell Crowe but to each other there were approximately 50 000 members. Russell Crowe was on a break from making movies spending time with his family, involved in his football club and doing the odd documentary. He tweeted American women (whose description shall remain private), his mates from Australia and America and the rest of us. Today gone are the young pretty women (whose description shall remain private) and is now more interested in comments. Twitter was seen as tool of amusement and relief for his boredom when away from his family and a way to defend himself against the journalists and newspapers.
Part of me is grateful for his presence on Twitter and social media. I have met many nice people and engaged in some delightful and fun twitter conversations. I have shared in the delight people get from being tweeted by him and his friends in particular more than once. (I was only tweeted once by Russell Crowe over two years and I eventually moved on). I have been introduced into some wonderful music through him for example Alan Doyle, Great Big Sea and Scott Grimes. I have been introduced to some interesting people that I would not have normally met like Allan Hawco who writes and produces a wonderful television program Republic of Doyle in St John’s Newfoundland. In 2010 Russell Crowe filmed an episode with his co stars from Robin Hood and I have remained a fan of the show ever since.
Russell Crowe has done many nice things and made a lot of villagers extremely happy. He has taken on the role of the birthday God wishing people happy birthday some who once they got their tweet were never seen again. He has retweeted for good causes, people have their questions answered, their comments responded to, their artwork praised and become Twitter friends with a famous actor/celebrity. I have seen him promote a range of musicians and artists for example Alabama Shakes. His followers have shared in the making of his movies, publicity stints and the ups and downs of his football club in Australia South Sydney. Perhaps one of the really nice things he has shared was his relationship with his children.
But for all the feel good stuff there has been a dark side as there is with any engagement with social media. I have witnessed some extremely bad bullying. I have seen people who as fast as they become friends with a famous actor ignored, dumped and occasionally publically ridiculed to a point they have to protect their Twitter sites. For anyone who follows Russell Crowe knows he is extremely loyal and I imagine quiet generous to his friends and business partners in his life. This is perhaps one of the most unspoken rules of being in the village loyalty not only to him but his friends as well. Any kind of criticism constructive or not may not be taken too kindly in particular when he is having a bad day.
It can be quiet devastating to those who get blocked for expressing an opinion. For many of them English is not their first language and they can be quite blunt unintentionally with what they say. Non English speakers are not as skilled as some Americans are at expressing themselves in the way he wants to be tweeted to. They are often unskilled or do not know what is expected when tweeting an actor/celebrity like Russell Crowe. To be humiliated in front of more than a million people can be a sole destroying experience to say the least and not deserved. Then there are those that get away with a lot worse behaviour and are never blocked or publically humiliated. People lose faith and move on very quickly. If they are really keen they can just create a new account and off they go again trying not to make the same mistake.
I have seen some other not so nice things. I have seen people ignored and blocked for no other reason other than their age or their photo or they might say the wrong thing on a wrong day when he is not at his shining best. Some women are more likely to get tweeted if they are young and pretty and have a nice looking photograph. And once tweeted off they go. So what is new in this world? And that is a frustrating thing for older mature women who tweet him regularly. There have been huge put downs and the total outright criticism of people’s art. Twitter no matter how controlled reveals a lot more than the user imagines. I didn’t like some of the things that were happening and I felt like a fool letting them take place unnoticed. There is a long list. Despite Russell Crowe revealing a lot about himself, there is part of me that remains loyal in not revealing what I learnt.
As the fan and the blocked fan’s followers and regular Russell Crowe villagers tried to explain the unspoken rules of village and comfort her, her apology seems to have fallen on deaf ears. If a villager speaks up they should be warned they may be ostracised into the village wilderness in public or just ignored not only with Russell Crowe but with other groups and individuals associated with Russell Crowe as well. Yet there are people who continue to follow him in the thousands. What is interesting in watching the Russell Crowe justice system in action is the number of villagers who just stand by and watch it all happen, without speaking up and without defending the victim. All for the promise of something as insignificant as a tweet. A tweet that buys silence to humiliation and suffering of someone they may have called an online friend and the fandom associated with being an online tweeting 'friend'.
Over the years he has endured many sensational episodes from what he has written on Twitter and reported by journalists. They range from Jewish circumcision, to criticising the media, opinions of politics, his separation from his gorgeous wife Danielle, to the heart break of missing his children, to the release of nude photos and his weight loss journey. I found this story about his Australian citizenship quest the most interesting.
'Oscar-winner Russell Crowe denied citizenship' by Vicki Roach News published by news.com.au on 26 June, 2013. ( No copyright infringement intended)
Because of this, he fails to meet the criteria for permanent citizenship under the Family and Community Services Legislation Ammendment (New Zealand citizens) Act 2001.
"Apparently I fall between the cracks,' said Crowe this week when asked about his citizenship status during an interview to promote the hit new Superman movie The Man of Steel.
Crowe intended to become an Australian citizen in 2006 at an Australia Day concert on the lawns of Parliament House, which was to be telecast live on Channel 10.
But the ceremony was canned at the eleventh hour because "the Government wasn't able to facilitate the process in time,'' according to a Ten spokeswoman. "He's keen but ... there are obviously certain protocols that need to be adhered to."
Seven years on, Crowe still hasn't satisfied those protocols.
"It's a very complicated situation,'' he said.
"This is the country I choose to live in, this is the country in which I spent my formative years, so it's kind of frustrating.
"But I am not the only person in that boat - there's a whole bunch of New Zealanders who have committed to a life here, who have had children here, who bought their first houses here, who have been productive, taxpaying members of society.
"I know why the rules are in place and I understand and respect that but there has to be some form of arbitration where you can sit down and state your case.
"These rules are not big enough to engage with the complexity of people's lives."
Crowe arrived in Australia in 1968. He has lived in Australia for 37 of his 49 years.
"As a young kid, I stood on the hustings at Watson's Bay and gave out pamphlets on how to vote for Gough Whitlam at the polling booth.
"I got a (Centenary of) Federation medal (in 2003). I was made into a stamp. Until recently I had an Australian wife. I have two Australian children. But I still fall between the cracks."
Crowe said while he identified as Australian, the most important reason for him to become a citizen was his two boys, Charles and Tennyson.
"If something goes down overseas we have to go to two embassies," he said.
But the actor also admitted that despite throwing his support behind Julia Guillard via Twitter last week, his current immigration status meant that he would be unable to follow that up at the polling booth come election day, since only Australian citizens can vote.
