The Week on Twitter | Leader’s Debate, No Direction, & Antonin Scalia
This week, Twitter watched the leader’s debate, criticised Labour’s photoshop skills, laughed as Micháel Martin dropped a piece of paper, and watched Gerry Adams get a haircut live on Periscope. We also saw Stephen Fry delete his Twitter account,and wondered who President Obama was going to appoint as the new Justice of the Supreme Court after Antonin Scalia passed away.
US Justice of Supreme Court #AntoninScalia found dead
Last Sunday, Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia was found dead at his ranch in Texas. The 79 year old had been justice of the court for 30 years prior to his death, where he had received constant criticism (from just about everybody who isn’t painfully right wing) for his extremely conservative views.
Following the news of Scalia’s death, it was reported that President Obama was to appoint his replacement. Lots of Republicans weren’t happy about this because Obama is more likely to choose somebody who is not a bigot. Lots of other people were very happy about this because Obama is more likely to choose somebody who is not a bigot.
Antonin #Scalia requested cremation in his will, but millions of women will meet tomorrow to discuss if that's really best for his body.
— Justice Wainwright (@JusticeBlaine) February 14, 2016
I'd have more respect for the dead if he had more respect for other people when he was alive #Scalia
— Jarjar Hadid (@golpezurdo) February 14, 2016
'I've never wished a man dead, but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure.'- #MarkTwain #Scalia
— J Gray (@JulesAGray) February 14, 2016
I'm not celebrating that he's dead. I'm celebrating that he's off the court. He just happens to be dead. #Scalia
— James S. Patterson (@JScottPatterson) February 14, 2016
Eventually, it was revealed that Scalia had been found dead with a pillow on his face, or close to his head, or something. Naturally, the US’s finest conspiracy theorists took this opportunity to run with the claim that Obama, the lizard man, had had Scalia murdered because he was racist against Italians (?), and that this was all part of his elaborate plan to usher in the New World Order, probably.
Some time afterwards, the owner of Scalia’s ranch, John Poindexter, confirmed that the pillow had not been found over Scalia’s face, but behind his head near the headboard.
https://twitter.com/leyawn/status/699654331474321408%20
But not even the confirmation that Scalia’s death was due to natural causes could stop right wingers from blaming Obama for just about everything. After it was revealed that the US president would not be attending the former justice’s funeral this weekend, the Republicans took it upon themselves to deem him classless, an embarrassment, and not worthy of the position he held.
https://twitter.com/dbongino/status/700375153771937792
Obama will not attend Scalia funeral! unbelievable! His disrespect for our nations heroes astonishes me.Will he be playing golf on Saturday?
— Jeanine Pirro (@JudgeJeanine) February 18, 2016
#StephenFry quits Twitter after ‘bag lady’ comment backlash #BAFTAS
Earlier this week, Twitter connoisseur Stephen Fry deleted his account following excessive amounts of tweets condemning a joke he made at the BAFTAs. Fry’s decision came after myriads of users took to the site to call him a misogynist after he stated that Jenny Beaven – costume designer and close friend of Fry’s – looked like a bag lady.
https://twitter.com/bethneil/status/698987986432749568%20
Fry was also criticised for a joke about The Danish Girl, where he referred to Eddie Redmayne’s portrayal of trans woman Einar Wegener as “a woman trapped inside a man’s body.” Fry defended himself for a bit before deleting his account, and declaring that Twitter had become “frothy with scum, clogged with weeds and littered with broken glass, sharp rocks and slimy rubbish. If you don’t watch yourself, with every move you’ll end up being gashed, broken, bruised or contused.”
Many praised Fry’s decision, starting that they too had become victims of the sordid permanently offended brigade; a group who is now apparently represented by everyone who had a bit of a meltdown when Fry made a joke about his good friend, and not by those who call actual bullshit people out on their actual bullshit.
Plenty of others deemed the whole debacle political correctness gone mad, as people are wont to do nowadays.
Stephen Fry: Twitter a "stalking ground for the sanctimoniously self-righteous who love to be offended on behalf of others."
— Paul Joseph Watson (@PrisonPlanet) February 15, 2016
Quote of the week by Stephen Fry pic.twitter.com/HCeSMPqHvD
— Jake Canuso (@JakeCanuso) February 15, 2016
Stephen Fry Hospitalised With Twitter Withdrawal Symptoms https://t.co/p1c75SdLDr #StephenFry #news pic.twitter.com/ML3myjawgU
— WWN (@WhispersNewsLTD) February 16, 2016
Fry has yet to state whether or not he will make a return to Twitter. He probably will, maybe.
#GE16 heats up with the second #leadersdebate and that Labour advert
This week, the leader’s debate was on telly. Lots of different things happened at the debate. Some of them were irritating. Most of them were funny. All of them were tweeted about.
Those things were Enda Kenny’s bold decision to enter the studio with his jacket slung over his shoulder, Claire Byrne being the Queen of the debate, Richard Boyd Barrett being the only leader to mention the eighth amendment, Fine Gael and Labour spouting on about the ‘recovery,’ Micháel Martin being low key schooled by Enda for dropping a piece of paper, Joan Burton ensuring that Labour loses any remaining support they have, and Lucinda Creighton ensuring that Renua doesn’t… Because they had none to begin with.
Voting for Renua is like buying your old car back from the lads that robbed it. #leadersdebate
— Adam (@_daddyninja) February 15, 2016
Richard Boyd Barrett looks like he'd pick you up at 3am and not give out to you for being too pissed. #leadersdebate #cblive
— ⭐ amy o'connor ⭐ (@amyohconnor) February 15, 2016
Smooth! #leadersdebate pic.twitter.com/SNhePFyJUo
— Ray Foley (@rayfoleyshow) February 15, 2016
Claire Byrne for Taoiseach!!!!! 🙌🏻#LeadersDebate
— Meghann Scully (@Meghann_Scully) February 15, 2016
Billie Jean is not my lover. #leadersdebate pic.twitter.com/dMmg72kRQd
— Colm Tobin (@colmtobin) February 15, 2016
Gerry Adams dropping a little bit of Twitter Gerry whimsy in there at the end for the kids
— Alan (@alan_maguire) February 15, 2016
A couple of days later, Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams took us all on a live streamed journey of his campaign trail. It included him going for a shave and a quick trim. It was good.
The only place 4 a close shave in Dublin í nGaeilge. pic.twitter.com/McVWNwKseF
— Gerry Adams (@GerryAdamsSF) February 17, 2016
LIVE on #Periscope: Gerry Adams takes a quick break for a haircut and beard trim https://t.co/41PlM53PEi
— Gerry Adams (@GerryAdamsSF) February 17, 2016
Lightbulb & RG ag fhail bearrtha ag an Green Rooster. pic.twitter.com/TI6MIldqSU
— Gerry Adams (@GerryAdamsSF) February 17, 2016
But the excitement didn’t stop with Adams’ impromptu trim. On Thursday morning, Labour’s ‘No Direction’ advert appeared in the paper and everybody lost it. Partially because of the weak photoshop job and general ridiculousness of the concept, but also because of the frankly embarrassing exchanges between parties on Twitter afterwards.
The Labour Party so out of touch they don't even know there are only four members of One Direction #GE16 pic.twitter.com/tasSU9V7B6
— Lucinda Creighton (@LCreighton) February 18, 2016
Sure @LCreighton it's obvious you're Zayn & given your history, you'd be the first to leave! #GE16
— The Labour Party (@labour) February 18, 2016
It was tragic.
https://twitter.com/RayMcGrath/status/700253818102116352%20
https://t.co/DOmxbobWud If that's the best Labour can come up with for a negative campaign poster, imagine how badly they'd run the country.
— Seán Byron (@SwoleBowl) February 18, 2016
Paul Murphy on Labour's 'No Direction' ad: "Someone told me I was Harry. I don't know whether that's good or not"
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) February 18, 2016
tfw you make the same joke as Lucinda Creighton pic.twitter.com/RlDCm2gW1r
— Alan (@alan_maguire) February 18, 2016