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PrintIf only they were still here, imagine what they'd tweet. Here's some folks our features staff would have loved to follow on Twitter:
The smart Beatle was always quick with a one-liner, as his "bigger than Jesus" comment would indicate. Along with a rock star, we lost a comedian, philosopher and activist when he was cut down in 1980. Who wouldn't have signed on to follow Lennon's daily musings on music, drugs, war, Nixon, Yoko, Paul, etc.?
The king of Rat Pack lived the ultimate swinger's life, and his conquests were legend, from Judy Garland to Ava Gardner to Marilyn Monroe to Mia Farrow. Additionally, his political leanings were extreme (from far left to Reagan supporter), and his mood swings were notorious, so you'd be sure to get A-level tweets, both fun and cranky.
-- Scott Mervis, music critic
Can you imagine what Davis could have done with Twitter to torment Joan Crawford? She was never one to hold her tart tongue, so Twitter could have been her publicity weapon of choice. With 10 Oscar nominations (11 if you count an early write-in), two Academy Awards, four husbands, a daughter with a poison pen and opinions about everything from smoking to vain male stars, she would have been a pip.
Twitter too often seems like fluff or a fad but in the right hands it could be a mighty inspirational tool. Through his family or foundation, Reeve could have delivered reminders about how lucky we are, provided updates on spinal cord research and perhaps thrown in the occasional tidbit about starring opposite Katharine Hepburn or playing an iconic character named Superman.
-- Barbara Vancheri, movie editor
I'd love to be along for the ride as this 13th-century Venetian teenager traveled to the then truly mysterious Far East and back -- an epic journey by land and sea that lasted 24 years. Even if his famous travelogue isn't all true, it inspired countless explorers who hit the Silk Road and other trails after him. Contrary to legend, Polo did not bring pasta or ice cream back to Italy. But just imagine all the delicious food discoveries he must have had.
My hands-down pick for a drinks correspondent. Yes, I know he seriously overdid it, and so his tweets might not be consistent or coherent. But he had the terse format down pat. He so enjoyed such a great variety and quantity of liquors, wines and beers that just reading his fiction makes me thirsty. The guy makes grappa sound good. Much of his imbibing was set in such exotic locales and with such truly interesting and good-looking companions, he continues to inspire toasts. At a celebration of the great writer's 110th birthday this July in Washington, D.C., Phil Greene, co-founder of Museum of the American Cocktail, made and served Hem-esque cocktails such as the Jack Rose (from "The Sun Also Rises"), the Montgomery Martini ("Across the River and Into the Trees") and Papa Doble Daiquiri ("Islands in the Stream"). The event, which may evolve into a book, was dubbed "To Have and Have Another."
-- Bob Batz Jr.,Food & Flavor editor
Gertrude Stein, the ultimate Twitter user with her cryptic style. A message might read: "ABT: Looking at larder legumes leg of lamb I am supperless Picasso again pointless painting period Lost like generation my slippers have padded to where, know you?"
Orson Welles, the expansive opposite of Stein, except in ego. A tweet from 1940: "Hollywood dead end. No takers for Mars sequel. RKO cool to Hearst biopic, hates Shakespeare. Need more steak, ice cream, cake, Gallo, Rita."
-- Bob Hoover, book editor
Whether it was while he was creating Muppets, Fraggles or other puppet characters, a peek inside Henson's creative mind would fascinate. It would be fantastic to see a tweet that illustrated the spark of inspiration that made a pig the Muppet diva or to see which critics inspired the creation of Waldorf and Statler.
Although the actor best known as Mike Brady did plenty of complaining about scripts for "The Brady Bunch" on set, it would be hilarious to hear him complain via tweet about ridiculous plot turns or repetitive dialogue ("Oh, Mike!") on the simple TV classic.
-- Rob Owen, TV editor
A lover of new technology such as the metronome, he surely would've embraced Twitter and maybe given updates of his famously tortuous composing process. We surely would have gotten some choice belligerent tweets about his nephew or some female student who turned down his advances. But also we might get too many unwanted entries on his upset bowels -- the thing he apparently thought the most about!
Imagine the party boy updates and the ribald jokes he would have let loose on Twitter! Actually, Twitter would have probably gotten the occasionally unruly composer fired even earlier from Salzburg and the Emperor's court.
-- Andrew Druckenbrod, classical music critic
A potential millions of followers for inane messages or profound ones ... sounds like something Andy Warhol could have invented had he been around in the Information Age. Certainly the collector of every little thing and the proponent of "15 minutes of fame" would have been an avid Twitter user. I can imagine a typical tweet:
"I urinated on a canvas covered in copper paint today. I'm going to call it "Oxidation" and sell it for lots of money."
He'd be a master at making statements pop while staying within the 140-character limit.
-- Sharon Eberson, Online features editor
