6 Degrees of Kevin Bacon: A Social Phenomenon Turns 20

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In today’s digital age, the success of a video, image or news story is determined by its ability to go social. Rarely does such a topic survive one news cycle, let alone two, and the idea that a social phenomenon would survive for two decades is unheard of. Unless you are Kevin Bacon. Arguably the first social phenomenon, the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon concept celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2014. Created by three college students at Albright College in Philadelphia, the Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon concept has survived and thrived over the span of two decades to include a best-selling book, board game, app (The Oracle of Kevin Bacon), a charity (SixDegrees.org) and was most recently added to the Google search tool (the Bacon Number). Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon concept co-creator Brian Turtle moderates a panel featuring Kevin Bacon (currently starring in FOX’s hit drama “The Following”) and multiple SURPRISE guests with varying degrees of separation to the Golden Globe Award-winning actor.

Presenters

Brian Turtle

Co-Creator

Six Degrees Of Kevin Bacon

Brian Turtle - along with friends Mike Ginelli and Craig Fass - came up with the concept of THE SIX DEGREES OF KEVIN BACON one fateful afternoon in 1994 watching Footloose while attending Albright College in Reading, PA.
The game took on a life of its own after the three guys displayed their unusual knack for connecting actors back to Bacon on The Jon Stewart Show, The Howard Stern Show, and Dateline NBC among others. Later spawning a best selling book and board game, The Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon helped launch Endless Games (Freehold, NJ) in 1996.
Besides THE SIX DEGREES… Brian’s other game credits include NAME 5, FLIPPIN' OUT!, FOLLOW THE LETTER, and CRAZY LEGS (all with Endless Games). When not developing and selling new products, Brian consults inventors and start-ups and represents several brands in various PR campaigns with Orca Public Relations (Phoenix, AZ).
Active throughout the toy industry, Brian considers himself a proud family man and “frustrated Philadelphia sports fan” who lives in New Jersey with his wife and two daughters. He’s also very grateful to Kevin Bacon for supporting THE SIX DEGREES and for taking such an active role in it for the past 20 years!

Kevin Bacon

Actor, Dir, Producer

Warner Bros Television

Kevin Bacon is one of the foremost actors of his generation. Bacon currently stars in FOX’s hit drama series The Following and has proven his talents in a wide range of film genres from action thrillers to romantic comedies to heavy dramas, and even the occasional musical. Just some of Bacon’s film credits include JFK, A Few Good Men, The River Wild, R.I.P.D., Crazy, Stupid, Love., and X-Men: First Class. With his musician brother Michael, Bacon is the other half of The Bacon Brothers, a successful band with a sound that he describes as “Forosoco” – Folk, Rock, Soul and Country. Already highly regarded and hugely successful on the national club circuit, they have recorded six CD’s and a concert DVD. In 2007, Bacon launched SixDegrees.org, a web site that builds on the popularity of the “small world phenomenon” to create a charitable social network and to inspire giving to charities online.