For over 25 years Doug Benson has kept people laughing. Some may recognize Benson from his work on VH1's "Best Week Ever" show or from his prolific presence in the stand-up community. Since 2006, Benson has kept busy hosting the popular podcast "Doug Loves Movies." The podcast tapes live at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Los Angeles. Listeners of the show cackle in hilarity as Benson and his guests discuss film and comedy. He recently spoke to iTech Post about how he uses Twitter to further his brand and engage with his audience.
iTech Post: When did you first join Twitter and what were your initial thoughts on the medium?
Doug Benson: I think I joined in January of 2010. At first I found it overwhelming. Because I was reading the live stream of tweets, and not just the people I followed. Which was too much, of course.
iTech Post: Do you feel that comedians have had to re-train themselves in the proverbial "art of the one-liner" since the popularity of Twitter has risen?
DB: Most comedians have at least some short jokes. I was already writing a lot of quick, topical bits as a cast member on VH1's "Best Week Ever." So the transition for me was pretty smooth. That's my favorite thing about Twitter: I can share a joke with everybody mere seconds after I think of it. I don't have to wait for my next podcast or stand-up appearance. Twitter is 24/7, and so is my joke-writing brain.
iTech Post: Can you speak to some of the positive and/or negative interactions having such a close connection to your audience online can bring? Are you apathetic to people who will go out of their way to heckle via a cellphone screen?
DB: I've made some great connections and friends through Twitter, so I'm willing to put up with the bad part, which is that people can say any horrible thing they want and I'll see it. I'm pretty liberal with my use of the block feature. If someone heckles in a comedy club, they risk getting thrown out. So if they heckle me on Twitter, they risk getting blocked.
iTech Post: I recently spoke to a musician who believed that as more and more people have access to all that it is out there on the Internet, the less they eventually retain. Do you think there is such a thing as overconsumption of social media?
DB: Definitely. I know I stare at my Twitter feed too much. But I also have a lot of times when I'm grateful for Twitter. I'm on the road a lot, so reading and writing on Twitter keeps me entertained in planes, trains and cabs. Did you think I was going to say "automobiles"?
iTech Post: has embracing the Web helped you expand your brand?
DB: It's a great way to let people know about all my projects. My podcasts, my stand-up shows, my TV appearances. And then of course my Twitter feed gets mentioned on my podcasts, stand-up shows and TV appearances. The circle of life!
iTech Post: Do you plan on embracing new applications such as "Vine" to further your comedy?
DB: Yeah, I already make terrible Vine videos. I find it fun to create little films and then post, even though I'm not very good at it. My most popular Vine so far — at almost 500 "likes" — is a shot of me pushing a Cabbage Patch Doll down some stairs. Like I said, I'm not very good at it.
iTech Post: Do you find any added pressure to always have to be "on" for your many followers? In some ways I would think that having people follow you who wish to laugh would be like having to kill with every joke at a comedy club.
DB: Well, fortunately you can't hear the silence when a joke doesn't work on Twitter. But you do get instant feedback, and some of it can be harsh. So I try to make each tweet as funny, or at least as informative, as possible. I've got a lot of gigs to plug, but I try to keep it as painless as I can.
iTech Post: Do you think it is important for artists, musicians to continue to move forward with embracing the Web, a la Louis CK releasing a special directly to his site, or bands posting songs on sound cloud before they appear on iTunes?
DB: I'd say any entertainer who ignores the Web does so at their own peril. It's the best way to reach people and sell whatever it is you have to offer. Lots of people. All over the world. I would barely have any fans in other countries if the Web didn't exist. Now I know I have at least a dozen.
iTech Post: Let me know if you have any further thoughts on artists embracing social media, Twitter and the Web.
DB: One time I wrote a tweet that had the word "blimp" in it. [I] got a response from someone at Goodyear. Next thing I knew, I was riding in the Goodyear Blimp. That's just one of many cool things that have happened to me thanks to social media. So let me just say, "Thanks, social media!"
