Within the wake of Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover, celebrities are leaving Twitter — however possibly not the flood that might heat critics’ hearts. Some, like creator Stephen King, are even participating with the Tesla founder over rumors about the company’s future plans.
“$20 a month to maintain my blue verify? F— that, they need to pay me. If that will get instituted, I’m gone like Enron,” King tweeted Monday.
Musk replied to King late that evening, tweeting, “We have to pay the payments in some way! Twitter can not rely fully on advertisers. How about $8? I’ll clarify the rationale in longer type earlier than that is applied. It’s the solely approach to defeat the bots & trolls.”
The SpaceX founder, whose Twitter bio now reads “Twitter Criticism Hotline Operator,” introduced one thing nearer to the true plan Tuesday.
“Twitter’s present lords & peasants system for who has or doesn’t have a blue checkmark is bulls—. Energy to the individuals! Blue for $8/month,” Musk wrote in a series of tweets. “Worth adjusted by nation proportionate to buying energy parity. Additionally, you will get: – Precedence in replies, mentions & search, which is crucial to defeat spam/rip-off – Capacity to submit lengthy video & audio – Half as many adverts. And paywall bypass for publishers keen to work with us. This will even give Twitter a income stream to reward content material creators.”
He gave the impression to be mixing Twitter’s blue-check Verified system and its Twitter Blue paid subscription, which up to now has provided “probably the most engaged individuals on Twitter unique entry to premium options” — including Undo Tweet, bookmark folders, ad-free articles and a thread reader — for $4.99 a month.
“[T]his will destroy the bots,” Musk wrote in a reply to a consumer. “If a paid Blue account engages in spam/rip-off, that account might be suspended. Primarily, this raises the price of crime on Twitter by a number of orders of magnitude.”
These not staying round to expertise the brand new proprietor’s modifications embrace Shonda Rhimes, Ken Olin, Sara Bareilles and Toni Braxton, who all declared Friday and Saturday that they have been bailing on the chook platform.
“Not hanging round for no matter Elon has deliberate. Bye,” producer and showrunner Rhimes tweeted Saturday.
“Welp. It’s been enjoyable Twitter. I’m out. See you on different platforms, peeps. Sorry, this one’s simply not for me,” singer Bareilles tweeted Friday.
“I’m shocked and appalled at a number of the ‘free speech’ I’ve seen on this platform since its acquisition,” singer Braxton tweeted the identical day. “Hate speech beneath the veil of ‘free speech’ is unacceptable; subsequently I’m selecting to remain off Twitter as it’s now not a secure house for myself, my sons and different POC.”
Olin wrote Friday, “Hey all — I’m out of right here. No judgement. Let’s maintain the religion. Let’s shield our democracy. Let’s attempt to be kinder. Let’s attempt to save the planet. Let’s attempt to be extra beneficiant. Let’s look to seek out peace on the planet.”
None of their accounts have been deleted, nevertheless. However “Invoice & Ted” actor Alex Winter adopted by means of on his risk to bail on the platform. His @winter account has been deleted.
“Elon Musk taking on Twitter and making it a personal firm with much less oversight has instantly made the platform extra vulnerable to hate speech, focused assaults, and the unfold of disinformation,” Winter mentioned in an electronic mail to NBC News. “If Twitter returns to being a public firm run by rational actors, many people will return.”
Bette Midler criticized Musk’s Twitter takeover Saturday and predicted the location would “immediately devolve into #RadioRwanda.” However on Monday and Tuesday, she was selling “Hocus Pocus 2″ and arguing in favor of abortion rights.
Some, nevertheless, have been likening the Nice Elon Musk Twitter Exodus to the Nice Donald Trump Emigration that was promised if former President Trump gained the White Home however by no means materialized as soon as he was in workplace.
“Oh so that you’re leaving twitter if Elon Musk buys it? Similar to you left America after Trump gained?” conservative actor Kevin Sorbo tweeted Oct. 23, forward of Musk’s takeover.
Comedian Terrence Ok. Williams tweeted succinctly Monday, “I’m not leaving Twitter.”
Actor-writer Jim Beaver mentioned he’s staying, however for various causes. “I’m not leaving Twitter, not beneath present circumstances,” the “Supernatural” alum tweeted late Monday. “I choose to be a voice within the wilderness fairly than to relinquish the sector to the forces of fascism, anarchy, hysteria, or unhealthy style in films. If I lose my blue verify, so what? I used to be right here for years with out it.”
“Madam Secretary” actor Téa Leoni gave the impression to be taking a wait-and-see strategy, tweeting Saturday, “Hello everybody. I’m coming off Twitter right now—let’s see the place we’re when the mud settles. At this time the mud has revealed an excessive amount of hate, an excessive amount of within the mistaken route. Love, kindness, and potentialities for all of you, thanks, xoxtéa.”
“Should you guys are leaving Twitter as a result of a wealthy a— now owns it, I’ve acquired some huge information for you in regards to the final one who owned Twitter,” “Adam Ruins The whole lot” and late-night author Mike Drucker tweeted final Thursday.
Director and political activist Rob Reiner, in the meantime, was encouraging individuals to remain and combat the nice combat in 280 characters or much less. At the very least for some time.
“Simply hours after taking management of this platform, its proprietor unfold crackpot conspiracy theories in regards to the tried homicide of Speaker Pelosi,” Reiner tweeted Monday. “Now shouldn’t be the time to go away. Now’s the time to combat for our Democracy. Vote blue. Maintain the Congress. Then discover choices.”
Reiner remained regardless of a shot that singer John Wealthy of nation duo Massive & Wealthy fired at him over the weekend.
“Rob, didn’t you say you have been leaving Twitter if @elonmusk took it over? I, for one hope you keep,” Wealthy tweeted Saturday at Reiner. “You’re a fixed reminder as to how deranged Hollywood is. You’re vital to the general public discourse! With out your fixed madness, individuals would possibly neglect how whacko you ppl are:).”