Hey! HEY! Are all of you paying attention?! Read very carefully: Once you hit "send"on a tweet it is likely out in these internet streets FOREVER!
The internet has been apart of our daily lives for...What? Twenty-five years? And, it appears folks still don't understand how this whole world wide web thing works. Lawd Jesus. Poor chirrhens, they just never learn.
How many Twitter feeds from long ago must be exposed before people start realizing if they have tweeted racist, homophobic, offensive or just all around stupid shit somebody will unearth it.
In recent weeks professional athletes and known figures have seen their past tweets come back to haunt them.
Let's start with Roseanne Barr. Now, ABC canned her directly because of a current tweet. Everyone knows the story. I'm not going to retell it. But, Roseanne MIGHT have been given a pass except for the fact her past Twitter feed suggested the tweet that precipitated her firing was part of a pattern. Despite her bullshit excuses the truth is she had an extensive history of offensive and cra cra tweets.
A couple of weeks ago Milwaukee Brewers pitcher, Josh Hader, had his Twitter past thrown back in his face because of some tweets of his from seven years ago. Hader, 24, tweeted some racist, homophobic and misogynistic comments. A couple of the tweets were rap lyrics by Drake. Why are these youngsters always quoting Drake? That alone makes me side-eye yo ass. I digress. Anyway, I don't get to worked up about White folks quoting rap lyrics featuring the "N" word. Of course, they shouldn't say it but I am not quick to jump on the "they're a racist" train.
However, Mr. Hader tweeted some other racist comments that were not rap lyrics. Instead, the tweets were just straight up indefensible racism. He also tweeted some very homophobic and misogynistic comments.
Hader apologized to his team in private and issued a public apology. He said he was "17 and just a dumb kid". Part of me says yeah he was a kid. But, more of me says that excuse is weak, somewhat insincere and attempting to shed responsibility. At 17 years old one is old enough to know right from wrong. The excuse doesn't hold water. I know myself and many others weren't saying racist and homophobic slurs at 17 and demeaning women. So, he needs to be a little more accountable.
Last week Guardians of the Galaxy director, James Gunn, was fired by ABC for tweets he had posted joking about pedophilia. Right wing activist and dbag in his own right, Mike Cernovich, discovered the tweets and exposed them. Gunn tweeted disgusting pedophile jokes along with disdainful jokes about rape.
Gunn apologized, of course. Like the others he said the tweets were from a long time ago, as if it mattered.
They were horrific tweets. He deserved to be fired in my opinion. He has actually received a lot of support asking him to be reinstated. The fact he is receiving support is unfathomable to me.
Then, just yesterday Washington Nationals shortstop, Trae Turner, and Atlanta Braves pitcher, Sean Newcomb, became the latest public figures to have their past Twitter feeds exposed. Both had posted racist and homophobic tweets around seven years ago when they were 18.
Now, Newcomb's racist tweets are a little in question for me. A couple of the tweets were Drake lyrics. Why are people quot...Lemme stop and stay on task. A couple of the other tweets weren't blatantly racist but displayed a racist tendency or at least racially insensitive. His other tweets were unquestionably homophobic. He used the slur, fag, quite a bit.
Of course, both Turner and Newcomb issued apologies. As a diehard Braves fan it disappoints (but not surprises) me that Newcomb's apology seemed weak and insincere. He said he "didn't mean to offend anybody" and he "would make sure it didn't happen again". It just appeared to me it was a step above the "if I offended anyone" line which of course isn't an actual apology.
Turner's statement on the other hand seemed more forceful and remorseful. He mentioned he was 18 but also made a point to say "that was no excuse". He said he is not that person now and his teammates and anyone who knows him would attest to that. He also specifically said the tweets were wrong and "inexcusable".
Here is what I do not understand about any of these people and the countless other folks who have their receipts revealed: How does this happen?
Aside from the obvious point that these statements should've never been tweeted, why were they still on their Twitter feeds? They knew they tweeted the shit. Even if these folks didn't remember word for word they knew they had tweeted things that were offensive, off color and in some cases heinous.
Most of these people are of the internet age. They know dadgum well once something is tweeted it's likely there forever. All it takes is one retweet or screenshot taken on a cellphone and that ish is immortalized.
Delete it! Now, because someone or several people might have retweeted the tweet, deleting it doesn't actually delete it. But, at least it wouldn't be on their Twitter feed. The vast majority of people who have offensive tweets exposed are exposed by their own Twitter feeds and not other people's retweets.
I suppose they could have forgotten about the tweets. I mean I guess it could be given some of these tweets were from seven, eight, ten years ago. But, c'mon, man! Know the world you live in. Twitter is saturated with trolls and petty people who literally will spend hours combing through folks' Twitter page hoping to find anything that will "expose" them or ruin them. Some do it for fun. Others do it because they're haters. Then, some like Mike Cernovich want to destroy Hollywood because they think it is some "holy" mission.
Regardless, it is unfathomable how so many celebrities and athletes allow this to happen.
Of course, the real lesson here is to watch what you say or be willing to suffer the potential consequences. People will scream "free speech". But, again, free speech only guarantees you the right to say whatever you want without fear of prosecution or imprisonment. It doesn't not guarantee a price will not be paid.
At the end of the day I do not feel sorry or even empathy for any of these people. Remember kids if you don't say racist, homophobic, xenophobic, pedophilic, sexist or misogynistic shit then you can't get in trouble for saying racist, homophobic, xenophobic, pedophilic, sexist or misogynistic shit. It really isn't hard to do.
The internet has been apart of our daily lives for...What? Twenty-five years? And, it appears folks still don't understand how this whole world wide web thing works. Lawd Jesus. Poor chirrhens, they just never learn.
How many Twitter feeds from long ago must be exposed before people start realizing if they have tweeted racist, homophobic, offensive or just all around stupid shit somebody will unearth it.
In recent weeks professional athletes and known figures have seen their past tweets come back to haunt them.
Let's start with Roseanne Barr. Now, ABC canned her directly because of a current tweet. Everyone knows the story. I'm not going to retell it. But, Roseanne MIGHT have been given a pass except for the fact her past Twitter feed suggested the tweet that precipitated her firing was part of a pattern. Despite her bullshit excuses the truth is she had an extensive history of offensive and cra cra tweets.
A couple of weeks ago Milwaukee Brewers pitcher, Josh Hader, had his Twitter past thrown back in his face because of some tweets of his from seven years ago. Hader, 24, tweeted some racist, homophobic and misogynistic comments. A couple of the tweets were rap lyrics by Drake. Why are these youngsters always quoting Drake? That alone makes me side-eye yo ass. I digress. Anyway, I don't get to worked up about White folks quoting rap lyrics featuring the "N" word. Of course, they shouldn't say it but I am not quick to jump on the "they're a racist" train.
However, Mr. Hader tweeted some other racist comments that were not rap lyrics. Instead, the tweets were just straight up indefensible racism. He also tweeted some very homophobic and misogynistic comments.
Hader apologized to his team in private and issued a public apology. He said he was "17 and just a dumb kid". Part of me says yeah he was a kid. But, more of me says that excuse is weak, somewhat insincere and attempting to shed responsibility. At 17 years old one is old enough to know right from wrong. The excuse doesn't hold water. I know myself and many others weren't saying racist and homophobic slurs at 17 and demeaning women. So, he needs to be a little more accountable.
Last week Guardians of the Galaxy director, James Gunn, was fired by ABC for tweets he had posted joking about pedophilia. Right wing activist and dbag in his own right, Mike Cernovich, discovered the tweets and exposed them. Gunn tweeted disgusting pedophile jokes along with disdainful jokes about rape.
Gunn apologized, of course. Like the others he said the tweets were from a long time ago, as if it mattered.
They were horrific tweets. He deserved to be fired in my opinion. He has actually received a lot of support asking him to be reinstated. The fact he is receiving support is unfathomable to me.
Then, just yesterday Washington Nationals shortstop, Trae Turner, and Atlanta Braves pitcher, Sean Newcomb, became the latest public figures to have their past Twitter feeds exposed. Both had posted racist and homophobic tweets around seven years ago when they were 18.
Now, Newcomb's racist tweets are a little in question for me. A couple of the tweets were Drake lyrics. Why are people quot...Lemme stop and stay on task. A couple of the other tweets weren't blatantly racist but displayed a racist tendency or at least racially insensitive. His other tweets were unquestionably homophobic. He used the slur, fag, quite a bit.
Of course, both Turner and Newcomb issued apologies. As a diehard Braves fan it disappoints (but not surprises) me that Newcomb's apology seemed weak and insincere. He said he "didn't mean to offend anybody" and he "would make sure it didn't happen again". It just appeared to me it was a step above the "if I offended anyone" line which of course isn't an actual apology.
Turner's statement on the other hand seemed more forceful and remorseful. He mentioned he was 18 but also made a point to say "that was no excuse". He said he is not that person now and his teammates and anyone who knows him would attest to that. He also specifically said the tweets were wrong and "inexcusable".
Here is what I do not understand about any of these people and the countless other folks who have their receipts revealed: How does this happen?
Aside from the obvious point that these statements should've never been tweeted, why were they still on their Twitter feeds? They knew they tweeted the shit. Even if these folks didn't remember word for word they knew they had tweeted things that were offensive, off color and in some cases heinous.
Most of these people are of the internet age. They know dadgum well once something is tweeted it's likely there forever. All it takes is one retweet or screenshot taken on a cellphone and that ish is immortalized.
Delete it! Now, because someone or several people might have retweeted the tweet, deleting it doesn't actually delete it. But, at least it wouldn't be on their Twitter feed. The vast majority of people who have offensive tweets exposed are exposed by their own Twitter feeds and not other people's retweets.
I suppose they could have forgotten about the tweets. I mean I guess it could be given some of these tweets were from seven, eight, ten years ago. But, c'mon, man! Know the world you live in. Twitter is saturated with trolls and petty people who literally will spend hours combing through folks' Twitter page hoping to find anything that will "expose" them or ruin them. Some do it for fun. Others do it because they're haters. Then, some like Mike Cernovich want to destroy Hollywood because they think it is some "holy" mission.
Regardless, it is unfathomable how so many celebrities and athletes allow this to happen.
Of course, the real lesson here is to watch what you say or be willing to suffer the potential consequences. People will scream "free speech". But, again, free speech only guarantees you the right to say whatever you want without fear of prosecution or imprisonment. It doesn't not guarantee a price will not be paid.
At the end of the day I do not feel sorry or even empathy for any of these people. Remember kids if you don't say racist, homophobic, xenophobic, pedophilic, sexist or misogynistic shit then you can't get in trouble for saying racist, homophobic, xenophobic, pedophilic, sexist or misogynistic shit. It really isn't hard to do.
