At some point, there could be tickets issued for Tweets. People have definitely been sued over them. Even Alec Baldwin is in the news today for his Twitter tantrums and going too far with his assaults on the paparazzi. As a publicist and somewhat of a social media expert, I spend a lot of time on Twitter not just Tweeting, but also watching. If you follow my blogs, you know that I keep an eye on what my clients say because image is everything. And nine out of ten times, they will remove a Tweet if they get “the call” from me. But what about everyone else in the adult biz? I see a lot of performers (mainly girls) committing some huge violations. I hope they will read this blog, realize it needs to stop and also get that Twitter isn’t a place to vent. In my professional opinion, these are the seven worst violations:
Assaulting the Media
I have seen performers fight with websites and magazines that run press about them. What they don’t realize is that the media is doing them a HUGE favor by running the PR their publicists send them and/or covering them/writing stories about them. Even a simple Tweet from a website can bring a performer tons of new followers. Just remember we need the press, NOT the other way around. And, not all press is good press. They can attack back by writing an article that will put you in a bad light, refuse to run press releases about you and/or talk to other people and let them know what you’ve been doing—bad news travels fast and can ruin your rep and ultimately your career in the biz. If you have gotten into it with the media, apologize and really mean it—you might be able to mend a few fences.
Getting into Fights with Your Fans
Your fans buy your movies and request you on the studio boards so you can get more work. They tell their friends about you and that one fan could lead to another 20 or more. Yes, fans can sometimes Tweet things that are offensive, upsetting and embarrassing. You can’t stop them, but you can change your reaction. If it’s one Tweet, ignore it. If it turns into many Tweets block and report them for spam. Fighting with them and/or making snarky comments about them makes you look like the bad person. Your fans might think they will be next and/or lose interest in you. Arguing with anyone on Twitter is a bad idea. Be a class act and just don’t go there.
Slamming Your Agent, Publicist, Manager, Etc.
Your agents, managers, publicists, handlers, etc. work very hard for you. At some point, they will probably make a mistake or do something to make you mad and/or upset—it’s just a fact of life. These things should be kept private (between you and them) and not available for public broadcast. These types of things don’t help your image. Let’s say you go on a Twitter rant, drop your agent and look for a new one. Agents talk to other agents, just like publicists and managers talk to each other. If you leave one agent and go to another, the prospective agent will more than likely call the old agent to see what happened. They will either say “no comment” or let them know exactly what happened. This will make it incredibly hard for you to get another agent and could potentially ruin your career. Sit down and talk with whomever you have a problem with—don’t bring everyone in Twitter Land into the discussion.
Bad Mouthing Studios, Directors, Producers, Club Owners, Promoters, Etc.
Do you want to do scenes and/or feature dance? Don’t ever slam a studio, director, producer, club owner, promoter, etc. These people hire you! And even if you don’t talk about them by name, it is easy enough to figure out where you worked yesterday and/or whom you’re talking about. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you! You could be potential branded “difficult” or worse. Enough said.
Talking About Drugs
You want to smoke pot? Don’t talk about it or any other drug usage on Twitter. Some studios won’t hire you if you use drugs. This can mean missing a big opportunity to get that role that can take your career to the next level and/or to make some cash. Keep it to yourself. And, when you’re out at industry events make sure you’re not high and/or sloppy drunk. It’s bad for your image and never a good idea in general.
Putting Your Personal Life Out There
It’s called “personal” for a reason. No one needs to know you got a DUI, your fiancée is in jail, you have a STD, your girlfriend cheated on you, etc. This is one way to become known as a Drama Queen, and that will turn off fans, directors, producers, etc. There are certain aspects of your life that are OK to talk about. Your fans do want to know what you do off set…well, within reason. Talk about going out to lunch, buying new shoes, your dog, etc. Keep it positive and not too personal.
Begging Fans for Money, Items Off Wish Lists or to Buy Your DVDs
You have a wish list and that’s great. Put it in your Twitter bio and Tweet about it from time to time. Don’t Tweet about it multiple times a day and beg for a computer because yours is broken or a dress for the AVN Awards. Telling your fans to buy your movies because you’re broke and/or they need to support you isn’t smart either. And, asking for money is classless. All these things will have the reverse affect, and your fans definitely won’t be interested in showing how much they love you.