User:JH369416/sandbox

= Twitter Feud =

A Twitter Feud is an argument between two people or groups that has taken place on the social media platform, Twitter. The retweeting of emotionally fuelled tweets, namely conducted in popular culture as celebrities argue, has led to the development of Twitter feuds being viewed publicly. Namely, Donald Trump has been a key contributor to the development of Twitter feuds as he frequently communicates his thoughts on people, places and things, averaging 10 tweets per day in 2019. Social media has made it easier for users to share their thoughts, opinions and feelings in an online forum, which has led to controversies in regards to the parameters of freedom of speech. Twitter Feuds have eventuated as a result of the minimal effort and highly impulsive nature of tweeting, due to the accessibility and ease of posting on Twitter.



Twitter's Media Ecology
Media Ecology represents the theory that media outlets shape the nature in which users interact with respective social channels. Twitter is a microblogging web space comprised of short content, to a maximum of 140 characters, where users can generate updates, comments and interact with media such as images and video. The popularity of Twitter has grown rapidly, with over 500 million tweets published daily in 2015. As a form of social media, Twitter is characterised by simplicity and impulsivity. Due to the limitations set by the 140 character maximum, Twitter structurally does not encourage information to be comprehensive, thorough or advanced. The demand for information to be simple and brief has significantly contributed to Twitter and how users interact with each other. Tweeting requires minimal effort and has become a highly impulsive activity due to the accessibility and ease of posting. Emotionally fuelled tweets, which are being retweeted more frequently, has led to the development of Twitter feuds.

Twitter as a Platform for Freedom of Speech
Freedom of speech holds importance in society to uphold democracy for both citizens and political leaders. Free speech in Western societies has been consolidated as a constitutional right for all citizens. Marshall McLuhan has stated that individual's rights and freedoms are directly influenced by technological advancements. Freedom of speech in the digital age has increasingly become a prevalent issue, as it can be unclear how far an individual's free-speech rights extend. Free speech on digital platforms is regulated and upheld to the same standard as speech conducted offline. Competition and consumer agencies such as the Competition and Markets Authority are ensuring that celebrities are not engaging in misleading and deceptive conduct online and thus strict guidelines have been implemented. Standards include that content on social media is constantly regulated to ensure that offences such as defamation and slander are penalised accordingly. The rise of social media has made it easier for users to share their thoughts, opinions and feelings in an online forum. Therefore, it is becoming increasingly important for the balance to be found between users being able to utilise social media as outlet for their thoughts, while not offending other users.

Donald Trump and Twitter Feuds
Twitter provides politicians, such as Donald Trump, with a public forum allowing for the creation of simple and impulsive content creation. In 2018, Donald Trump averaged 10 tweets per day, posting approximately 3,400 tweets. As of February 2019, Donald Trump had insulted 567 people, places and things on Twitter. Donald Trump's Twitter account '@realDonaldTrump', had 60.2 million followers as of May 2019. As identified by scientist Brad Hayes, Donald Trump's twitter presence follows a distinct pattern of "using simple language, deferring to trusted friends and colleagues, and constantly insulting his opponents".

On November 10, 2012, Donald Trump tweeted, "Thanks - many are saying I’m the best 140 character writer in the world. It's easy when it's fun”. This tweet led to responses such as;


 * Jim Spellman tweeting, “FYI ‘Many’ is twitter slang for ‘No one’ @realDonaldTrump,”
 * Leslie Abravanel tweeting, “when he says ‘many’, he means the voices in his overinflated, inexplicably coiffed head, right?”
 * Jon Sosis tweeting, “@realDonaldTrump You’re not even the best 140 character writer in your car right now. Shut your trap you waste of life.”

Donald Trump and Alec Baldwin
On the 1st of March 2018, Alec Baldwin described that playing the character of Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live has become "like agony". Donald Trump responded the next day,

"Alec Baldwin, whose dying mediocre career was saved by his terrible impersonation of me on SNL, now says playing me was agony. Alec, it was agony for those who were forced to watch. Bring back Darrell Hammond, funnier and a far greater talent!".

Baldwin then responded to this tweet on The Tonight Show on the 12th of March 2018, explaining that people are not "forced to watch" the show. This feud followed a series of tweets made by Trump detailing that Alec Baldwin's impersonations of Trump were "not funny" and "totally unwatchable" made in December 2016.

This ongoing twitter feud continued with Donald Trump tweeting on the 17th of February 2019:

"Nothing funny about tired Saturday Night Live on Fake News NBC! Question is, how do the Networks get away with these total Republican hit jobs without retribution? Likewise for many other shows? Very unfair and should be looked into. This is the real Collusion!"

Also on the 17th of February 2019, Donald Trump added:

"THE RIGGED AND CORRUPT MEDIA IS THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!"

In response to Donald Trump's tweets, the Hilaria and Alec Baldwin Foundation twitter account posted on the 17th of February:


 * "I wonder if a sitting President exhorting his followers that my role in a TV comedy qualifies me as an enemy of the people constitutes a threat to my safety and that of my family?"


 * "Trump whines. The parade moves on. #resignalready"

On the 9th of April 2019, the Hilaria and Alec Baldwin Foundation twitter account tweeted:

"If I ran for President, would you vote for me? I won’t ask you for any $. And I promise I will win. Beating Trump would be so easy. So easy. So easy."

Donald Trump and Chrissy Teigen
Chrissy Teigen has publicly made her dislike of Donald Trump known from March 2011, when she tweeted that she was:

"At the comedy central roast of trump. hands down the best room I've ever been in."

In May 2011, Teigen tweeted:

"Just realized I am at a Starbucks inside a trump building. I knew it smelled psychotic and racist here."

In June 2016, Teigen tweeted on Donald Trump's 70th birthday, posting:

"Happy Birthday" as the caption to a picture with instructions on how to deactivate a twitter account.

In February 2017, Teigen with husband, John Legend, were interviewed by USA Today, in which they are asked about Teigen's response to Donald Trump's tweets. Teigen responded that, "I've actually been a big Donald Trump hater. I've been trolling him for about 5 to 7 years now."

In response to Donald Trump's tweets regarding election collusion with Russia, made in March 2017, Teigen responded:

"Every day, twice a day, at 11:11, I wish for your impeachment"

On the 24th of July 2017, Donald Trump tweeted "It's very sad that Republicans, even some that were carried over the line on my back, do very little to protect their President." Chrissy Teigen responded in the comments section, "Lolllllll no one likes you". On the 25th of July 2017, Teigen tweeted on her personal account that, "After 9 years of hating Donald J Trump, telling him 'lol no one likes you' was the straw." When interviewed about being blocked by Donald Trump, Teigen stated that she knew that it was going to eventuate but was confused by the tweet that led Trump to block her, claiming that she had made harsher comments on Twitter previously.

Donald Trump and North Korea
Donald Trump tweeted on January 3 2018:

"North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the “Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times.” Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!"

This tweet came in response to Kim Jong Un's claim that North Korea's nuclear weapons could reach the United States from a button on his desk.

Donald Trump and ISIS
Donald Trump tweeted on December 20th 2018 that "we have defeated ISIS in Syria, my only reason for being there during the Trump Presidency." This statement was made shortly following US media outlets reporting that 2,000 troops were to be withdrawn from Syria. Senator Lindsey Graham, a South Carolina Republican, responded to Trump's statement on Twitter, posting:

"With all due respect, ISIS is not defeated in Syria, Iraq, and after just returning from visiting there -- certainly not Afghanistan. Withdrawal of this small American force in Syria would be a huge Obama-like mistake."

This was furthered by Adam Kinzinger, who stated in response to Trump's original tweet saying, "this is simply not true."

Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris
On June 1 2016, Taylor Swift retweeted Calvin Harris' post, saying that, "the only truth here is that a relationship came to an end and what remains is a huge amount of love and respect." However, two weeks later Harris took down the post and unfollowed Taylor Swift. Both musicians have deleted pictures of each other on their social media accounts.

Following controversies that Taylor Swift and her music team claimed to have written the lyrics to Calvin Harris' song 'This Is What You Came For', Calvin Harris took to twitter on the 13th of July 2016, tweeting:


 * "And she sings on a little bit of it too. Amazing lyric writer and she smashed it as usual."


 * "I wrote the music, produced the song, arranged it and cut the vocals though. And initially she wanted it kept secret, hence the pseudonym."


 * "Hurtful to me at this point that her and her team would go so far out of their way to try and make ME look bad at this stage though"

Harris continued to tweet on the 13th of July 2016:

"I figure if you're happy in your new relationship you should focus on that instead of trying to tear your ex bf down for something to do."

"I know you're off tour and you need someone new to try and bury like Katy ETC but I'm not that guy, sorry. I won't allow it."

Katy Perry tweeted a gif of Hillary Clinton after being referenced in Calvin Harris' tweet. The gif included Hillary Clinton making exasperated faces while shrugging and remaining tight-lipped.

Kanye West and Jimmy Kimmel
In September 2013, Kanye West in a BBC Radio 1 interview with Zane Lowe, stated he was the "biggest rock star in the world". Jimmy Kimmel created a satirical skit on his show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, mocking the interview. The clip showed two children playing Kanye West and Zane Lowe, holding milkshakes in the feature 'Kimmel Kid (re)Kreation'. Following the sketch, Kimmel referred to the interview as "weird" and questioned why Kanye West felt he had to "be his own hype man".

On the 27th of September, 2 days after Jimmy Kimmel's clip had aired, Kanye West tweeted;

"JIMMY KIMMEL IS OUT OF LINE TO TRY AND SPOOF IN ANY WAY THE FIRST PIECE OF HONEST MEDIA IN YEARS"

In which Jimmy Kimmel responded;

"apparently @KanyeWest is VERY VERY ANGRY with me...."

Kanye West responded;

"JIMMY KIMMEL PUT YOURSELF IN MY SHOES … OH NO THAT MEANS YOU WOULD HAVE GOTTEN TOO MUCH GOOD P***Y IN YOUR LIFE…"

Jimmy Kimmel responded;

"If it's not too much trouble @kanyewest, would you mind using @jimmykimmel ? Thanks."

Kanye West responded;


 * "YOU CAN'T PUT YOURSELF IN MY SHOES. YOUR FACE LOOKS CRAZY… IS THAT FUNNY?… OR IF I HAD A KID SAY IT WOULD IT BE FUNNY???"
 * "SHOULD I DO A SPOOF ABOUT YOUR FACE OR YOU F*****G BEN AFFLECK…#NODISRESPECTTOBENAFFLECK #ALLDISRESPECTTOJIMMYKIMMEL!!!!"
 * "I LIKE YOU, YOU KNOW ME, I WENT TO YOUR FAMILY'S WEDDING"

Jimmy Kimmel responded;

"I like you too! Glad we cleared this up."

Kanye West continued to tweet;


 * "WHO YOU MADE IT CLEAR TO ME WASN'T YOUR FAMILY WHEN I WAS ON THEN PHONE WITH YOU 5 MINUTES AGO, YOU MANIPULATIVE MEDIA MUTHERFUCKER."
 * "SARAH SILVERMAN IS A THOUSAND TIMES FUNNIER THAN YOU AND THE WHOLE WORLD KNOWS IT!!!"

Jimmy Kimmel responded in regards to ex-girlfriend Sarah Silverman who he dated from 2003-2008.


 * "I know! #WreckItRalph, right?!"


 * "I'll tell you the whole story about @kanyewest tonight on the show - this is not a prank, I promise (unless it's being played on me)"

American Singer Josh Groban responded to this tweet asking,

"Is there anything...anything I can do...to help mend this friendship."

Jimmy Kimmel responded, referencing a skit published on 4 January 2011, titled 'Josh Groban Sings Kanye West Tweets', tweeting:

"@joshgroban @kanyewest you've done enough already http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Axzxe1a78E"

In February 2018, Jimmy Kimmel was the on the cover of GQ magazine and in an interview discussing the 2013 feud with Kanye West, Kimmel stated, "I live for moments like that. When I got in a Twitter battle with Kanye, I was so happy. My wife makes fun of me. She's like, 'You are so happy right now'. I'm absolutely beaming. I feel very confident in a situation like that."