It all began in the 1920's with the radio, a breakthrough communication medium that granted people access to just about any form of audible entertainment they desired: news, comedies, soap operas, sports, music, and more. It left the world wondering… what could be better than this? And the world found out about 15 years later when the television transformed entertainment into a dynamic visual experience, and as The Buggles so boldly stated during MTV's premiere moments in 1981, "video killed the radio star." Achieving perfection for television may have added pressure to entertainers in their search for fame and success then, but maintaining a reputable image today is exponentially more challenging with the never-ending pool of information the internet offers. In particular, social networking websites like the infamous MySpace and Facebook leave little-to-no room for flaws of any kind, as they connect millions of people and their personal details, disinterested in "average Joe" or "celebrity" status. Their rapid popularization in recent years has caused entertainment marketers to inevitably embrace and utilize their services, despite their deviance to more traditional forms of advertising and promotion. The results have been good, bad, and sometimes downright ugly, but have ultimately shown social networking websites to be an undeniable mainstay in the future of entertainment marketing, for better or worse. Rather than simply using social networking platforms as promotional supplements, marketers are teaming up with them to create well-rounded entertainment communities that both promote entertainers and facilitate networking among people of similar interests. In addition to having a central location for what would normally be found on several scattered pages of a website (information, photos, video, audio, etc.), entertainers also have a way of directly communicating with fans through bulletins, blogs, status updates, and comments (Miller). Some strong examples of this are seen within self-run profiles like those of Disney teen star Selena Gomez or lead singer of pop punk band All Time Low, Alex Gaskarth . Audiences are able to feel a personal connection with the entertainer by having the ability to be their "friend" and know what they're doing, sometimes as they're doing it. This, in turn, assists entertainment marketers in increasing their client's public appeal by promoting a down-to-earth image, rather than one as a distant celebrity, a task that was much more strenuous before the prevalence of MySpace and Facebook in our everyday lives. This prevalence, in itself, is what makes social networking websites one of the most efficient ways for entertainment marketers to reach a vast amount of people they typically wouldn't have access to (MacDermid). No longer do people only encounter music, movies, and TV shows via radio, television, or any specific website. Instead, customary MySpace checks are preceded by entertainment advertisements on the home page, and Facebook logins welcome you with encouragement to check out the latest music and films they're sponsoring. Even if you hate all things Hollywood, there's almost no escaping it on general social networking websites. Entertainment entities are seen throughout a network as "People You May Know", no matter if they fit one's interests or not. And marketers are loving every second of it and taking full advantage. Of course, the opportunities social networking websites present to the field don't come without some costs. Let's not forget what a network is… a group of interconnected people. "Friending" even a single band or actor opens your profile up to all of their other "friends," and this has caused a major spam issue on both MySpace and Facebook. Just a look at my personal MySpace inbox from a 24 hour period reveals 35 messages from aspiring entertainers letting me know they found me through other entertainers I'm already "friends" with. Even with the high-tech spam control and privacy features that are constantly being implemented, a large portion of social networking spam seems to slip through the cracks without penalty. We also can't forget that this newfound social networking/entertainment marketing tag team is still just that: marketing. The profiles of many entertainers are often developed and maintained by public relations representatives in order to project a professional image most desired by the public, and this often leads to people scowering the web for personal private profiles of the celebrities. Many stars, including most recently teen queen Miley Cyrus, have been victims of profile hacking and having personal photos leaked that compromised their public reputation. Countless celebrity posers within online social networks also present an issue, as each poser creates their own image of the celebrity they're portraying, positive or negative, and it's sometimes exceptionally difficult to distinguish who is real and who is not. Both matters conflict with entertainment marketing's goal of illustrating a most admirable guise for entertainers and can be rapidly detrimental to one's career. Regardless of the downfalls, social networking websites ensure an innovative future for entertainment marketing, and vice versa. The popularity of this advertising form has caused both MySpace and Facebook to create complete entertainment-related divisions of their networks, such as MySpace Music and Facebook Fan Pages. Not only do these create favorable results for the entertainers they're promoting, but also bring about new members to the social networking website itself. And it's no longer just general online social networks that people can turn to in connecting with their favorite celebrities. New specialized social networks are popping up all over the web, targeted toward specific entertainment genres, such as ThisIs50.com for the black entertainment community and Buzznet for alternative rock fans. It's even becoming routine for social networking websites to go a step further from aiding established talent in their renown by creating so-called "internet celebrities" out of just about any average person who knows how to reasonably market their own profiles, like Audubon-native punk rock model Audrey Kitching, comedic self-videographer Chris Crocker, and most notably, MTV reality vixen Tila Tequila. So sure, the entertainment industry may have been managing perfectly fine without the pervasiveness of online social networking just a few years ago… but it's safe to say it will never be the same. Social networking continues to connect us to the lifestyles of the rich and famous and we've therefore all become a part of the internet A-list. + Eric Hebert, "Is MySpace All That? A Guide to Marketing Your Music On Myspace," Evolver.com, August 7, 2007. + Susan MacDermid, "Top 5 Entertainment Marketing Opportunities," iMedia Connection, October 24, 2006. + Mary Kay Miller, "Internet Cowboys Use Social Networking and Web 2.0 As an Effective Marketing Tool," eZine Articles. + Adam Ostrow, "Why Social Network Spam Matters," Mashable.com, June 9, 2008. + "The Future of Facebook Music Marketing," Nickjag.com, February 26, 2008. + "More Semi-Naughty Miley Cyrus MySpace Photos," Bumpshack, April 21, 2008. + "Uncovering celebrity posers on Myspace," Annapolis Capital, August 28, 2006. + Encyclopedia Dramatica article on "Internet Celebrity," accessed October 1, 2008. + Wikipedia articles on "Radio Programming," "Social Networking," & "Television," accessed October 1st, 2008. + Social networking platforms and features of Buzznet, Facebook, MySpace, & ThisIs50.com. + MySpace profiles of Chris Crocker, Alex Gaskarth, Chloe Glenn, Selena Gomez, Audrey Kitching, & Tila Tequila. + MySpace screen captures from the profiles of The Maine, Hilary Duff, & All Time Low. + MySpace Friend Request Inbox sceen capture from the profile of Chloe Glenn. + Leaked celebrity photos from Zimbio (Miley Cyrus), 13gb.com (Lindsay Lohan), & The OC Show Forums (Willa Holland). + Internet celebrity photos from Christine Dolce, Clinton Green, Hanna Merjos, Jeffrey Steininger, & Jacquelene Vanek.