Monday, March 3, 2014

Ellen DeGeneres Breaks Twitter and Shatters Records

Last night Ellen DeGeneres returned to host the 86th Academy Awards, better known as the Oscars. In classic Ellen style she had the audience laughing all night long. From poking fun at Jennifer Lawrence tripping for the second time at the Oscars to ordering pizza for the hungry celebrities, including a very pregnant Kerry Washington, Ellen kept the crowd thoroughly entertained. 

However, what was most memorable was her live tweeting during the show. Ellen gave the viewing audience at home access to all of the backstage fun. She even took a selfie right on stage! But what had to be the best, and most memorable, moment of the night was when she took a huge, star-studded picture for Twitter. Her goal? To break the record of most retweets. Needless to say, the shot including Jared Leto, Jennifer Lawrence, Channing Tatum, Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Kevin Spacey, Bradley Cooper, Brad Pitt, Lupita Nyong'o, Peter Nyong'o, Angelina Jolie, and the funny woman herself, did exactly that. 


Before the end of the show, Ellen came back on stage to announce that the selfie not only broke the record for most retweets, but had actually broken Twitter! Today the photograph stands in first place at a whopping 2,661,781 retweets and counting. That easily tops the photo that previously held the record: Barack Obama embracing wife Michelle after winning the 2012 reelection. 


It's no secret that live tweeting at home during your favorite shows has become a popular trend. But perhaps Ellen will usher in a new fad: live tweeting while hosting. It's interactive, fun, and allows the audience to really be a part of an experience that seems so far away. Way to be inclusive, Ellen!

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