MOVIE MAGIC
A Congressman Who Doesn't Know About Green Screen Technology, And More Of This Week's 'One Main Character'
Every day somebody says or does something that earns them the scorn of the internet. Here at Digg, as part of our mission to curate what the internet is talking about right now, we rounded up the main characters on Twitter from this past week and held them accountable for their actions.
Each day on twitter there is one main character. The goal is to never be it
— maple cocaine (@maplecocaine) January 3, 2019
This week's characters include a guy under the impression that crypto has only ever been universally beloved, a random person who doesn’t know much about F1 racing and a Congressman who is unfamiliar with the wonders of TV magic.
Monday
Bobby Goodlatte
The character: Bobby Goodlatte, Twitter user, investor, person with unclear stance on NFTs
The plot: On Monday, startup investor Bobby Goodlatte took to Twitter to share a baffling take: that it’s only become popular to criticize NFT art in recent months, and anyone doing so now is just jumping on the bandwagon. “Where was everybody 6 months ago?” he asked. “You’re only entitled to a victory lap if you called out the nonsense when doing so came at a social cost. When it was the unpopular thing to say.”
It’s quite popular to slam dunk on art NFTs right now
— Bobby Goodlatte (@rsg) June 13, 2022
But where was everybody 6 months ago?
You’re only entitled to a victory lap if you called out the nonsense when doing so came at a social cost. When it was the unpopular thing to say
Confusing. At no point have pro-NFT-ers been in the majority — at no point were the people making fun of non-fungible art boldly going against the status quo. Most people are, at the very least, skeptical about the rise of blockchain-based art.
The repercussion: People on Twitter were quick to set Bobby straight, letting him know that actually, lots of people have criticized NFT art for a very long time, and that none of them were being brave or doing so at a “social cost” (what does that even mean?).
I know you said "6 months ago," but here's one from 15 months ago, does that still count? https://t.co/HUJjtqt4ef
— Pride Month Disco(urse) Baylor (@theBaylorJ) June 13, 2022
what social cost lmfao https://t.co/kyIjbXDDsr
— jorbs (@JoINrbs) June 14, 2022
Uhhhhh? Art twitter has been SCREAMING about this since it started. Where have you been? https://t.co/WU9irI2HIx
— Lauren Walsh • Woubble's Dad (@LaurenWalshArt) June 14, 2022
My brother in Christ most of us clowned on it from the jumphttps://t.co/tlSS2RS1vP
— Frisky Dingus (@sproingus) June 14, 2022
It’s popular to dunk on NFTs, it was popular back then too, anyone can do it and everybody should. they are garbage https://t.co/t858ZfB8m8
— MKupperman (@MKupperman) June 14, 2022
imagine living in such a miserable fomo bubble populated only by other weird people with more money than sense that at no point do you ever see that everyone has been making fun of you since the very beginning https://t.co/xnnbiYTV6M
— protagunist (@zenmachinegun) June 15, 2022
if you paid a “social cost” for making fun of NFTs 6+ months ago, your social circle blows https://t.co/XaJ8Dzlu13
— GONELIKEHELLMACHINE (@golikehellmachi) June 15, 2022
hello everyone it’s me, the guy who just logged on https://t.co/Z33m6hbGcQ pic.twitter.com/4Uc76NNy6T
— kilgore trout, death to putiner (@KT_So_It_Goes) June 15, 2022
"Nobody could have seen this coming!"
— James Hollingshead (@bladesjester) June 14, 2022
Literally half+ of tech and finance twitter for *years*: It's a scam and is going to collapse https://t.co/tSKzqmxzLI
all my friends were dunking on NFTs 6 months ago, get cooler friends Bob https://t.co/kkb2dDZ11z
— Cara (@caraesten) June 14, 2022
how far into your own bubble do you have to be for this to happen https://t.co/QLYPgmfbgt
— hatok (Knife Ruster) (@HatokTalk) June 15, 2022
mercilessly trashed NFTs six months ago and received zero social consequences because the people i chose to surround myself with saw them for the scam they were. good work, everyone https://t.co/kD132GsAk9
— BeeKaay (@BeeKaaaay) June 14, 2022
Darcy Jimenez
A Guy Named Paul
The character: Paul, literal no-one from Britain who doesn’t like “woke lefties”
The plot: In a now deleted tweet some guy called Paul wrote about F1 presenter Naomi Schiff, saying she wasn’t qualified to commentate on the sport because she didn’t have any F1 experience.
Usually inane takes like these fly under the radar, because of how 2000-and-late they are, but the F1 community isn’t forgiving of stupidity. Schiff began presenting for Formula One this year, and has nearly a decades worth of professional driving experience, which I can quite safely say is decades worth more than the casual racing fan who enjoys fast cars from the comfort of a screen perched on their tummy.
The repercussion: Schiff herself waved it off, and with Lewis Hamilton in her corner it was a matter of time before bigman Paul deleted the tweet.
But it was the real racing fans who pointed out just how stupid it was comig for Schiff, who’s been kicking ass on the racetrack for years leading up to her new gig.
Naomi is an ex-professional racing driver & totally qualified to give her opinion as part of the Sky team. She’s been a great asset since joining & we should welcome more representative broadcasting with open arms. Still have a long way to go to change these attitudes in sport. https://t.co/E6U7zX4XqI
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) June 14, 2022
Murray Walker and David Croft, the two most iconic commentators in formula 1, both have less racing experience than Naomi Schiff. If you’re gonna try and make a point, at least think it through man cmon.
— Virtual Safety Clive (@VSClive) June 13, 2022
She came second in class at Le Mans and gas raced in single seaters since the age of 16. What are your motor racing qualifications that makes you think you can doubt hers?
— Brian Embleton 🏴 (@BrianEmbleton) June 13, 2022
She's a racer. Competed in formula VW, asian formula renault, asia-pacific ferrari challenge, clio cup, supercars, 24hr races, w series. She has more experience than you and can talk about it better than you can
— ReeceStanford (@rstanfxrd) June 13, 2022
When did David Croft or Ted Kravitz race in F1 again?
— Eli (@ERnknn) June 13, 2022
Schiff’s response:
Adwait Patil
Thursday
Greg Steube
The character: Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.), Florida man, guy who voted to overturn the 2020 election results, not a fan of the "Communist News Network."
The plot: On Thursday, Congressman Steube criticized the Jan. 6 House select committee hearings, saying they were a publicity stunt to get ratings for CNN and claimed that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi allowed CNN “build a full TV set” inside the Capitol building.
“In case you forgot the sham #January6thcommitteehearings are purely for TV ratings, [House Speaker Nancy Pelosi] let the Communist News Network build a full TV set where Abraham Lincoln’s desk once stood,” Steube tweeted.
In actuality, the cable news network was using a green screen backdrop of Statuary Hall, which Nancy Pelosi’s press representative gently pointed out to Steube.
A play in two parts. @RepGregSteube pic.twitter.com/MxLaQoJyUP
— Ian Krager (@IanKrager) June 16, 2022
The repercussion: Steube later deleted his tweet, but not before CNN’s Andrew Kaczynski screenshotted it for posterity and received widespread mockery around the Twittersphere for his unfamiliarity with green screen technology.
Rep. Greg Steube removed his tweet calling CNN "The Communist News Network" who built "a full TV set where Abraham Lincoln's desk once stood" because was informed this what we the TV business refer to as a screen. pic.twitter.com/h7HLPEOFCa
— andrew kaczynski (@KFILE) June 16, 2022
Something that actually did happen: insurrectionists incited by Trump's Big Lie stormed the Capitol on January 6th, some carrying the Confederate battle flag. Many of those who tried to overturn an American election marched over the place where Abraham Lincoln's desk once stood. https://t.co/FdssYY4LXA
— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) June 16, 2022
People forget that there's a real-life Florida Man in Congress and he is simply the most profoundly stupid person https://t.co/FKyGs9AWLL
— Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) June 16, 2022
Don’t let this guy watch Jurassic Park, he’ll have a heart attack. https://t.co/ZxdGmrU1x4
— Hend Amry (@LibyaLiberty) June 16, 2022
Actually crying https://t.co/CYNnFNbk4y
— Seung Min Kim (@seungminkim) June 16, 2022
You mean my co-worker wasn’t actually calling from the set of “The Office” on all those Zoom calls? https://t.co/apTWkdk8gi
— Jeff Stocker (@nocajstock) June 16, 2022
— Rick Wilson (@TheRickWilson) June 16, 2022
They're not sending their best. Or, actually, maybe they are. https://t.co/bthZNyimtw
— James Surowiecki (@JamesSurowiecki) June 16, 2022
A now deleted tweet from @RepGregSteube who was today years old when he learned what a green screen is pic.twitter.com/aiGGdegbXT
— Max Steele (@maxasteele) June 16, 2022
Not just a radical election denier. Also an ignoramus! https://t.co/xTvXbU0Ynb
— Norman Ornstein (@NormOrnstein) June 16, 2022
James Crugnale
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Read the previous edition of our One Main Character column, which included a VC with a very bad networking idea and more.
Did we miss a main character from this week? Please send tips to [email protected].