“LiLu” may not be a native Washingtonian, but after three years living --and blogging -- in the District, her blog LivitLuvit has felt at home in the local online community.
It was no surprise then that a month ago MTV approached her for the opportunity to compete for the position of the channel's first-ever Twitter Jockey (TJ).
The self-proclaimed "South-i-fied Masshole" (described on her blog as a person with all the sass of a Northerner, yet the grace of a Southern belle) said she is ready to be deemed Washington, D.C.’s very own ambassador of cool.
“I am tired of LA and New York thinking they’re so cool," she said. "D.C. is a great city. It’s time for this city to be appreciated for more than just politics.”
Whether on her blog, tweeting away, or during a phone interview, LiLu, also known as @Livitluvit on Twitter, charms audiences with her quick wit, pop culture commentary and unique sense of humor. All of which have landed the Columbia Heights resident in the top 20 contenders for MTV TJ.
Remember the days of VJs? Well, welcome to the new age of interactive media.
So what does the TJ job description include? Just as LiLu admitted that Twitter has become her main gateway of information, the same is true for a large percentage of the population. "The immediate transfer of information is incredible," LiLu said.
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And it is because of this instantaneous connection between blogger and reader that MTV has created a whole new corporate position for Twitter. During their one year in New York City, the selected TJ will be in charge of breaking news, music, and popular culture to mass audiences. As Twitter Jockey, he or she will be the online voice of MTV.
When MTV contacted LiLu to see if she would be interested in competing for the one-year, $100,000 contract, she simply answered, “Absolutely.” Twenty seconds later, LiLu was on the phone with MTV and the rest is history.
The competition is in full swing, with online voting open until July 23. During the three-week voting period, bloggers are required to compete in various challenges, demonstrating their fullest Twitter potential to MTV and voters, alike. After that, the final two will be flown to New York City for a tweeting showdown.
This week, the challenge is to break a band. LiLu has chosen local artists Red Line Addiction. Voters can check out Red Line in this week’s Mid-Atlantic Band Battle 3 at Jammin' Java in Vienna, Va. The challenge will be gauged by the amount of "likes" received on their Facebook fan page.
And while you're on Facebook, LiLu recommends visiting the MTV voting page to make her the very first MTV Twitter Jockey.
Update: Turns out there's a second TJ contestant with D.C. ties. Elizabethany Ploger went to high school in Manassas, but is known more for tracking the Real World D.C. cast around town. She has since moved out of D.C. to take a radio job in Texas, but feel free to check out her own blog and support both in the contest.
