Musicians and Disagreements on Social Media

Musicians and Disagreements on Social Media

by Kerri Randall

So apparently Nicki Minaj deleted her twitter account a few days ago. I don't know the whole story but supposedly, she blocked a site that was leaking her songs, then got into a tiff with some of her fans on twitter, and claimed "“Like seriously, it's but so much a person can take. Good f–king bye,” according to mtv.com.

Hmm.

This could probably serve as another example of how social media is a bad idea. It's people, celebrities, businesses, etc., supposedly baring their souls to the world, sharing every detail of their lives and giving up any privacy they used to have.

But really, I personally see this instance as two possibilities. One, we have a musician who doesn't know how to handle the blips of the music industry with professionalism. Or two, we have some sort of marketing ploy, since she's also gone on to refer to herself in third person and talk about quitting music… That's another story.

True, we do all need to be careful with our usage of social media, celebrity or not. You do open yourself up to both praise and criticism when you're getting personal with 11 million fans who don't actually know you personally. But it's all in how you handle yourself. Celebrities have been receiving hate mail ever since celebrities existed. The delivery is just a little quicker these days.

But that's part of the great thing about it. You have the opportunity to tell your side immediately and quell any fires right as they come up! Not everyone is going to like your music or agree with your opinions, and you have to be okay with that and ready to handle it professionally.

Fans expect to have a more intimate relationship with their favorite musicians these days, but it's still up to you what you share and don't share. More importantly, it's up to you how you react to both positive and negative comments. I think Kelly Clarkson's reaction to negative comments regarding her support of Ron Paul was excellent:

"Man my eyes have been opened to so much hate tonight. If y'all ever disagree with something I say please don't feel the need to attack me. I will listen to what you say and any articles or viewpoints you have when you say it with respect. Being hateful is not a healthy way to get people to see or hear you. I was raised to respect people and their decisions and beliefs and I hope you will grant me the same decency. If you don't agree with me simply unfollow me. It's really that easy. I hope you don't because I would love the chance to hear what you have to say but if you're so blinded by hate you can't seek peace and progress then that is your unfortunate prerogative."

I don't get into politics, so I'm not here to argue that side of it. What I do see is Kelly remaining very calm, firm in her opinion, and asking for everyone to treat others with respect even during a disagreement, and that deserves acknowledgement. It's the complete opposite of Nicki Minaj's recent disagreement with her own fans–leaving twitter, in my humble opinion, was not the way to resolve the issue.

In the end, you're responsible for how you're viewed on social media. You have control over what you share, how you share it, and how you respond to your fans. Professionalism goes a long way no matter what the issue or industry you're in.

What do you think of Nicki Minaj's recent rant? Please share in the comments below or on my Facebook page!

Tagged as: music, negative people, social media