Editor’s Note: Whether on screen or off, Hollywood can always be counted on to keep us entertained. This is especially true when it comes to politics. Liberty Nation's Hollyweird column shines the spotlight on Tinseltown’s A-listers and their wild and wacky takes on today’s current events.
Remember the blue check mark Twitter used to place on accounts to verify the users are who they claim to be? Well, those officially went away this month, unless you paid the monthly membership fee, and boy has it caused a ruckus in Hollywood. Entertainers have taken to social media and anywhere else to sound off and complain about the unfairness of the new policy.
The Twitter Backlash
Alyssa Milano, known for her leftist views as much as her acting, led the charge in complaining about the new changes. After refusing to pay the $8 a-month service fee ($1,000 for organizations), she tweeted her concerns about being imitated and even suggested the possibility of suing Twitter for “defamation or identity theft or fraud.” She wrote: “So by revoking my blue check mark because I wouldn’t pay some arbitrary fee, someone can just be me and say a bunch of bulls—t. Does that mean Twitter and @ElonMusk are liable for defamation or identity theft or fraud?”
Bette Midler wasn’t shy about her anger either, calling Elon Musk a “worm.” “After all these years and thousands of tweets and free content, this worm has the nerve to de-certify me!” she posted. The Hocus Pocus actress has indeed put a lot of content out there, such as this gem during the Republican National Convention, when she tweet-attacked former first lady Melania Trump: “Get that illegal alien off the stage!” and “Oh, God. She still can’t speak English.” Midler then added: “I’m surprised Trump wants to destroy the #PostOffice. He got all his wives from it.”
Midler received pushback on the social media platform. “Dear Bette, I heard the tragic news, and I couldn’t stand by and watch you suffer,” one user, Carpe Donktum, posted. “I have set up a gofundme to raise the $8 for your blue checkmark. Any money raised OVER that amount will go to a charity chosen by @elonmusk.” Carpe Donktum finished it off with, “Be the wind beneath her wings,” and posted a fake GoFundMe account link.
Actor Dean Cain took exception to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’ (D-NY) remark that taking away the little blue identification checkmark, which is actually a white checkmark on a blue background, could lead to “major potential harm.” He had a one-word piece of advice for her: “$8.00.”
The checks first appeared after Twitter was sued by the St. Louis Cardinals manager who claimed an unauthorized page had been used in his name about drunk driving. The “legacy blue checks” were used on high-profile accounts to deter misinformation from people impersonating others, such as journalists, politicians, and, of course, celebrities. But after Musk took over, he said the system was undemocratic.
Stephen King (Photo by Leigh Vogel/WireImage)
Tinseltown residents weren’t the only high-profile accounts to lose the verification mark. Some others include Oprah Winfrey, Donald Trump, Beyonce, Stephen King, William Shatner, and even Pope Francis. Musk reinstated the checkmark to a select few – but King, one of the recipients, took exception to the gift, tweeting: “My Twitter account says I’ve subscribed to Twitter Blue. I haven’t. My Twitter account says I’ve given a phone number. I haven’t. Just so you know.”
Musk tweeted in response to the horror author’s post: “You’re welcome namaste.” In another tweet, he said he was paying for a few personally, including King and Shatner.
Singer Dionne Warwick put in her two cents, tweeting: “The way Twitter is going anyone could be me now” and added the $8 fee she refuses to pay “could (and will) be going toward my extra hot lattes.”
On the more dramatic side, a user known as “cigs” predicted death because the checkmarks have been removed if the monthly fee isn’t paid, posting, “Elon thinks this is a funny joke. As a former verified account who lost their blue checkmark, I know how dangerous this really is. People are going to die.”
Even the SCOTUSblog had to get in on the action, posting:
“Bye, Twitter. The tipping point was having to pay for verification, when we feel we add a lot of value. We also feel solidarity with NPR, and share concerns about Twitter’s direction. You can find us on the blog and TikTok. If we join another platform, we’ll send word here.”
Liberty Nation Political Columnist Joe Schaeffer reported on NPR and PBS leaving Twitter after being labeled “publicly funded” organizations, and explained just how convoluted and confused users can be. SCOTUSblog, however, did not gain a lot of fans for its post. “Too bad you feel the need to virtue signal is more important than the need to keep people informed,” one user wrote. “The fact that you’re OK with TikTok but have a problem with Twitter says everything we need to know about your judgment (or lack thereof).” Another commented: “you’re leaving an american platform to go to a communist Chinese platform. sad!” Another noted: “My dudes, you aren’t verified on your other socials either.”
It should be said, though, that just because a person pays the membership fees and gets a blue checkmark, it doesn’t mean they’ve been thoroughly verified. It simply means a phone number was provided for the account and that Twitter verified the account holder has access to that number.
Tune in next time to see what else Tinseltown has planned.
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