I think we’re entering a new phase in blogging where big stars enter the picture in large numbers. We’ve seen folks like Zach Braff and Rosie O'Donnell do it successfully. Ariana Huffington is sure to get a lot of attention for her upcoming HuffingtonPost.com (not up until May 9). Here’s the group she has lined up, according to the New York Times article:
Walter Cronkite, David Mamet, Nora Ephron, Warren Beatty, James Fallows, Vernon E. Jordan Jr., Maggie Gyllenhaal, Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr., Diane Keaton, Norman Mailer and Mortimer B. Zuckerman.
I think this is going to be interesting to watch. To be successful, I believe these folks are going to have to be real -- real with their thoughts, ideas and feelings on a regular basis. For actors and celebrities, that could be a challenge, and one that many may not be prepared to tackle.
I mentioned this to someone over the weekend and they said “hah, I bet many of them will have their publicist do it�?. I bet so and that will be part of the fun – seeing who gets it and turns it into a success and who is not prepared and earns ridicule.
Perhaps for the first time, fans may have a direct link into the mind of their favorite celebrity. The question for the celebrity is… will that be an asset or a liability? Funny how that question is the same for businesses too.