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| Grace! |
I was on the tram today listening to a Podcast of BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour. I am totes highbrow, I know. Check me out. There I was with my hat tugged firmly over unbrushed hair, jeans with the broken zipper over scuffed up Swedish Hasbeens, all topped off with a camel coloured slightly pilled up jumper, and I was nodding. Did you see me? Was I on your tram? Did you see my messy fashionability and my noddy head? Perhaps you thought I had tumbled out of an institution for the terminally dishevelled. Well I had not.
I had actually tumbled out of my shop, headed for the big commute to school and back (2 trams, 2 trains and a walk). I was armed with lots of new podcasts and I was determined to find out stuff. That is what podcasts are for. They are for tuning in to good stuff while you are stuck on a drippy tram with lots of interesting people you are yet to know. Podcasts (according to me) are for lifting spirits, provoking thoughts and finding stuff out. Sometimes they might even make you nod, like me.
It was in this noddy, trammy state that I was listening and thinking ‘YES! You are right, Grace! You are making so much sense, Grace!’ ‘Holy Cow, Grace, you are my Homegirl!’ Don’t you sometimes have those moments where you hear someone and you think ‘YOU ARE MY PEOPLE!!’? Well this was one of those moments. My people was Grace. If you listen to this podcast, you might make Grace your people too, (but maybe you won’t, so let me give you a bit of a quick run down.)
As well as being about cooking a carrot cake, this podcast was focussed on Twitter and how ACE it is. I KNOW! It was not scoffing about how stupid Twitter was. Nope. It was singing its praises. Panelist Grace Dent was sharing some of her observations about Twitter (including the fact that she is quite obsessed with it).
Here are a few of the Grace things I thought were great ::
1. If you have more than 3000 followers, suddenly you feel very important and feel like you are the head of a hillside tribe all your own. Great.
2. When you get on Twitter in the beginning, you really do not know what it is for. You do not know what to do with it. Often you leave it alone and go off for a bit of a sulk. It’s only once you gather a few followers and score a few replies, that it all begins to make sense and then it is retweets ahoy! Great.
3. Twitter has become the domain of clever, interesting, witty ladies who do not need to look like models or TV stars or Footballer’s Wives to be admired. Great!
See that number 3? I like that BEST of all. Do you think that it’s true? I DO! Words RULE on Twitter. Of course people like Kim Kardashian and Katy Perry will still have a jillion billion followers hanging on their every LOL. I know that. But the thing is, the people who really shine on Le Twit are those who can form concise, quick, well informed tweets and bang them out with great frequency. If you are funny or clever, you will be noticed, it’s as simple as that. You do not need to do your hair. You do not need to lose 5 kilos. You do not need to wax your netherbits. Nope. You can be your own birdsnesty, plump, hairy self and still be loved for it on Twitter.
I am not, of course, saying that all the very best people on Twitter are unstylish or smelly. Not at all. Some of my very favourite people on Twitter are not only funny and clever, but annoyingly attractive too. What I am noticing, though, is that nothing about Twitter interestingness relates to your outside package. It’s all about the things you think and say, and even if you ARE unstylish and smelly, we will peg our noses and marvel at your eccentricity, if you give good Tweet!
Don’t you just LOVE that?! I love that. It’s so democratic. It’s so fair. It’s so right. It’s so how REAL LIFE should be. Twitter and even apps like Instagram give opportunities to ‘shine with a snippet’, in ways that mainstream media never will. These opportunities are based on substance, talent and sincerity. Spin just does not cut it.
What are your thoughts? Is Grace your homegirl? Are you birdsnesty? Or are your annoyingly attractive?
xx Pip
PS :: Grace’s book is called How To Leave Twitter :: Here is an interview with her…
Great timing. Just when I was looking for new podcasts. This sounds really interesting. Thanks for sharing it. I have done the twitter, left the twitter and now returned to the twitter. And I am finding there are lots of funny, intelligent great women (oh okay and a few man folk of greatness too) on there. And I have never for a minute wondered what they look like. How about that? Yay for that. I hadn't even thought about that aspect so thanks for bringing some thinking to town this morning.
If people are looking for other podcasts they might like to check out the Greater Good podcasts http://greatergood.berkeley.edu/gg_live/happiness_matters_podcast/ I like them and listen to them in transit all the time. I'm off to check out the Woman's Hour podcasts now. Thanks x
Great post Pip, I admit I was a bit anti Twitter but then I joined and I have to say i need to eat my words.
Not only do I agree with all you said above, but it's' just plain fun at times and a great way to keep in touch with friends far away, and sometimes it's like well real proper conversation.
I'm not very good at it, I won't be one of those hugely popular people, because i'm not funny or smart or witty, but I think there's still a place for us slowspokes too, it's non discriminatory which is good.
I'm rambling as usual. but thanks for a great post xoxo
I am only just starting to get the Twitter bug and still on Lplates in Twitterland. I dont like to look at any computer screen out and about, however. I think it's really good for the creative mind to look around and become a bit bored rather than stimulate. Imagine if Rowling had been checking her Twitter on that train…
I LOVE the sound of your very Chloe Sevigny stylings for your public transport trek.
I do the whatever hairdo every day. Never brush or comb it, except the day (once a week) that I wash it! Is that slack or what?
Now podcasts…oooo I love 'em when I pop myself on the train down to Melba, I love to listen to John Saffran and Father Bob. They always have fab, interesting guests and often have me chortling away, usually too loudly!
I am also loving Wendy Harmer and the silken tones of Angela Catterns who have started doing a joint podcast…it's hilarious.
And for some seriously naughty laughs, the very snippy and camp Talking Poofy with Adam Richards and chums.
As for Twitter, I tend to have an on/off relationship. Sometimes I am on chatting, following, commenting & observing every day and then I give myself a break of, sometimes, a few months.
I follow a lot of different types, funny, political, musical and sometimes their brilliance and cleverness makes me feel a little not so, so I step back for a while, because I feel inadequate, silly? Yes, I know.
The thing I adore about ALL the online communities I play in, is that my age means zip, nada, niente.
And I love how many lovely new people I have met along the journey, some of them, keepers for life!
I think I need to listen to more podcasts, thats on my list. By the way, I love your pic! I have to say, I am not a tweeter. I know there are alot of good one's out there, but I just really love reading blogs. But maybe I should give twitter a chance. My husband follows a twitter that is an old man leaving tweets. His son told him to use it for his google searches, and they are quite hilarious at times.
Also eliminates the age gap. : )
Oh I love podcasts so! If you want a good giggle look up "Adam and Joe" on the BBC podcasts website. Ace!
Well! I never. I thought I was the only one laughing, nodding even weeping at what I found in my podcasts and in the books I read on my long commute – four hours a day, I need the podcast recommendations.
I will go and listen fast and if you're commuting and wanna chat I am katiecrackernut on Twitter.
Oh I loved reading this, I too am nodding, yes Pip yes. Just quietly, people can spell on Twitter, they know the difference between your and you're, I prefer that over models, TV stars and Footballer's Wives. Grace sounds ace. Thank you
haha I'm listening to Women's Hour right now in rural england, it's a luxury to listen to BB4 non-pod cast!
"……if you give good Tweet!"
Hahahaha. I like that!
Perfect! In one small blog post, you have cheered me up about my Twitter addiction, my wordiness, and the fact that I didn't get out of my tracksuit or brush my hair until after 3pm today. Thank you! I am going to retweet, because that's what witty words deserve.
I've not watched Grace yet, however I'm going to when my babes are not pecking at me for a gazillion updates on Lego clonetroopers or Sylvanian Families set-up BUT I want to tell you I was nodding at you Pip, at YOUR observations.
*nods like a plastic car dash puppy*
Sadly I'm not annoyingly attractive but I'm okay with that 😀
I'm of the opinion that you can be both birdnesty and attractive. Actually I am so over straight, tidy hair and all that that tribe entails. I embraced my inner birdsnestiness a while back and honestly haven't looked back.
That nodding you refer to, well I call it 'headtilt stupid face'. Most useful in many social situations. Furthermore, I like the sound of all you and Grace have outlined and think I may just get onboard and give good tweet.
Nice one Pip.
Leith