By Matthew Ritter, News Correspondent
The glitziest celebrities and most tech-savvy companies love using Twitter to keep in touch with members of the public. Unfortunately for them, impostor satirists and parodists do too. Armed with a sense of humor and Twitter handles that resemble those of their real counterparts, these online carnival mirrors distort the original message in a hilariously inappropriate fashion.
@BPGlobalPR
As you may have heard, some oil spilled in the Gulf of Mexico some time ago, and many are holding oil giant BP responsible. With an oil-dripping BP logo, @BPGlobalPR is trying to raise awareness of all of the money BP has been spending to make it look like it cares. Don’t worry, because fake company spokespeople were also quick to remind followers that BP made $45 million in profits per day in 2009, so this really isn’t a big deal. For the latest, breaking developments from the source of the catastrophe (BP prefers that you call it a “whoopsie-daisy”), follow @BPGlobalPR.
@ceoSteveJobs
After announcing iPhone 4 with FaceTime, the new mobile video-chatting feature, the fake incarnation of Apple chief executive Steve Jobs proclaimed via Twitter that it “completely revolutionizes sexting.” He spends most of his time talking about how magical the iPad is, bashing Microsoft and Google, editing his Wikipedia page, and firing handfuls of employees when he gets bored. Given how secretive Apple can be about upcoming products, it’s surprising how much Steve Jobs tweets – such as the next iteration of the iPad having a 3D display to support pop-up books or that “Verizon will support the iPhone sooner than you think.”
@SingleAlGore
A lot of people were upset upon hearing that former vice president Al Gore and Tipper, his wife, would be separating after 40 years of marriage, and many were seeking answers as to why. We may get a peek at their personal lives now, as the man who invented the internet is finally active on Twitter. While some consider the man himself boring and long-winded, the same can’t be said about his false Twitter account. He discusses not only his attempts to get back into the dating scene, but also gives a glimpse into the personal lives of other famous politicians (Bill Clinton and John Edwards make many appearances).
@FakeAPStyleBook
@APStyleBook is committed to helping reporters write better and retain journalistic integrity. @FakeAPStyleBook is its evil twin brother, disseminating subversive tweets about conventions of writing style, grammar, spelling, and pretty much everything else. It keeps readers up to date with helpful trivia (“heroin – Narcotic derived from opium poppies; also your life, wife.”) and advice (“Only spell ketchup “catsup” if you wish to be murdered.”). It’s also one of the more popular parody Twitter accounts, with approximately 133,000 followers as of this writing. It’s not hard to see why.
@Jesus_M_Christ
Who knew our Lord and Savior was so tech-savvy? Not only that, Jesus apparently has a great sense of humor. But it’s not for everyone. The Son of God talks about having to deal with his omnipotent Father’s whims, often complains about his 2,000 years of celibacy, and has plenty to say about what the earthly mortals are up to, particularly the famous ones. He also swears like a sailor, is patently racist, and has a penchant for vulgarity of all kinds. This tweeter is both hilarious and offensive. Reader discretion is advised.
