The news that Twitter CEO Elon Musk would start forcing people to pay to keep their blue checkmarks has not sat well with celebrities who were previously verified on the service.
Case in point: Ice-T, the rapper and actor, is not too happy about having to pay for something that was previously free. He went on (where else) Twitter to post his grievances.
F that checkmark! Ice-T is just saying what we’re all thinking. Most celebrities, journalists and people of note have “legacy” check marks to denote their celebrity status. It was a free distinction that helped to prove you were indeed interacting with or responding to an actual celebrity.
Ever since Musk took over in October, he’s been repeatedly threatening to remove those “legacy” checkmarks. Musk recently tweeted that “On April 1st, we will begin winding down our legacy verified program and removing legacy verified checkmarks.”
There is something to keep in mind. Musk fancies himself a comedian, even though most of his “jokes” are pedestrian puns (remember the sink?) or tired pop culture references. April 1 is April Fool’s Day, and Musk has used this day to be “funny” before.
In 2018, he tweeted that Tesla went bankrupt. What a jokester! Other celebrities have also noticed how bad of an idea this is going to be. Monica Lewinsky shared a photo of all the accounts impersonating her and said “well this is going to be fun.”
She followed up with “in what universe is this fair to people who can suffer consequences for being impersonated? a lie travels half way around the world before truth even gets out the door.”
William Shatner, of Star Trek and SpaceX fame, said on the site that “I’ve been here for 15 years giving my (clock emoji) & witty thoughts all for bupkis. Now you’re telling me that I have to pay for something you gave me for free?”
Musk responded that “it’s more about treating people equally.” Yes, it’s about equality and has nothing at all to do with the fact that Twitter has lost half it’s value and Musk lost $20 billion on his investment.
Whatever happens, it’s sure to be “hilarious” on April 1. We’ll keep you posted.
