Musicians Are Human Beings

I've wanted to write about this for a few weeks now, just because of something I've been noticing on Twitter. And I want to say that this isn't especially about any particular case, there've been a few instances I've seen where people have criticised celebrities for not replying to tweets, for "ignoring them" or favouring others or whatever.

This makes me really sad.

I see cases of people telling someone they're a fan of that they're excluding them for not replying to things they say on Twitter. People being upset with other fans for being "closer" to artists than they are, or taking personal offence for not having a question answered or a "hello" responded to.

And here's the thing. I think it's important to remember that we love these people because of the music they make, essentially. Because we heard a song and it made us feel something that made us want to invest in them. The things that come after, the learning about their personality through Twitter and Facebook, that's an addition and it's great being able to connect. Absolutely amazing. That the opportunity to tell your favourite band that their art has changed your life is not just something offered for people that have the privilege of being able to go to shows, but anyone with internet access.

But these people we're interacting with are essentially musicians. People doing their jobs That is the main thing. Not the ways that they do or do not commit to their fans using social media. You found the music first, not the character of the person that made it and 99% of the time I think that's what artists want. We love these people and invest in being a part of their fanbase in the first place because they make music. And sometimes they're kind. And sometimes they're beautiful. And sometimes they're hilarious. But they are not perfect, and they have flaws, and it's unfair and insulting to expect any of your heroes to be a fountain of knowledge or anything other than a human being with a life and with feelings. Calling them "angels" and "gods" is expecting a lot. It is a lot of pressure to be a role model. It is a lot of pressure to be somebody's hero.

From the perspective of anyone famous enough to get thousands of messages a day, replying to any of that shows a lot of kindness and commitment. I'm not suggesting for a minute that using social media to communicate with fans is completely unselfish, people have lots of reasons for doing it, but it's also very brave. It could be so easy to shut up in a studio making albums, or run to a tour bus and hide after shows, and that's fine too, that's completely allowed. Anyone putting in that extra time and effort to connect with fans on Twitter should be respected for doing so, not given criticism or put under stress for occasionally missing a message, or forgetting to reply to something. Social media is completely crazy, your time will come, it's no reason to feel excluded. And there is so much to take from being an intense part of a group of fans than just a relationship with a musician.