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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / X
If you got a blue checkmark courtesy of X, Elon Musk wants the world to know so.
Spotted on The Verge, premium X users are finding out they can no longer hide their blue checkmarks and are sharing a notification they are receiving informing them of the new X, formerly Twitter policy.
Last summer, Elon Musk’s lame version of Twitter made showing your blue checkmark optional after X introduced a new subscription feature, giving subscribers the once highly coveted sign that they were part of an elite group.
It’s unclear why X is now doing it, but the timing comes after many celebrities and notable people who vowed to never pay for X to keep their blue checkmarks, now have them after X began “gifting” subscriptions to users with high numbers of verified users.
Those users who received their blue checkmarks began hiding them after announcing to their followers that they had not paid for them.
So this feels like Elon Musk being a douchebag and telling his team to make that move to spite those people who are spiting him and his company.
The social media formerly known as Twitter has been a hot mess since Elon Musk reluctantly purchased it. He changed the name and then rolled out the subscription platform, which was immediately abused by scammers who used to verify fake accounts and fool people.
Some people with blue checkmarks became the target of online harassment and mass blocking before giving users with more than a million followers blue checkmarks.
X is an ongoing mess, but we will stick beside it until the wheels fall off like everyone else.
Billie Eilish may have just pioneered an incredibly effective social media growth tactic with one simple move on Instagram.
According to CrowdTangle, the 22-year-old pop star gained 7 million new followers in just a two-day span. The spike comes after Eilish added all 100-million-plus followers to her “Close Friends” Story, where she’s been posting cryptic teasers for her upcoming third studio album this week.
The data tracking company found that, between Wednesday (April 3) and Thursday (April 4), 3.17 million people pressed “Follow” on the “What Was I Made For?” singer’s account in order to join her exclusive Story-viewing pool. Between Thursday and Friday (April 5), 3.9 million more users tagged along.
In total, Eilish saw a growth of 6.4% on the platform.
The posts the singer has been sharing on her Close Friends outlet have included fuzzy fragments of artwork, most of them awash in blue hues. The aesthetic of the pictures matches certain billboards that have popped up in New York and Los Angeles this week, displaying what many fans feel certain are lyrics from Eilish’s next LP.
Trending on Billboard
One of them, for instance, blasted in bright blue lettering, “She’s the headlights I’m the deer.” Others read, “I try to live in black and white,” and “Did I cross the line?”
The nine-time Grammy winner hasn’t dropped an album since 2021’s Happier Than Ever, which followed her 2019 debut When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Both records spent three weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Ahead of her new era, Eilish spoke about her sustainability efforts in an interview with Billboard. After one of her quotes from the article about the wastefulness of releasing too many vinyl variants was misinterpreted by countless fans online, she took to Instagram Stories to clarify, “I wasn’t singling anyone out.”
“These are industry-wide systemic issues,” she added at the time. “when it comes to variants, so many artists release them – including ME! which i clearly state in the article.”
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / X / Elon Musk
It looks like Elon Musk’s X is giving blue checks back to the platform’s most popular users, and they are like, thanks, but no thanks.
Overnight, Elon Musty’s X, formerly Twitter, “gifted” premium subscriptions to some users on X, mainly those who vowed never to pay for the subscription service that gave users the “blue check,” along with access to other premium features.
Musk confirmed in a post on his bootleg platform that this is the case, writing, “Going forward, all 𝕏 accounts with over 2500 verified subscriber followers will get Premium features for free, and accounts with over 5000 will get Premium+ for free.”
Those who have gotten their blue checkmarks back to their names are taking to the platform to let their followers know they are still ten toes down on their initial stance and did not give Bootleg Tony Stark any money to get back their checks.
Acadmey Award-nominated actor Jeffrey Wright was one of those users who expressed that sentiment, sharing a screenshot of a notification from X that he was getting his complimentary subscription to X Premium.
In the caption for the post, he wrote, “Pay $8? Kidding. Help me. But don’t say anything too free speechy about me or my Garbage Tower of Babel shitsite.”
Netflix’s Good Times star also spoke on the matter, writing, “What happened? I didn’t pay for this. I would NEVER pay for this. When did the Blue Check mark start getting passed around again?!
Actor Mark Hamill, aka our guy Luke Skywalker, responded to Brown’s post, “I didn’t pay when it went away, & really didn’t care. Then, out of nowhere, it mysteriously reappeared. #whatever.”
Well, the sentiment remains thanks, but no thanks.
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If social media has taught us anything in the last decade and more, it’s that there are a lot of creeps and weirdos out here on all sides. A woman on X had to protect her account after essentially cosigning sexual assault and homophobia in a two-for-one tweet, prompting others to call her She Diddy.
She Diddy began trending early Thursday (April 4) morning after X user @themdolll tweeted some thoughts that somehow got connected to some other recent happenings involving Sean “Diddy” Combs.
The tweet, which X user @ScamFisher screengrabbed, reads as follows:
once i reach fa that dic & you move my hand u can get tf on gay ass ngga
X user @FirstName_Alan quoted @themdolll’s tweet, writing in the quotes, “It’s called consent She Diddy” and all hell broke loose from there.
Since that exchange, She Diddy has gone viral, seeing Combs’ nickname repurposed once again in an unfortunate fashion. In recent times, the phrase “No Diddy” has cropped up which seemingly has a homophobic bent although it appears it isn’t dominating the conversations of late.
As it stands, fans and onlookers are more aware than ever of the specter of sexual assault in the wake of Diddy’s recent legal issues. Further, it’s revealed that some people have some zany views about consent, assault, sexuality, and conduct. Adding to this, Diddy has his fair share of defenders along with those who wish to see his downfall in connection to the mounting allegations he faces.
Perhaps not wanting that image on her jacket, @themdolll has since made her X page private so we don’t know if there have been any other statements or responses to her earlier quip.
Check out the reactions under the X trending topic She Diddy below.
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Photo: Prostock-Studio / Getty
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Source: Ivan Pantic / Getty / Black Twitter
Unsurprisingly, there is a documentary about Black Twitter, but actual Black Twitter, or Black X, should we call it that? Nah, we’re going to stick with the original name, is on the skeptical side about who is involved.
The docuseries from former Insecure showrunner Prentice Penny coming to Hulu is not even out yet. Still, a trailer for it is being met with an enormous amount of skepticism due to the people who will be involved and speaking about the influential and popular subsection of Twitter, now unfortunately known as X, thanks to Elon Musk.
According to a press release. The series will take its cues from Jason Parham’s 2021 Wired cover story, “A People’s History of Black Twitter,” and “charts the rise, movements, voices, and memes that made Black Twitter an influential and dominant force in nearly every aspect of American political and cultural life.”
To help break down Twitter subsection’s rise to popularity and eventually carry the social media platform on its back will be Roxane Gay, Jemele Hill, Sam Jay, Amanda Seales, Kid Fury, April Reign, Raquel Willis, Apple Music’s LowKey, Chris Foxx aka @FoxxFiles, and more.
The Reactions To The Black Twitter Docuseries Are Already Pouring In
Therein lies the issue: many feel many people are being left out in this docuseries and are giving it the mean side-eye.
One X user wrote, “The real meat and potatoes of Black Twitter is everyday people. Not B-list Black celebrities and pseudo intellectual Talking Heads.”
Fair.
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Another user on X pointed out just how crazy this debate is, writing in the post, “Black Twitter arguing over whether that Black Twitter documentary is gonna include all the right people and topics, is the most Black Twitter thing ever.”
Prentice Penny also got involved in the debate, adding: “I’d like to think after 20 years of holding the culture down, y’all would trust I got #blacktwitterhulu best interest in mind. But lowkey, I also love black Twitter mad hesitant and petty ’bout it, too! LOL!”
When this documentary arrives on Hulu on Thursday, May 9, it seems likely that there will be a lot of hate-watching and live tweeting.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
1. Damn, that’s how y’all feel?
2. The video, lol
3. She’s right
4. Good chance they are going to be hate-watching
5. Always late to the party.
6. Very accurate
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Source: Anna Moneymaker / Getty / TikTok
Content creators might want to start working on their Instagram Reels skills after the GOP-controlled House of Representatives passed a bill that could end TikTok’s run in the United States.
In a rare act of bipartisanship, the House agreed on a measure calling for TikTok’s owner, the Chinese-owned company ByteDance, to divest the TikTok app or risk a US ban.
The bill passed with an eye-opening 352-65 vote and one member voting present, but it still faces uncertainty when it reaches the Senate.
Per CNBC:
The legislation, dubbed the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, was introduced March 5 by Reps. Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., and Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., of the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. Two days later, House members on the Energy and CommerceCommittee voted unanimously to approve the bill, which refers to TikTok as a threat to national security because it is controlled by a foreign adversary.
The bill now heads to the Senate where it faces an uncertain future as senators appear divided about the legislation, and other federal and state-led efforts to ban TikTok have stalled.
TikTok Repsonds To The Bill Passing The Senate
As expected, the folks at TikTok were not happy about the developments.
“This process was secret, and the bill was jammed through for one reason: it’s a ban,” a spokesperson for TikTok said after the vote was passed. “We are hopeful that the Senate will consider the facts, listen to their constituents, and realize the impact on the economy, 7 million small businesses, and the 170 million Americans who use our service.”
President Joe Biden has already expressed that he will sign the bill if it reaches his desk. Ironically, President Biden has an official TikTok account that his administration created in February as part of his re-election campaign.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the administration would provide “technical support” in crafting the bill and noted in a March 6 briefing, “It’s on legal standing, and it’s in a place where it can get out of Congress, then the President would sign it.”
The House claims the bill “does not ban TikTok” and demands ByteDance to divest from TikTok within 6 months” “to remain available in the United States.”
If the bill passes its final hurdle and gets Biden’s signature, Apple, Google, and other internet-hosting companies can no longer support TikTok or any other ByteDance apps.
Donald Trump Thinks He’s Slick
While most lawmakers agree that TikTok threatens the country’s national security, Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump feels otherwise.
In an interview with CNBC, he claims that getting rid of TikTok would only make Facebook and Instagram’s owner Meta more powerful.
“Without TikTok, you can make Facebook bigger, and I consider Facebook to be an enemy of the people,” Trump claims.
His comments are hypocritical because, in 2020, he signed an executive order banning TikTok and WeChat “transactions” and eventually giving his approval of a $10 billion and $30 billion acquisition involving Microsoft that eventually fell through.
The Biden Administration would revoke his executive orders.
Content Creators Are BIG MAD
Content Creators are BIG MAD about the ruling and were present at Capitol Hill to let lawmakers know that this ban will affect their livelihoods.
Social media is also reacting to the news, and can’t believe the only thing lawmakers can agree on is that allowing a company possibly owned by the Chinese communist party company access to your data is bad, while other pressing issues like the minimum wage, “border crisis,” inflation, which is cooling, but still high in some areas due to various reasons, health care remains unsolved.
Remember that the GOP controls the House of Representatives and decides what bills come to the floor.
Just saying.
Anyway, TikTok has even reached out to its followers in anticipation of the bill passing the House.
We shall see if the Senate agrees with the House on the matter; there is no guarantee that this will happen.
You can see more reactions to TikTok’s possible banning below.
2. Howling
3. Fair question. But lets direct this question to the Republicans in the House who think thoughts and prayers are effective gun control measures.
4. They can always bring the content to Instagram Reels
5. Damn, we are doomed.
6. The TikTok debate has been going on since 2020. So we can’t say this accurate.
7. We’re not opposed to Trump being banned.
8. He is singing a different tune, so maybe they already did.
Doja Cat deleted her Instagram account and announced to fans that she was taking a break from the service to giver herself time off from what she described as a toxic atmosphere. “hey i’m gonna deactivate because i’m not really feeling this anymore. you guys take care of yourselves,” the rapper/singer wrote according to screengrabs […]
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / TikTok
TikTok’s run in the US over? The social media platform is trying its best to remain on smartphones in the States, but the US Government is working really hard to end its stranglehold on social media content creators.
Spotted on The Verge, TikTok is relying on its users to contact their local congress members as a bill calling for the app’s ban gains support in Congress.
The social media platform sent out a push notification warning users about the ban, claiming the government is trying to strip their constitutional rights from them.
Per The Verge:
TikTok sent users in the US a push notification on Wednesday, warning that “Congress is planning a total ban of TikTok” that would “[strip] 170 million Americans of their Constitutional right to free expression.”
The page says that a ban would “damage millions of businesses, destroy the livelihoods of countless creators across the country, and deny artists an audience.” The alert includes a way for users to find their representative and call their office.
The notification comes shortly after the White House expressed support for a bipartisan bill directed at TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance.
The bill — called the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act — is in response to the perceived national security risks of TikTok, particularly around how the company collects user data.
The bill would require that TikTok break off from ByteDance or risk being removed from app stores in the US.
The Irony
The White House’s support for the bill is ironic due to President Biden’s presence on the platform under the handle @BidenHQ.
Congress has been trying for years to ban the app, with some states successfully banning the app from government devices, and Montana became the first state to ban it successfully.
A judge put a halt on the ban, which is the subject of numerous court challenges. If the government is successful in passing the ban, the American Civil Liberties Union is already pointing out that it will be a violation of the First Amendment.
TikTok has been having a rough year, with UMG (Universal Music Group) pulling music off the platform after both entities did not extend their licensing agreement.
It sounds like TikTok is in danger. There’s always Instagram Reels. Just saying.
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Source: Johnny Nunez / Getty / Machine Gun Kelly
Machine Gun Kelly debuted a new look, and people are giving him a blank stare.
It’s a new year and clearly a new MGK. The “rapper,” now a mega-popular rockstar, is prepping his fans for new music and rebooted himself with some fresh ink.
He showed his eight million-plus followers his new body tattoo on Instagram, a complete cover-up with nothing but pure black ink.
In the caption for the post, the “Emo Girl” crafter said his new body tattoo is “for spiritual purposes only” and thanked his tattoo artist @roxx.
In an Instagram Story post, MGK revealed that the artist used “44 needles” while Roxx wrote, “Never met a tougher one,” regarding the musician sitting down getting the epic that done.
The post has received over 600,000 likes, and people are sharing interesting thoughts in the comments. Power Book II: Ghost actor Gianni Paolo had high praise for the tattoo, saying, “insane.”
Even the Tiger King, Joe Exotic, currently serving a 22-year prison sentence, had something to say and shot his shot, writing in the comment section, “A tiger and a bit of meth, and you would be mine. Lol.”
We are sure Machine Gun Kelly’s current fiancee, actress Meagan Fox, is not trying to share her man with Joe Exotic.
Some people in the comment section do not like his tattoo. One commenter said, “Stupidest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.”
Another person joked, “Bro looking like the adidas logo.”
Where’s the lie?
Welp, the work is done, MGK is happy with it, and that’s all that matters.
You can see more reactions to the tattoo in the gallery below.
2. Well damn
3. Possibly
4. There’s a thought
7. Spits out drink
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Source: NurPhoto / Getty / TikTok
TikTok made vertical videos all the rave. Now, the social media platform wants its users to start recording longer horizontal videos.
Spotted on The Verge, TikTok is now incentivizing its users to record horizontal videos that are also longer than the standard minute video.
Per The Verge:
TikTok appears to be incentivizing creators to start posting horizontal videos that are more than a minute long, according to a prompt seen by creators @candicedchap and @kenlyealtumbiz. The platform says it will “boost” these videos within 72 hours of posting. Creators who’ve been on TikTok for more than three months will be eligible for the viewership boost as long as the videos are not ads or from political parties.
According to the website, the “YouTube-ization” of the platform has been well underway for quite some time, with the US Government’s not-so-favorite platform pushing 30-minute videos.
TikTok already allows users to upload 15-minute-long videos.
The platform has already pushed users to flood timelines with more YouTube-esque content. The Chinese-owned platform introduced a new paywall program that allows content creators to upload a series of 20-minute-long videos into collections for paying subscribers.
Creators can set their prices to $1 to $190 subscribers. We have no idea who would pay the latter for a subscription.
It’s funny to see TikTok going towards horizontal videos, as other platforms like Instagram and YouTube have been moving towards vertical videos.
We are interested in seeing if TikTok users will use the latest feature.