It’s official: Britney Spears has just become the top Twitter account, surpassing longtime Twitter king Ashton Kutcher by a margin of a handful followers at press time. Each account’s actual number of followers continues to fluctuate by the second, but Spears seems to be maintaining a tenuous lead. Just a week ago, we wrote that the pop star was set to overtake Kutcher on the popular social site. Both users are still just shy of reaching 5 million Twitter followers and are predicted to reach this landmark figure within the next 30 days. Spears’ Twitter victory flies in the face of conventional wisdom on how to use the social web. The @BritneySpears account is managed by the singer’s staff, and most of the tweets seen there are either promotional messages or “BS alerts” when unfavorable tabloid reports surface. Tweets from “Brit” or “Britney” comprise around a third of all tweets from the account, and we suspect some of those aren’t actually written by the star herself since updates posted from the web are often thrown up on the account when Spears is reportedly attending an event. Kutcher was the first Twitter user to reach 1 million followers when he battled CNN for the top spot in April 2009. And last month, Kutcher’s account ranked far above Spears’ in popularity when the Twitter “accept” bug allowed users to force others to follow them back. Spears’ account may be just a marketing-message system for an inaccessible pop star, but her global popularity is apparently all the Twitter karma she needs. Still, between Ashton and Britney, whose updates would you rather read, if you had to choose? For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook , Twitter Tags: ashton kutcher , britney spears , twitter
It’s official: Conan O’Brien basically owns the Internet. YouTube just celebrated its fifth anniversary , and to celebrate, the video-sharing site asked the comedian to curate a list of his top five vids. Coco — who recently conquered Facebook and Twitter — has a pretty interesting mix of YouTube content on his shortlist. He’s even got a coveted cat video (score). While we’re still pretty partial to our own weekly rundown , that’s about three days away, so we’d advise you to take a break from the Tuesday blues to watch O’Brien’s fave Internet flicks. Does he have any of your favorites on his list? Leeroy Jenkins Pinky the Cat CSI Miami – Endless Caruso One Liners Winnebago Man Trololo-Song [via Buzzfeed ] For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Tags: humor , television , viral videos , youtube
This week, social media news was dominated by three things: Facebook privacy concerns, Twitter troubles and one seriously golden girl, Betty White. If you missed anything over the course of the last seven days — we know, the thought of losing all your Twitter followers was so tragic as to be totally debilitating — we’ve got all the top stories right here. Read up, get educated and wow all your Twitter followers (who have been thankfully restored) with your ample knowledge of all things social media and tech. 1). Betty White on “Saturday Night Live”: Every Single Sketch: Betty White hosted Saturday Night Live, realizing the dreams of more than 500,000 Facebook users. Reception from fans and critics alike was mostly positive, and a day later White’s gig led Google searches and Twitter conversations. 2). Twitter Bug Lets You Control Who Follows You : Twitter had an embarrassing bug on its hands –- one that allowed users to make anyone follow them. 3). Another Next Generation iPhone Found, Dissected : A company generally well-known for its secrecy, Apple has been losing the next generation iPhone left and right; this time, a slew of images and a video of another iPhone 4G prototype appeared on a Vietnamese site. 4). AT&T Has iPhone Exclusivity Until 2012 : It was speculative before given the lack of independent confirmation, but now apparently Apple has gone on record to confirm that the original deal signed with AT&T for iPhone exclusivity back in 2007 was a five-year deal. 5). Google and Verizon to Launch Tablet Computer : Add a big new twist to the tablet computing wars. The Wall Street Journal is confirming that Google plans to bring a tablet computer to market with Verizon Wireless. 6). NYU Students Raise More than $100,000 to Build Facebook Alternative : Four New York University students have a vision to build Diaspora, “an open source personal web service that will put individuals in control of their data,” or essentially the anti-Facebook. 7). Adobe Responds to Apple’s Attacks on Flash with New Ad Campaign : Two weeks ago, Steve Jobs published his now infamous “Thoughts on Flash” memo on Apple.com. Adobe has now responded with its own message, a message of “love,” “choice” and “open markets.” 8). Obama: iPads Make Information a Distraction : Although before his inauguration U.S. President Barack Obama was rarely seen without his BlackBerry, he has criticized the current crop of popular consumer gadgets for helping make information a “distraction.” 9). BlackBerry Tablet to Launch This Year : Research in Motion is set to enter the tablet computing market with plans to unveil a 8.9-inch BlackBerry device later this year. 10. Android Now Outselling iPhone : Smartphones carrying Google’s Android operating system outsold the iPhone in the first quarter of 2010, according to new research from NPD. Image courtesy of iStockphoto , Antagain For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Android , Facebook , Google , Twitter , iStockphoto Tags: adobe , android , apple , blackberry , facebook , Flash , Google , ipad , iphone , television , twitter
It’s not very often that a sixth grade festival performance becomes so blisteringly viral that it achieves more than eight million YouTube views in a short two weeks. But that’s exactly what Greyson Michael Chance’s surprisingly commanding performance of Lady Gaga’s “Paparazzi” achieved after the 12-year-old put the video up online. Chance’s family was surprised to get a call from Ellen Degeneres ’s producers, who flew them out to Los Angeles for a spot on her show . Not only does Greyson — who will undoubtedly be giving Justin Bieber a run for his money in short order — give another great live performance of “Paparazzi,” but he also gets a surprise call-in from none other than The Gaga herself. Mind you, we’ve seen a ton of Lady Gaga covers at this point, from U.S. soldiers and iPhones to Chatroulette and even Sesame Street — but this one now holds a special place in our blackened, jaded-by-Internet-meme hearts. Check out both the Ellen and the original versions below and let us know if you can believe that voice is coming out of a 12-year-old boy. Greyson Chance on “Ellen” Greyson Chance Original “Paparazzi” Performance [via Pop 17 ] For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook , Internet , Twitter Tags: covers , ellen degeneres , Greyson Michael Chance , Lady Gaga , music , Paparazzi , video , viral video , youtube
Looking to snag yourself a ticket to the 64th annual Tony Awards and an opportunity to walk the red carpet and snag your 15 minutes of fame on national television? Macy’s and CBS have teamed up with the Tony Awards for an online contest to make that happen for two lucky and talented fans. To earn the spot, you’ll have to upload a video of yourself singing one of an assortment of pre-cleared Broadway tunes listed below: “96,000” – In the Heights “Gimme, Gimme” – Thoroughly Modern Millie “Good Morning, Baltimore” – Hairspray “I’m Gonna Wash that Man Right Outa My Hair” – South Pacific “The Lonely Goatherd” – The Sound of Music “Maybe” – Annie “One” – A Chorus Line “Stars” – Les Misérables “Ya Got Trouble” – The Music Man Head on over to cbs.com/Tonys to submit your entry up until May 27 at 3:00 p.m. EST, when the public voting phase of the contest begins. Five semi-finalists will be named on June 3 and flown to New York City for a live sing-off competition in Macy’s Herald Square on Friday, June 11. A panel of Broadway stars and experts, along with a second round of public voting, will determine the two finalists who will receive a $1000 Macy’s gift card and the opportunity to walk the red carpet at the Tony Awards on Sunday, June 13 at 8 p.m. EST. Using the Internet as a sort of “casting couch” has become something of a trend recently, with both Glee and If I Can Dream auditions on MySpace and America’s Got Talent utilizing YouTube in its casting process. It’s a trend we see continuing, considering the low cost and the wide reach of social media and video tools that can make surfacing the next great unknown talent a far easier search. You can check out both the official submission requirements and some of the contestant entries already pouring in. What do you think: is the Internet casting call the next big trend in mainstream entertainment? For more entertainment coverage, follow Mashable Entertainment on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Tags: auditions , broadway , Contests , internet casting , theatre , Tony Awards , ugc , video
Not content with the glorious victory that was Betty White hosting Saturday Night Live , the denizens of Facebook have now turned their eyes to still more lofty goals: the Emmys and the Oscars. As of right now, “Getting Betty White to Host the Academy Awards” is the most popular page, with 53,023 members at the time of posting. Then there’s “Betty White to Host the Oscars,” with 12,600 members. Both pages appear to be fan labors of love, much like “Betty White to Host SNL (please?)!” , and they’re already garnering copious amounts of media attention. And then there’s “Betty White Must Host 2010 Emmys!” , which was launched by blogger Abe Gurko and has a little more than 2,000 fans. Gurko told us his reasoning for nominating the Golden Girls star: “I think that the Emmy awards shows over the years have been horrible. Bad writing, coupled with bad timing by the hosts. As these award shows have decreased in ratings, who better to put on hosting — or even co-hosting duties with Jimmy Fallon — than Betty. To give the show a much needed boost. Betty IS television.” Just a few days ago, the Los Angeles Times covered this trend, pronouncing in the headline: Hipster Culture is Having a Senior Moment . While I would assert that the affinity for elderly stars etc goes far beyond the “hipster” set, I would agree that older folk — and especially White — are, indeed, becoming what amounts to an Internet meme. Fans are enjoying the power they have come to wield, even when striving for goals that initially seem rather lofty (like having an older, less culturally relevant star host a major awards show). See also: Can This Onion Ring Get More Fans Than Justin Bieber? Sure, White does have legit fans who want to see her succeed (Gurko and Co. seem extremely sincere), and, yes, she kicked serious ass on SNL last weekend, but, in the end, getting behind Betty seems like it’s becoming a bit of a trend. It remains to be seen how effective campaigns like this will be as more and more continue to launch. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook , Internet , Twitter Tags: facebook , humor , pop culture , television
Ben Huh is the CEO of The Cheezburger Network , a ring of highly lucrative websites that curate and capitalize on Internet memes and macros. During Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco, he sat down to tell us all about Internet culture: what makes for a guaranteed flop online, and what elements can help content become viral. Huh places emphasis on sharing, remixing and giving back as opposed to the top-down dictatorship of content that we typically see in pop culture. In mainstream mass media, we’re given a very strict code by gatekeepers who tell us what to wear, what to watch, what to listen to and even what to eat. But because of the way Internet culture works, with masses of users deciding what should be considered cool or funny, we get Three Wolf Moon t-shirts, David After Dentist , the Trololo guy and way too much bacon . But Internet culture isn’t just for the Internet anymore. These days, the intersection between online and mainstream media is evermore blurry as celebrities jump onto Twitter and TV shows pull meme content into storylines. When do ad agencies and movie stars go too far in their attempts to use the web? And when do they hit a sweet spot that satisfies all parties involved? Check out Huh’s thoughts, and let us know your own opinions in the comments. For more social media coverage, follow Mashable Social Media on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Tags: Ben Huh , Cheezburger , interviews , lolcats , memes , video , viral video
The Betty White-hosted episode of Saturday Night Live led last week’s Hulu viewership stats — just one more sign of success for the episode that was NBC’s most-viewed on the air in 18 months. NewTeeVee reports that five clips related to the show and the full episode stream were among the top 20 videos between May 3 and 9, even though all but one of those videos went online on the last of those days. The Facebook -themed Betty White SNL monologue and the NPR “Betty White’s Muffin” appearance were among the videos that performed well, no doubt because of blog posts and tweets embedding or linking to them. “Betty White” was a top Twitter trend throughout the day Sunday, and Internet users typed in a large volume of Google searches for videos of her SNL performance, too. Don’t be surprised that White’s episode was so popular on the Internet; it was the Internet that made her appearance possible. Months before the episode aired, half a million Facebook users rallied on a Facebook page called “ Betty White to Host SNL (please?)! ” White expressed gratitude for the campaign and interest in hosting should producer Lorne Michaels make the offer. He did, making her the headliner in an episode filled with cameos from many of comedy’s brightest female stars both young and old. We’ve embedded the six videos that ranked in the top 20 below, in case you missed them this weekend. If you like what you see, check out our complete collection of every video from the Betty White Saturday Night Live episode. Full Episode Betty White Monologue Lawrence Welk Cold Open NPR: Betty White’s Muffin Scared Straight SNL Promo: Betty White For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Tags: betty white , hulu , nbc , saturday night live , snl , television , tv , Web TV
We know, we know — you don’t give a damn about celebrities and what they’re tweeting about (neither do we — especially when they’re narcissistically freaking out about a Twitter bug that everyone was victim to), but when someone does something creative with these 140-character pearls of not-quite-wisdom, we’re admittedly amused. Enter, “ Celebritweets Theater .” We’re already fans of Odessa Begay’s inspired “ Museum of Modern Tweets ,” in which the artist composes surrealistic pictures of the strange things famous people say. “Celebritweets Theater” is basically a horse of the same color — short cartoons that tell the story behind the tweet. A dude that goes by “KCS Cougar” draws these cartoons for celebrity news site Wonderwall , and they have a rather Dr. Katz-esque vibe. I’ve embedded my favorite — which mocks Lady Gaga — below. For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Tags: humor , pop culture , viral video , web video
First came the indie pop cover , then the Chatroulette medley , followed by the military version — Lady Gaga’s “Telephone” has been done and done and done again. I thought it was (thankfully) over… and then came this lip synch by NPR. Yeah, you heard me, N-freaking-PR. Shereen Marisol Meraji, producer of All Things Considered , recently posted this vid to her YouTube channel , and it basically made my morning. Yeah, at this point this cover is so Johnny-come-lately I can’t even take it, but there’s something ever-so endearing about Robert Siegel and Nina Totenberg getting into the groove. I especially it enjoy it when the producers all awkwardly dance. For more web video coverage, follow Mashable Web Video on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook Reviews: Facebook , Twitter Tags: humor , music , NPR , viral video
