Elon Musk’s Twitter on Thursday began a purge of blue verification check marks from users who have not signed up for its subscription service, with the checks disappearing from the accounts of journalists, academics and celebrities.
via: EW
A week after noted cool person Doja Cat dismissed the blue check mark as a sign “that you’re a complete loser” who’s “desperate for validation from famous people,” Elon Musk is buying up that validation in droves.
https://twitter.com/DojaCat/status/1645698094745673730?s=20
With big names like LeBron James and Stephen King outright refusing to pay to be blue, Musk has been paying the fees of some famous users on their behalf.
Ever since rolling out its Twitter Blue program, in which users pay $8, as opposed to the once-proposed $20 (thanks, Stephen King?), for that little blue check next to their names, celebs have been bailing on the idea like Netflix on a third season of pretty much anything.
Welp guess my blue ?? will be gone soon cause if you know me I ain’t paying the 5. ?????
— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 31, 2023
LeBron declared at the end of March that he wasn’t about that life yet his profile is still sporting that verified badge. According to The Verge, a Twitter employee emailed James to “extend a complimentary subscription to Twitter Blue for your account, @kingjames, on behalf of Elon Musk.”
Musk later tweeted that he indeed was “paying for a few personally.”
I’m paying for a few personally
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 20, 2023
Among those few are Stephen King, who basically said “F you, pay me” to Musk’s $20 fee when he first floated the idea last fall. King tweeted out that he had not, in fact, done what needed to be done to keep his precious blue mark, that is, pay the subscription fee and provide his phone number.
That’s when Musk trolled the horror author with a creepy explanation of his own: “You’re welcome namaste [prayer hands].”
You’re welcome namaste ?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 20, 2023
Not the prayer hands, Musk!
Ice-T, in typical Ice-T fashion, did not mince words about Twitter’s blue world order, tweeting “F— that checkmark” back in March. As if Musk is keeping a list of people who had denounced his idea in the first place — he definitely is, right? — Ice-T’s profile also remains verified, despite the rapper and actor echoing King’s denials.
I heard Twitter is gonna take away the Blue checkmarks if you don't pay… Fuck that checkmark… I guess it matters to some people..
— ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) March 29, 2023
However, the Law & Order stalwart perhaps hit the proverbial nail on its little unverified head when he tweeted, “The fact that we’re even discussing blue check marks is a sad moment in society. Smh lol.”
https://twitter.com/FINALLEVEL/status/1649155026349170695?s=20
Well, apparently it’s better to talk about it than pay for it.
Reps for King and Ice-T did not immediately respond to EW’s request for comment.
