Twitter Likes aren't Private, Ask Ted Cruz
This past Monday, our nation remembered the 16th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers. This day always leaves room for moments of silence and a reminder of how much pain and fear was struck unto the American people for years following. Apparently, it is also a day for Texas senator and former Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz to peruse Twitter for clips of pornography.
On Monday afternoon, someone who happened to be looking at Cruz's Twitter profile at just the right time pointed out that the senator had liked a tweet from @SexuallPosts that contained an over 2-minute clip from a porno.
Cruz was semi-quick to blame the flub on a staffer and unlike the tweet, but not before twitter users pointed out the irony in the situation. About a decade ago, Cruz defended a state ban on "obscene devices" like dildos, artificial vaginas, and other sex toys, saying "there is no substantive-due-process right to stimulate one's genitals". It really makes you think- maybe this is his way of telling the public that he's changed his stance. Maybe he was watching the video in the tweet for research. Maybe he's a massive hypocrite.
Twitter users came together to laugh at the fact that this very religious, very family-oriented, and very watched politician would be not only looking at pornographic twitter accounts but liking them- which shows up publicly on his profile. This isn't the first time that someone in the public eye has not been careful about their social media platforms (remember when Donald Trump favorited a tweet about how he wasn't presidential?). Mess ups like these will cause the public to quickly undermine that person's professionalism, even if its just social media. I hope that this proves as a reminder to politicians and influencers that what you do in person or on the internet carries weight.
On Monday afternoon, someone who happened to be looking at Cruz's Twitter profile at just the right time pointed out that the senator had liked a tweet from @SexuallPosts that contained an over 2-minute clip from a porno.
Meanwhile, over in Ted Cruz' likes. pic.twitter.com/BRlAPXfUkz— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) September 12, 2017
Cruz was semi-quick to blame the flub on a staffer and unlike the tweet, but not before twitter users pointed out the irony in the situation. About a decade ago, Cruz defended a state ban on "obscene devices" like dildos, artificial vaginas, and other sex toys, saying "there is no substantive-due-process right to stimulate one's genitals". It really makes you think- maybe this is his way of telling the public that he's changed his stance. Maybe he was watching the video in the tweet for research. Maybe he's a massive hypocrite.
I had no idea of this mishap before I read your blog! That's crazy. Some of Donald Trump's tweets have been pretty awful, but this is just disgusting. I can totally see how this could cause people to lose all respect for him, and I don't blame then.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very well written blog and an hot topic in current events. I do not lose respect for him or think differently of him. I have never really been a fan of Cruz, but this doesn't make me like him less because I find it hard to believe that Ted Cruz is the one in charge of his Twitter account. I do not normally trust the excuses made by politicians, but this one does seem likely. I have an internship working someone's social media because they are too busy to do so and it seems highly likely that Ted Cruz has someone working his social media for him as well.
ReplyDeleteI think that this shows the power of social media for politicians and others with social influence. It's important to always, always monitor your socials and even those little details shown here in liking tweets. I'm not sure who slipped up here - if it was perhaps a member of his team (an intern running his account, etc), but it really backfired negatively on him!
ReplyDeleteIt's crazy to think that politicians still don't fully understand the power of social media. You're so right that people think it's "just social media". In today's society, I would argue that social media is just as powerful as news sources used to be. Public figures and businesses definitely need to fully understand social media platforms before using them because they definitely have the power to make or break a brand.
ReplyDeleteLets face it, social media is where millennials turn to for most of their source of news or information on what is currently going on in the world. There are always people closely watching not only public figures but also everyone else using the platform. The power of social media can be a good thing, but man it definitely has the power to backfire and destroy reputations. I agree with an above comment that Ted Cruz probably isn't directly in charge of his Twitter profile, but this is still something that should be closely monitored by him.
ReplyDeleteThis situation is so interesting to me because it really shows how important social media is becoming in every aspect of our word. I used to think of social media as a place for bloggers and teenagers, but now politicians so actively use it that it reshapes the way I have to imagine social media. It has become the main form of communication and mistakes like this can really ruin a person's career. It really makes you think about the power of the internet.
ReplyDeleteI love that you posted about this. It just goes to show that no matter how insignificant or significant you are, your life on social media is not private. It also sheds light on how big Twitter and social media platforms have gotten, no longer is it a place just for teens and techies, nearly everyone in the US and abroad has some form of social media involement.
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