Facebook Live is doing celebrities and influencers a favor: They’re letting them blacklist certain nasty words and phrases---you know the type--from viewer comments.
The social site must figure that more celebs would use its special ‘Mentions’ platform to promote their movies, music or themselves if they wouldn’t be insulted while doing
so.
That seems so perfectly reasonable, though because this type of speech moderation is starting on a new feature like Facebook Live, maybe people miss that it’s a rule that
is also exclusionary.
For now at least, if you--as insignificant as you are-- happen to post a Facebook Live video, be assured anyone watching can respond as repulsively as they
want. Get special and you’ll get special treatment.
“Live video on Facebook is social and interactive — fans can react to broadcasts, comment, and ask
questions,” explained Facebook’s Jesse Chen, the engineering manager, and Chris Hatfield, the product manager, in a post.
“This interactivity is one of the things that makes Facebook Live so
engaging, but we know that public figures want more ways to help manage these comments.”
Score one for the publicists!
This means celebrities don’t want to be
treated as rudely as you can be. To be fair, celebrities are probably treated even more rudely than the run-of-the-mill human being (that’s you). But doesn’t it seem kind of mean spirited
that Facebook isn’t extending this civility tool to more than the A-listers of life? It does to me.
Money, and celebrity status, talk, so much so that rules for the rich and
famous are now baked right into quasi-institutions like Facebook. You even can pay somebody $50 to substitute for you in the Santa Claus line, so you and the kid don’t have to stand around.
Ditto, Facebook Mentions.
“The new Team Prompts feature is good news for social media managers across the globe,” writes Engadget. “Users are able to create drafts of Facebook Live posts, allowing
the public figure to then review and publish those descriptions directly via Mentions. Plus, social media mavens are now able to schedule times they want the star to go live or publish specific
posts.”
There are other special goodies in the new package. Engadget notes, pointedly, “There's no word on when or if these features will roll out for regular Facebook
Live users, but it seems they would be handy for the hoi polloi as well as the stars.”
Of course, stars always got preferential treatment, but possibly the definition
of “star” was a little more rigid, and the stars and the people who catered to them usually were on the down-low about the arrangement. Big deals always get a table at the hot restaurant.
There usually isn’t a sign at the entrance that says, “Big deals always get a table in this restaurant.” So you could argue the only thing Facebook is doing wrong is too widely
providing what is in essence a “How To Feed and Pamper A Celebrity” help kit for live streaming.
For sure, Facebook wants brand and celebs and movie studios and
influencers to hold live events on the social site. It’s a potential goldmine. But except for certain, specific (and rare) events, live seems to be a waste of time, energy and mental
bandwidth..
pj@mediapost.com