Nearly two decades ago, a game named "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" captured the imagination of movie enthusiasts, foreshadowing the intricate online connections that define today's social web on platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
However, the game's unwitting protagonist, Kevin Bacon himself, initially felt less than enthused about the phenomenon. "I was horrified by it. I thought it was a big joke at my expense," confessed the 55-year-old actor during a talk at the South by Southwest Interactive festival. "I appreciate it now. But (at first) I was resistant."
This game, marking its 20th anniversary, challenges participants to link celebrities to Bacon in as few steps as possible, based on the films they share. The more unusual or unexpected the celebrity connection, the better. For instance, O.J. Simpson was linked to Kevin Bacon through the film "The Naked Gun 33 1/3," where he co-starred with Olympia Dukakis, who, in turn, starred in "Picture Perfect" alongside Kevin Bacon.
Inspired by the concept of "six degrees of separation," proposing that no one is more than six connections away from anyone else globally, the game was conceived in 1994 by Brian Turtle and two Albright College classmates in Philadelphia, United States. This creative spark occurred as they watched the movie "Footloose" on TV, leading to a chain of other Kevin Bacon movies.
Today, even social networks such as Facebook follow a similar principle but with four degrees of separation, suggesting that two unknown individuals can connect through the interactions of four intermediaries.
"It was just one of those moments where something occurs to you," shared Turtle, who joined Bacon on stage at SXSW. "It was like, 'This guy is everywhere! He's the center of the entertainment universe.'"
The game gained popularity among friends, and its creators, Turtle, Craig Fass, and Mike Ginelli, even appeared on Jon Stewart's MTV show to explain the concept. Bacon, meanwhile, started hearing about the game from people approaching him and declaring their Bacon number, creating a surreal experience for the actor.
Initially thinking it was a passing trend, Bacon eventually embraced the game's enduring popularity, acknowledging, "I don't think it's a great testament to my ability (as an actor). My movies just got played a lot."
The six degrees of separation concept was initially proposed by Frigyes Karinthy in 1929 and later tested by the American psychologist Stanley Milgram.
Expanding on the game's influence, Bacon launched SixDegrees.org in 2007, an altruistic organization connecting celebrities with charitable causes for fundraising efforts.
The Six Degrees game inspired The Oracle of Bacon website, allowing users to determine the degree of separation between any actor and Kevin Bacon, termed as their 'Bacon number.' Google now facilitates a similar search by entering "Bacon number" followed by an actor's name.
With over 65 films to his credit, Bacon is closely connected to numerous actors, making it rare to find a veteran actor without some link to him. Bacon, currently filming the second season of the Fox drama series "The Following," admitted to occasionally using The Oracle of Bacon to refresh his memory about past collaborations.
In a closing note, fellow panelist Lance Ulanoff, editor of the technology site Mashable, captured a Vine of Bacon with the audience waving in the background, reinforcing Bacon's remark that everyone in attendance at SXSW is now just one degree of separation from him.
