That freedom-loving Frenchy, Voltaire, once famously
remarked “I do not agree with what you have to say, but I’ll defend to the
death your right to say it”. This quote was later adapted by Oscar Wilde, who
declared “I may not agree with you, but I will defend to the death your right
to make an ass of yourself’. Of course, neither gentleman could possibly have envisaged
a future where EVERYONE was given a platform to speak their mind. Because on
the World Wide Web, various applications require nothing more than basic
literacy (sometimes not even that) and an internet connection in order to make
public pronouncements.
That’s all for now
Social media applications like Twitter. Initially used as a
networking tool and informal news gathering resource, it was quickly embraced
by corporations eager to advertise their wares. Of course, a medium where
off-the-cuff personal remarks and philosophic reflection is combined with
capitalistic greed can lead to awkward situations. Especially since companies
have learned that brand messaging is more effective when you hitch it to
whatever bandwagon is trending that very moment. That’s how several companies
got themselves into hot water this year by trying to link banal product
advertising with 9/11 remembrance messages. One of the most egregious examples
was this one:
Bikram Arlington @bikramarlington “9+11=20% OFF! PATRIOT DAY
SALE on Bikram Yoga”
But social media hasn’t only attracted (overtly) for-profit
organisations. Pope Benedict extended his role as figurehead and public face of
the Catholic Church in 2012 when he launched his own public twitter account.
After his retirement in 2013 (another first for the church – perhaps a result
of these modern influences?), his successor, Pope Francis I, took up the
tweeting mantle. Neither pope has abused their communication privileges.
There’s been no “fornicators will be cast into the fiery pit of hell” or “repent
now, sinners, before your eternal souls are lost forever”. It’s been mostly
“Kumbaya” and “praise the Lord”.
The same restraint hasn’t been evident amongst the Pope’s
followers on twitter. Apparently such direct access to God’s representative on
Earth is too much temptation for many souls to bear. The comments and replies
veer from the merely insulting (in response to the pontiff’s plea “May we never
talk about others behind their backs, but speak to them openly about what we
think”, one individual replied “OK then, you and your church are evil money
hoarding deceivers”), to the downright sarcastic (Pope Francis’s request that “I
ask all people of good will to join us today in praying for peace in the Middle
East”, was met by one sceptic declaring “Why did nobody think of that before?
That’s bound to work!”). Not to mention several lewd invitations to perform
sexual acts and other debauched comments that can’t be mentioned in polite
conversation. So whilst it’s not quite ‘from their lips to God’s ears’, it’s
something akin to ‘from their twitter accounts to the special IT technicians
hired by the Pope to filter out abusive comments’.
Of course, ordinary folk don’t need the red flag of a pope
twitter account to make outrageous or ill-informed comments. As Oscar Wilde
declared so long ago, everyone should have the right to make an ass of
themselves. Here are just a few examples:
@trentlilweezy “Happy Labor Day! Be thankful for all the
Mothers who went into Labor for their kids that’s what this holiday is all
about!”
@IAmDeionte Hust “Just made some synonym rolls.”
@bhadchickquetta “Rosetta Stone did not sit on dhat bus for
your gays to be askin for equal rights”
Bae “Had to cancel my old debit card, Apparently someone
else was using it. Whatever this one is cute too “ - Followed by a picture of the
back and front of said card…
But Twitter hasn’t just given millions of ordinary folk a
voice, it has also allowed countless celebrities the ability to bypass publicists
and PR agents. With often disastrous results. Here are just a few:
Gilbert Gottfried lost his Afflac gig after making jokes
about the Japanese tsunami:
“I just split up with my girlfriend, but like the Japanese
say, ‘They’ll be another one floating by any minute now.’ “
Amanda Bynes proved that dysfunctional celebrity and
unfiltered public access can be a dangerous combination when she tweeted:
“I want @drake to murder my vagina.”
Not sure if Drake ever took her up on the offer…
Safe tweeting
Raymond Steyn
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