Howard Stern and Twitter Just Made Me Watch "Private Parts" Again

“Private Parts” is a 1997 movie that most Howard Stern fans have a hazy fondness for and everyone else ignores. So why is the movie’s title now trending on Twitter?

Because Stern has spent the afternoon delivering a scene-by-scene, Tweet-by-Tweet, DVD-style commentary while the movie has been playing on Time Warner’s HBO. It’s an incredibly simple idea, and a surprisingly compelling one: I gave in about 30 minutes ago and have had a hard time doing anything else since.

And while the movie will have ended by the time you read this, my hunch is you’ll be hearing about it for some time.

That’s because the idea of using Twitter to augment TV–particularly live TV–is something that Twitter’s executives have been actively promoting for some time now. Both because people are already doing it on their own, and because they think it will help them capture some of the huge TV ad marketplace, which still dwarves online.

“It’s taken the DVR out of the equation again,” Twitter CEO Dick Costolo said last month. “People feel like they have to watch the show, while it’s going on.”

And Twitter ad sales boss Adam Bain used today’s (spontaneous?) Stern seminar to expand on that message, and hand out instructions to the TV business.

And I think he’s sort of right. I’m very happy to Twitter away, and read responses, during a certain kind of TV show. Such as a live event like the Oscars–one that I sort of care about, but not so much that I can’t look away for a few minutes.

But I’ve got no interest in twittering during “Justified,” because I really, really like that show. And there aren’t many celebrities whose tweets can get me to watch a show I don’t like.

Still, as I type this, I’m half-watching the last few minutes of a 14-year-old movie I haven’t thought about for a long time. So maybe the Twitter folks are on to something….

http://twitter.com/dwfrydendall dwfrydendall

I give Jay Leno two days before he does this with Collision Course.
http://twitter.com/adnanarj Anand

Howard had me hooked, too, and I don’t even have HBO. I spent the whole time trying to figure out where in the movie he would be at that moment so I could ask a question.
http://twitter.com/TheUncleTodd Todd Huber

Howie broke new ground today for Twitter, whether or not it was planned is another conversation, but it was fascinating to read the tweets in real time. Most of the tweets were already known by true fans but there were a few new tidbits there
http://twitter.com/jeffpiazza jeffpiazza

Stern’s Twitter commentary was engaging today because it was authentic. He was not trying to sell a product or service, he was sharing something about himself and the creative process in creating this film. Those who followed his exploits at the time he made the movie fifteen years ago will remember a daily account of what it was like to make an autobiographical film while it was happening. Today’s events allowed him to complete the circle. Almost a decade-and-a-half removed from it’s release he has now been able to reflect and recall key moments that his fans connected with. His candid storytelling is genuine which makes it all the more powerful. In addition many of the fan comments he re-tweeted were in reference to their Twitter “Aha” moment in understanding the value of the new medium in being able to now share in an experience with him. It was almost as though the celebrity pedestal did not exist and he was just another friend you followed. While promos and strategic marketing initiatives are being planned at this very moment to leverage the learnings from this experiment, for a few hours this afternoon, a celebrity and his fans shared an experience on the same level.
http://twitter.com/brianduper Brian Duperrouzel

I watch Hulu and other web based video, while Tweeting and Facebooking, with the help of this nifty split-screen software called, “Slickscreen”. http://slickscreen.com

Here is a screeshot of Jimmy Kimmel Live and Twitter: http://www.slickscreen.com/shot6.aspx
http://mediamemo.allthingsd.com/ PKafka

Don’t understand the point of promoting your product without identifying yourself as the product’s developer. Would add, not detract, credibility to your pitch.
http://twitter.com/brianduper Brian Duperrouzel

Sorry – I had a 3 year old tugging at my ear when leaving the comment and was working fast :) I sometimes leave a signature block with my developer by-line, but at times i feel like it is redundant with the info in my bio. Going forward I will include it in any relevant posts to avoid any misperceptions. Thanks.
http://fredgraver.com fredgraver

Tony Bourdain will be doing this on Travel Channel on 2/28, with the premiere of his new season. He’ll be in Haiti with Sean Penn.
http://twitter.com/jeffpiazza jeffpiazza

Jimmy Fallon and Tom Colicchio did some live tweeting during the east coast broadcast of Top Chef last week and it was great, Fallon offered behind the scenes tidbits that gave the show some nice context. There was also a bit of banter between he and Colicchio on Twitter that echoed what was going on during the broadcast which was fun.
http://twitter.com/hardie Hardie Tankersley

This has only been done about a million times before wth many other shows. Adam should know that. I guess it’s just that Howard Stern is a bigger name and that’s why it’s news?

Howard Stern and Twitter Just Made Me Watch "Private Parts" Again

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