#FF Fail

As some of you know, I compile Vegas Seven's popular Tweets of the Week column, and I'm kind of (OK, totally) obsessed with Twitter. Imagine my excitement when I heard the Las Vegas Review-Journal published a story outlining the 10 must-follow Twitter personalities in Sin City. Being the obsessive-compulsive tweeter that I am, I was immediately obsessed with the story.

Unfortunately, I thought it was crap—and failed to mention a few of the best tweeters in town. (Who? Keep reading, or skip to the bottom.)

Yes, the writer, Corey Levitan, made some solid choices. @zappos @vegascourtesan and @jayfenster have all made my column—a few times, I think—and for good reason. A few of his other picks were decent, too, although they're not necessarily at the top of my must-follow list. @danawhite and @hollymadison are high-profile Las Vegans, but that doesn't mean we should be following their every move on Twitter, too.

Still, I give Dana serious credit for speaking his mind at all times. The UFC boss has no filter, and god bless him for it. He swears, he tells people off, he's real—which is something I wish Holly would do more of. I follow her, but I find her Holly's World co-star @LauraCroft83 far more entertaining. When the two went on vacation together a few months ago, it was like following two totally different vacations: Holly was all sugarplums an lollipops (pleasant, but kind of boring), while Laura kept asking who farted and made fun of, well, everything. But maybe this just speaks to my affinity for crude jokes and toilet humor. But I digress; back to the list.

@PennJillette is also listed on the R-J's roll call, but I honestly don't see why. Levitan says "Jillette's feed ushers readers behind the Rio's magic curtain and inside the mind of an outspoken libertarian and atheist," but most of Jillette's posts—his most recent ones, at least—are status updates that fall flat. (Flying to LA for meetings and some V/O work? Zzzz!) I'd actually follow his wife @EmilyJilette before Big Poppa Penn; the Mrs. is a far better tweeter.

There were a few head-scratchers on the list. I couldn't help but wonder why @slidertruck make the cut. I love Ric and his little baby burgers, but... really? (And if he did, why didn't the other food trucks in town, such as @SloppiJos or @FukuBurger?) Meanwhile, another list-maker, @VegasDegenerate, is only mildly entertaining some of the time—maybe once for every 10 or so tweets, if that. But! **Spoiler alert!** he DID make next week's column, so perhaps his game is improving. Lastly, @GuyNSinCity and @workingthestrip are niche tweeters—for bargain hunters and job seekers, respectively—and are not worth most people's while. That said, I understand Levitan was doing his job, trying to appeal to a range of readers.

I certainly don't blame Levitan. I mean, @coreylevitan doesn't have much of a Twitter presence (he has 467 followers as of now, and his last post (Feb. 6) was little more than a link to a R-J story). And, hey, at least he didn't rank Twittergate scandalmakers Vegas Bill or 24k. Hmmm. I wonder why the R-J didn't have their web content editor, @lasvegasloopy, compile the list. She's savvy and in the Twitter know. (And she's made this week's Tweets of the Week, too.)

Again, it's unfair and far too easy for me to criticize. Heck, I actually feel Levitan's pain: Lest we forget how the very publication I once worked for named @lasvegassign as "Best Use of Twitter" in its Best of the City issue. (Laaaame!) But, in my defense, my foot was half way out the door when the issue was published in July.

Alas, I think most old media outlets (and editors and writers) still don't understand how new media works—here in Las Vegas or elsewhere. The Las Vegas Sun generally gets it, but they're a rare breed over there. (Yes, I'm totally biased; I used to work there.)

Ah, but I digress once again. This post is not meant to fling mud here or there—or anywhere, really. Instead, I wanted to give props to a few very-deserving folks who didn't make the R-J's cut for some bizarre reason, including but not limited to:

• @JockinJB (SpyOnVegas photographer Jessica Blair)
  "Just made a goodwill donation. Don't be surprised if the homeless of Vegas start to look like 90's club whores and smell of cool water..." (Feb. 8)
  

• @BrookeInVegas ("I'm entertainingly inappropriate, sprinkled with a dash of awesome")
  "Whenever you start to feel like you don’t get the recognition you deserve. Just think how Tom Cruise’s boyfriend must feel right now." (Feb. 16)

• @DustyPickle (My old boss—not that I ever truly thought of him as a "boss," per se—who used to tweet as @Wendoh but recently reconsidered his handle, and went the more non-corporate route—and for good reason)
  "Attempting to be the first guy with no shoes on at this club. These drunk chicks aren't winning the bare foot dance off. Not on my watch." (Feb. 11)
  

And, while I'm at it, here are some more Twitter personalities whom I'd suggest worth following. Not that you asked, but, let's face it, this is as close to a #FF as I get:

@DangerGuerrero, @kellyoxford, @adam_fogle, @TFLN and my very funny, long-lost friend @Aubs.

Just because they don't live in Vegas doesn't mean they're not worthy of your attention.

Cheers and happy tweeting!
@marseniuk

PS: Who did I miss? If you have a favorite Vegas Twitter personality who you consider a must-follow, give him or her a shout-out in the comments section below.