Gawker: defamer, conspiracy theories

Is Twitter Conspiring with Celebrities to Delete Your Mean Tweets?

Ryan Tate — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 12:29:01 EDT

Blogger Mickey Kaus likes to send nastygrams to famous people, on Twitter, when the mood strikes him. And yet these messages sometimes disappear from Twitter search, despite the microblogging service's well-established technical competence. Mere coincidence — ha! — or conspiracy?

Here's how The Twitter World Works, according to Kaus: Twitter needs celebrities on its service to attract millions of new users every month or quarter or whatever. Celebrities, in turn need adoring fans, but (key point) have very fragile egos. So Kaus suspects Twitter of keeping a secret team of interns in a back room somewhere, poring over the massive stream of tweets directed at celebrities, and deleting the mean nasty tweets from search.twitter.com. The offending tweets still appear on Twitter, but won't show up in search results.

Kaus knows this because he tweeted something mean about CNN president Jon Klein, and it never showed up in Twitter search. Plus, in Kaus' experience, searches on celebrity names "almost invariably turn up... pleasant comments." Pretty ironclad. Ahem.

But you know what? The conspiracy might just be real. (Cue sinister music.) Here's a chummy little conversation between Twitter CEO/co-founder Ev Williams (pictured above, left, with celebrity tweeter Michael Stipe) and known celebrity Alyssa Milano talking about Kaus' conspiracy theory. She called it "interesting," followed by Ev's slick — too slick! — non-denial denial of Kaus' allegations.

Williams could have knocked down Kaus' conspiracy allegations by simply saying "that's absurd" or somesuch. But he didn't. Now we're actually kind of intrigued, at Kaus' seemingly crackpot ideas. Tell us it ain't so, Twitter people. Or better yet confirm, preferably with a picture of your secret cabal of celebrity gladhanders.

(Top pic: via Ev Williams)

Were Denis Leary's 9/11 Theories Thwarted By Book Soup Security?

Kyle Buchanan — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 18:25:18 EST

Last night at the Sunset Blvd. staple Book Soup, autism-unfriendly comedian Denis Leary was signing copies of his book, Why We Suck, when he was approached by two very curious fans. One of them tentatively asked whether Leary endorsed the idea of a reinvestigation into the events of 9/11, which Leary said would actually be a plotline in the upcoming season of Rescue Me. Then, a second fan asked him a more specific question about conspiracy theories surrounding Building 7's collapse. After a pause, Leary began, "You don't want to get into that with me, because several of the guys who I know really well were helping to hold that building up," upon which the fan, who was recording the incident, was swarmed by Book Soup security (they even blocked his camera). What do they know?! Video, after the jump:

Last Night: Denis Leary Reveals New 'Rescue Me' Plot and Reminds us 'Why We Suck' @ Book Soup [LA Weekly]

Wendy Williams Audience Member Thinks A Breastless Kate Hudson Is Trying To Kill Owen Wilson

Kyle Buchanan — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 18:50:00 EDT

Nothing good in this world can last forever, and so it is with The Wendy Williams Show, which concluded its six-week test run today before it relaunches nationwide in 2009. When we last checked in on Wendy, she was shocking the audience with unorthodox opinions on matters like Heath Ledger's baby (not a random, drive-by splash-off, you'll be happy to know) and The Curse of Jennifer Aniston. Still, for her final broadcast, Wendy ceded the crazy to audience member Rosie, who proceeded to accuse actress Kate Hudson of attempted murder, twice (as well as the inability to fill out a C-cup). We're speechless, so we'll simply quote from Wendy's signoff: "See you in 2009," she said, "just how you like it: real, raw, and regular." Indeed. [The Wendy Williams Show]

'The View' Fallout: Rosie Vs. Barbara Vs. The Donald

Mark — Thu, 26 Apr 2007 13:05:32 EDT

If you're the type that found Rosie O'Donnell's explanation of her departure suspiciously tidy (i.e., that she only wanted a one-year contract, while ABC demanded that she be locked up for three more high-rated years of headline-grabbing feuds with media-shy billionaires, public disclosures of mental illness, and the lingering, delicious tension from the possibility that a simple argument could end in Elizabeth Hasselbeck's on-air strangulation), the NY Post offers up an alternate story: Rosie (pictured here delivering a vicious head-butt to her hated boss) is quitting the show after failing in a behind-the-scenes putsch to oust Barbara Walters. Confused by competing theories, O'Donnell's devoted fans have taken to the Ask Ro section of Rosie.com to try and sort through the mess. A selection:

BARBARA IS A LIAR! Please tell us u dont trust her and why are you covering for her and abc? If they had wanted you they could have agreed with 1 yr.Joy looked pissed,Liz-sad,& Bar looked like a liar.
i would have no reason to cover for anyone
never mind a corporation

Barbara was really being trashed on cnn today. It is her show but she had no control over negotiations! That is far fetched! I will miss you so much!
she is not abc/disney

Hi Rosie,

Why are 1 year contracts so rare in show biz? Wouldn't ABC benefit($$$$)from having you, even if it was for just for 1 season....Going to miss you soooo much..ur a breath of fresh air...XOX
well
they do a risk assesment
and see if it is worth it
supply and demand and effect

Of course, with all things being equal, the simplest explanation is often the best one, and so we must reject the impossibly complicated Risk Assessment/Supply/Demand/Effect Theory in favor of Donald Trump's far more straightforward "Eat Me" explanation, as it seems likely that ABC was skittish that the attention-hungry billionaire might accept O'Donnell's invitation to perform a sexual act on her just to sustain their flagging adversarial relationship.

ROSIE FADES FROM 'VIEW' [NY Post]
Ask Ro [Rosie.com]
Donald Trump Weighs In on Rosie O'Donnell Leaving The View [People]