Starting his first personal website at age 10, John Thrasher has always been on the cutting-edge of technology. Today, his Facebook page is full of video links, interesting commentary and over 1,300 friends. His Twitter account is similar, but it is filled with more conversations and shorter, wittier remarks – 931 followers and growing.
So this West Virginia University Department of English graduate who is from Cumberland, Maryland is just your standard opinioned guy who thinks everyone wants to listen to what he has to say, right?
Wrong. Thrasher’s work reflects his talent as a social media writer so well, that MTV picked him out of the entire Twitter community (which is made up of over 100 million members) and invited him to be one of 20 candidates to be the first ever MTV TJ—Twitter Jockey, someone who will have their own unique voice at MTV.
MTV specialists searched the depth and breadth of the social media world and found 18 people to be candidates for the new MTV TJ position. Then two more were chosen via submissions to the American Express Zync Card Facebook page, which is the sponsor of the TJ contest, for a total of 20 candidates.
On July 7, these TJ hopefuls will compete in the first of five social media challenges. They will be judged by MTV representatives throughout the month of July. After the five challenges are completed, MTV will choose four of five of the 20 participants to come to New York City to complete the audition process. The fifth finalist will be a people’s choice, voted in by followers and friends via their social media sites.
Once the five hopefuls are in New York, they will participate in high stakes challenges for a week. On August 8, at 10 p.m. MTV will hold a live on-air finale for the first MTV TJ.
The social media conqueror will then sign a year contract with MTV for $100,000 and will move to NYC, all expenses paid.
Thrasher realized that even just being a contestant in the TJ competition was a big deal when his friend, who works in Time Square, called saying he saw Thrasher’s face—on a big screen during an MTV commercial for the TJ contest.
“Nothing is a guarantee,” Thrasher said. “It’s been just really amazing what nice things people are saying and posting about me,” he added.
While fame and potential fortune is something new and exciting, writing and social media really feels pretty natural to Thrasher.
“I remember I had a mini website when I was little and I would write about what I did that day, or what I wanted to do over summer vacation,” he said reminiscing.
Little by little, his online diary grew into something bigger, something people from all over were interested in reading.
“In 2008, I launched my own website, and my personal diary grew into my commentary about the world around me. It was my way of having a voice for someone to hear, who couldn’t actually hear my physical voice,” he said.
To be a successful social media informant, one needs to be more than interesting and entertaining—writing skills are an essential key.
“Writing is my talent as well as love,” Thrasher said.
During his time as an undergraduate in the WVU Department of English, he worked at the University’s Writing Center as a tutor.
“The Writing Center definitely far and beyond was a huge part of how I was considered for this job. As a tutor, I improved my writing, while helping others improve their own,” he said.
Thrasher gives a lot of credit to his professor and Writing Center coordinator, Nathalie Singh-Corcoran, for giving him “creative license” while at the center.
“Nathalie gave me networking tools and the freedom to use them. I only had her for one class but I feel that I learned the most from her. She was a fantastic professor and boss,” he said proudly.
Singh-Corcoran thinks Thrasher would be a perfect fit as the first MTV TJ because he is so enthusiastic and likeable.
“John is very innovative. He is always looking for ways to do things better and differently, she said.
“He is an outside the box thinker. He is so creative,” Singh- Corcoran added.
She said as a tutor, Thrasher was respected and liked by the Center’s clientele.
“Students responded well to him and he was always so thoughtful,” she said.
The next few weeks will be trying times for Thrasher; he will best testing his blogging abilities to the max. If you want to keep up with what Thrasher has to say, visit his Facebook at www.facebook.com/john.thrasher, follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/jthrasher or visit his website at www.johnthrasher.net.
jh 7/1/10