Be kind when you Tweet

I love my job, l-o-v-e! I earn a living talking to listeners, playing my favorite music and sharing a room with my morning show partner Frye Guy five hours a day, five days a week. Other than Frye’s occasional intestinal problems, which he unfortunately likes to share, it’s the best job ever!

It’s an honor and privilege to be invited into folks’ lives; you almost become a member of their family! As a result, when we meet up in person, on occasion, you go through the family inquisition: “Have you gained/lost weight?” “I like/don’t like your hair that way.” “Is Frye Guy single?”

I don’t mind it at all, that’s how you talk to family when you get together. Social media, on the other hand, is way sneakier. I think it makes people bolder, because it’s not face to face, it’s keyboard to keyboard. The majority of our listeners are amazing, caring people, but occasionally I’ll get a post like “Don’t come back from vacation — ever!” (Really?)

It’s hard to imagine the adoration and abuse major celebrities take on a daily basis. Miley Cyrus has had a Teddy Bear’s worth lately, even leading to some Twitter wars with others stars. Miranda Lambert isn’t shy about speaking her mind and talk show host Jimmy Kimmel just last week invited rapper Kanye West on his show to address their Twitter battle.

A popular segment on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” called “Mean Tweets” involves Kimmel asking celebrities to read some of the nasty things people write about them on Twitter. Kimmel tongue in cheekily claims it’s a “public service.” In honor of West’s appearance last week, Kimmel featured “Mean Tweets: Music Edition.”

Darius Rucker read one from a “fan” that said “I’d rather hear Morgan Freeman talk me through (NSFW) than hear @Darius Rucker sing a power ballad.” Yikes. The Zac Brown Band got some “love” as well. “@zacbrownband Your music used to be good before and I could jam to it, but now it (blank) major (blank). Fix it (blank)!” If you speak “blank,” you know those were not nice comments.

When Lady Antebellum’s Dave Haywood read their critique, “@ladyantebellum singing the National Anthem actually kind of makes me hate America,” Charles Kelley raised his eyebrows and Hillary Scott said, “Ouch!” Indeed. Brad Paisley, the country king of good humor, got this one: “@BradPaisley I don’t know your music cuz I don’t drive a pickup and I don’t sleep with my sister.” To which Brad replied, “fair enough.” Did you know we have a Twitter account? @kbreakfastclub. Please be kind.

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