Today, in things that actually happened:
1) A fan of right-wing “journalist” and #GamerGate panderer Milo Yiannopoulos has set up a White House petition to demand that Obama “issue a statement demanding the restoration of Milo Yiannopoulos’s Twitter verification badge.”
According to the petition, Twitter’s removal of the little blue verification badge from Milo’s account — a Twitter perk given to a teensy fraction of its users — means that it is “effectively declaring war on libertarian and millennial voices by punishing the outspoken commentator for his views.”
2) Meanwhile, on Twitter, the subject of all this drama — who still retains all his posting privileges on the social media platform — has been complaining “jokingly” that David Bowie’s death has drawn attention away from his plight.
How come David Bowie is verified, @twitter? HE'S FUCKING DEAD
— Milo Yiannopoulos (@Nero) January 11, 2016
David Bowie's last words said to have been "Feminism is cancer"
— Milo Yiannopoulos (@Nero) January 11, 2016
IF THIS PETITION GETS 2,000 SIGNATURES IN THE NEXT 2 HOURS I WILL SING A BOWIE SONG LIVE ON A YOUTUBE STREAM https://t.co/MxDAXtqRXK
— Milo Yiannopoulos (@Nero) January 11, 2016
Happily, the petition did not get 2000 signatures in those two hours, or at all. As I write this, the petition stands more than 98,000 signatures short of the 100,000 needed for the White House to even officially notice it.
Rest in Peace, David Bowie. And go to hell, Milo.
Got to love someone who’s idea of free speech is the government telling a private website what to say about its users.
Sucks when people can’t tell the difference between “famous” and “internet famous.”
Well, I suppose if you believe feminists are destroying your life, and David Bowie is stealing your thunder by dying, it makes perfect sense that the all-powerful government that does nothing right ever can get tell a private company to reverse it’s policies.
Because you are the dense centre of your own little universe. A super-massive black hole from which no illumination escapes.
It may be a coincidence, but the ad I got with this post showed President Obama laughing himself silly.
I often struggle to discern whether Milo’s monstrous self-absorption is genuine, or a carefully contrived act. And then I think of Donald Trump and get depressed.
Obama: “what the fuck is a Milo Yiannapolis?
Not only that but he would then complain (because you ate all of the good candy already) and throw a tantrum until the adult went out special to buy him more. Then he would hug the adult and smile at you while giving you the finger.
———
Milo feels like he looked at Ann Coulter and tried to be the tech world’s version of her. Someone who understands they are only popular and discussed when they are being horrible. So they have to double down on it. Except he lacks the talent to pick things that most people care about. He had one bout of popularity with GG and that is failing. So he wades into stupid things like this.
I doubt he cares at all about the checkmark. But it is another thing this week to keep his Breitbart blog’s traffic numbers up so he meets his weekly quota. Next week he will magically find something else to get his fans angry about to continue the click train.
I believe he like Trump, Rush, Coulter, Hannity, Savage and many others who love to revel in the anger and hate crowd – they are playing a character. I would not be surprised at all to find one or more of them to personally believe the exact opposite of what they say to the public. Like I would honestly not be surprised if one of them actually voted for Obama. But when they step in front of that microphone, their wrestling persona takes over. Think of it that way and it is a lot less depressing.
Now saying all that – I could be entirely too naive about how horrible some people can be.
I’ve said before that he’s like The Sixth Sense, except he’s walking around not realizing he’s a total bastard.
I don’t even understand why they pulled that blue checkmark from him – I’d certainly want some sort of sign saying “Yes, this person really is that prick, stay away from him”.
Libertarianism has to be the most useless ideology in terms of the sheer number of professed adherents who drop it’s most basic precepts at the first sign of trouble; challenge; or god forbid, gaining any real power.
I suppose that’s because libertarianism serves the interests of the already powerful and privileged so a greater number of it’s adherents only follow it because it provides wider justification for pursuing what would otherwise be naked self-interest in politics.
I can well believe that.
Wedgies for Milo! Internet, do your stuff.
@ tesformes
Scientists need to remember “no bucks, no Buck Rogers”. We let them get away with sidelining Pluto and Brontosaurs but if they want any more public funded grant money they should give us Lemmium! 🙂
(I’m very happy for Rosalind to get one of the other new elements)
“Brontosaurus” wasn’t “Sidelined,” it was an Apatosaurus skeleton with a Camarasaurus skull glued on top because Marsh cared more about winning the Bone Wars than about being a non-shitty palaeontologist. =P
…
*temporarily loses all sense of humour because nerrrd*
If it doesn’t involve glue and dynamite it’s not paleontology! 🙂
Edward Drinker Cope FTW!
There’s a book though who’s protagonist (a ballet dancing dinosaur) is called Brontosaur Apatasaurus so I’m willing to compromise that way.
https://youtu.be/FuiX9mlDY9E
Unfortunately, David Bowie may not be the man we idolize. He has been accused of assault.
Terrabeau
I mean deport the pr*** to an island where there are no people or animals.
Kale
I’m not surprised with these celebrities anymore.
Milo seems to be one of those people who walk into a restaurant looking for things to argue about so they get a free meal. Then write notes on the tip section like “$0, get a real job” while hitting publish on his most recent article complaining how lazy the current generation of restaurant servers are for not meeting his every single need.
I would not be surprised if he has at one point in his life said to a server “I am deathly allergic to anything red” and then complained when the server did not bring ketchup with his burger.
Sevenofmine:
Not that you were speaking to me, but I am guessing that you were. Since I said I hate twitter and find it stupid.
I don’t hate it because I am privileged. Would that be white privilege you speak of? That’s the only privilege I have, so I am guessing it is my white privilege that makes me hate twitter.
I’m allowed to hate twitter, and you are allowed to hate that I hate it, but that’s about it.
Twitter may be a valuable medium. I still think it’s stupid. I hear about all kinds of things via you tube, blogs, etc., a million places. If that info gets to places where I see it because of twitter, great.
But I still don’t like twitter. Thanks for letting me know it’s because privilege.
they do realize that Twitter is not owned by the White House. Right?
I disagree. When someone says and does the horrible things that these people say and do, it should be because they truly believe in them. It’s like that line from Dog Day Afternoon: “The guy who kills me…I hope he does it because he hates my guts, not because it’s his job.”
The idea that people would cause so much harm to so many people for money is much more depressing to me than the idea that they do it because they really believe the shit they say.
@Eitan
Ah, but you see, both Twitter and the White House are owned by DA JOOOZ.
… No, seriously, that’s what these twits actually believe.
@ raysa
Re-read my comment for comprehension and get back to me.
When the internet was invented
People: “It’s just a bunch of people talking about what they had for lunch!”
Later: “Oh, wait.”
When blogs were invented
People: “It’s just a bunch of people talking about what they had for lunch!”
Later: “Oh, wait.”
When podcasts were invented
People: “It’s just a bunch of people talking about what they had for lunch!”
Later: “Oh, wait.”
When Twitter was invented
People: “Okay, I was wrong before, but THIS is JUST a bunch of people talking about what they had for lunch.”
Later: “Fucking hell.”
I think twitter can be useful. I personally don’t use it because the one time I tried I got too confused and just never tried again. On the other hand Milo and his cohorts are not useful. Confusing too but I will never try them.
In short….twitter once… Milo never ?