Elon Musk’s decision to set the automatic response for all Twitter press enquiries to the poop emoji has backfired on him after being just used it to relentlessly mock him.
It’s not exactly high-brow humour, but that’s pretty much what we’ve come to expect.
This is one of the world’s richest men we’re talking about here, and he’s making poop jokes on Twitter.
You almost have to respect it.
Announcing his move, he tweeted: “[email address] [email protected] now auto responds with [poop emoji]”
Yes, we did reach out to Twitter for comment via that email address, and yes – it does.
Anyway, that’s all well and good, but heaven forfend anyone have any actual reason to contact the Twitter press team.
What’s more, people have been using this opportunity to take the p*** out of Elon and Twitter, sending in questions that are automatically answered with poop.
Questions include: “Hi, looking for an honest answer: what’s it like to work at Twitter right now?”
Another reads: “Hello press team, I know you’re very busy, but would it be possible to get a quick comment on what you think of the current Twitter CEO Elon Musk?”
A third asks: “I know this is highly unorthodox, but would the Twitter press department be willing to share what Elon Musk’s favorite fetish is?”
Oh, the fun you can have.
Once again, we have asked about this, but you already know what response we got back.
Elon seems to be fond of this particular emoji, having used it before now to respond to allegations that he had ‘violated his obligations’ with regards to the merger deal he signed when he took over as Twitter head honcho.
Strangely enough, given his recent choice, Musk said that he took over Twitter with the intention of making it a bastion of free speech.
OK, so the poop emoji stuff definitely falls within that category, and he’s definitely free to continue sending it out, but it might be more transparent and in service of the interests of free speech to actually respond to requests for comment and information.
But hey, what do we know?
We’d put those allegations to Twitter directly, but – you already know what we’re going to say here.