After news that the hit show ‘Shameless’ has joined Community, we’re taking a look into the messaging platform that allows celebrities to connect with fans.
In February, Shameless turned to Community to promote their final season, allowing the characters to connect with their fans through SMS text messaging. The startup became popular in 2019 when Ashton Kutcher invested in the company. Now, other celebrities and artists have joined the platform to find new ways to learn about their fans.
What makes Community stand out is that fans don’t need an app to text with their favorite celebrities. According to Music Ally, the fan just has to text the superstar’s specific community phone number, and they’ll receive an automated response to send their name, age, birthday, and location. Community then adds the celebrity to your contacts, along with a profile photo. From there, fans can text anything from words, emojis, and even things like hashtags to communicate.
I tried it for myself back in March when Reba joined the platform. I have to admit, I haven’t messaged her since that time in March, but I still receive cute little messages about her special projects and links to heartfelt Youtube videos.
Reba, Kutcher, and the fictional characters of Shameless aren’t the only people on Community. Only a fraction includes Amy Schumer, Barack Obama, Jennifer Lopez, John Legend, Paul McCartney, Ellen Degeneres, Post Malone, and The Jonas Brothers!
Youtubers and influencers like Liza Koshy, David Dobrik, and James Charles have also jumped onto the texting service to message their fans.
In a time of isolation, the platform is helping fans and celebrities alike to connect. While we all may be separated from each other for the time being, Community lets us connect virtually in fun ways.
Click here for a more in-depth list of celebrity phone numbers.
