Jan 03 2012

Twitter Admits Verifying Fake @Wendi_Deng Was a Mistake

By Brian Anthony Hernandez


On Tuesday morning, the world learned that the account bearing media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s wife’s name, Wendi Deng Murdoch, is not run by her or anyone connected to her.

And less than two hours after the revelation, Twitter admitted in a tweet that it had mistakenly verified the @Wendi_Deng account (see tweet below), causing users to poke fun at the legitimacy of Twitter’s verification process.

The impostor sent these tweets between 9 and 10 a.m. ET calling out Twitter on its blunder.

News Corporation originally told a few media outlets the Deng account was legit, but the company backpedaled and that’s when the fake Deng came clean in the above series of tweets.

Mashable had previously reported that “an unverified account” using Deng’s full name had persuaded the News Corporation CEO to delete an insulting tweet. Shortly after the exchange, the tweet went missing from his accurately verified Twitter account.

Murdoch joined Twitter on New Year’s Eve and has since accumulated more than 90,000 followers.

Do you think this incident shows a major hole in Twitter’s verification process? Sound off in the comments.

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Categories: News, news corporation, parody, social media, twitter
Oct 03 2011

Interview With A Sexy Chicken: Hot New Twitter Account Bares All

By Brian Anthony Hernandez

NYTchicken

A recent photograph in The New York Times — for a story about cooking with chicken skin — has spawned the latest popular parody account on Twitter: @NYTchicken a.k.a. “Sexy Chicken.”

After The Times published “Chicken’s Attraction Is Truly Skin Deep,” the somewhat provocative photo in the story immediately caught the attention of social media users. The next day, @NYTchicken popped up on the web.

Since Sept. 30, the account has attracted more than 1,600 followers with 19 humor-filled tweets. Sexy Chicken even caught the attention of KFC’s social media team, which tweeted, “@NYTChicken For goodness sake, cover yourself. I recommend something in a nice Original Recipe.” (See collection of tweets below.)

KFC jumped on the opportunity to have some fun with Sexy Chicken because the humor in the situation fit well with the company’s playful Twitter strategy. “Corresponding with the Twitter account of a famous photo of a chicken fits nicely at the intersection of engagement and fun,” KFC spokesman Rick Maynard told Mashable.

PETA, however, didn’t find anything funny about the picture created by NYT photographer Tony Cenicola or the subsequent parody. PETA tweeted, “@NYTChicken If pic was decapitated & amputated puppy corpse who’d laugh? If ur veg pls choose less offensive pic nxt time.”

Q&A With Sexy Chicken

With all this attention thrust on such a young Twitter account, we couldn’t help but wonder what was on Sexy Chicken’s mind. Luckily, we got a hold of @NYTchicken for a pluckin’ awesome Q&A.

Mashable: How did you get approached to pose for the NYT article? And did you feel comfortable on set?

“I’m a professional, so of course I’m comfortable on set. However, since I am kosher, one rule I have is that I won’t pose with pigs.”

Sexy Chicken: “I’m represented by the d’management group in Milan. The New York Times contacted d’management looking for ‘a busty chicken model with excellent skin.’ I’m a professional, so of course I’m comfortable on set. However, since I am kosher, one rule I have is that I won’t pose with pigs.”

Mashable: How are you dealing with your sudden rise to fame?

Sexy Chicken: “It’s been amazing! I’m thrilled with the response. I feel a little like Scarlett Johansson.”

Mashable: What do you hope to accomplish with your new Twitter account?

Sexy Chicken: “I’m hoping it leads to more modeling gigs. It’s hard out there for a chick.”

Mashable: I see that you’re following only two people, @Pete_Wells and @ErnieAnastos. Why them?

Sexy Chicken: “I have to thank Pete for giving me such an opportunity to model for the Times. He’s a God in the poultry world. Ernie Anastos is my biggest fan.”

SEE ALSO: Top Fictional Accounts | Top Fake Celebs | Top Social Media & Tech Spoofs

Mashable: What’s your reaction to @PETA’s latest tweet and link?

Sexy Chicken: “Oh, please. Puppies don’t do anything for me anyway. I’m only attracted to animals on two legs, like roosters and George Clooney.”

Mashable: How’s your relationship with @kfc_colonel after its Original Recipe tweet to you?

Sexy Chicken: “Do I look like a Perdue chicken? I’m free-range and organic, baby. I wouldn’t be caught dead (so to speak) in a KFC bucket.”

Mashable: Boxers or briefs?

Sexy Chicken: “Commando.”

More About: parody, Social Media, the new york times, Twitter

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Categories: parody, social media, the new york times, twitter
Sep 18 2011

7 Amusing Nature Mockumentaries [VIDEOS]

By Amy-Mae Elliott

As a genre, the wildlife documentary has its own recognizable rules, conventions and language. This means it’s not necessarily a new phenomenon, but is certainly ripe for parody. As early as 1957 people have created nature spoofs.

We’ve hunted down a handful of funny YouTube videos parodying the nature footage format via mockumentary, comedy sketch and hilarious voiceover.

SEE ALSO: 15 Movie Cliché Supercuts That Poke Fun at Hollywood [VIDEOS]

Grab your hiking boots and binoculars and take a look through the video gallery below. Let us know in the comments which clips made you smile.

Some of these clips contain language that falls into the NSFW category.


1. The Amazing Lyrebird of Australia


Clever editing shows nature doc David Attenborough learning the never-work-with-animals lesson the hard way.


2. Bodega Cats


Forget big cats -- bodega cats are the ones to watch.


3. Birds of Britain


If you like your humor seriously silly then this spoof commentary will have you on the floor in stitches.


4. The Crazy Nastyass Honey Badger


If it's been a while since you've seen Randall's viral hit, it's well-worth another watch. If you've yet to discover it, then hit play pronto -- you're in for a treat.


5. The Majestic Plastic Bag


Narrated by Jeremy Irons, this well-made mockumentary has a serious message: raising awareness for the plastic bag pollution problem.


6. Planet Earth: Birds of Paradise Techno Dance


We bet you've never seen a Bird of Paradise mating dance quite like this before...


7. Hinterland Who's Who - The IT Professional


One of many spoofs of the Canadian Hinterland Who's Who public service announcements, this documentary takes a look at a fascinating species -- the IT professional.


BONUS: Funny British Animal Voiceovers


While it creates some amazing nature documentaries, the BBC can also see the light side of animal footage, as this excellent compilation from the Walk on the Wild Side series demonstrates.

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Sep 12 2011

Twitter Parodies: 9 Top Literary Fakes

By Amy-Mae Elliott

It might be considered surprising that a platform that limits its users to 140 characters has so many literary-themed accounts. Our favorite of these are the parody accounts, spoofing famous authors from beyond the grave.

For the purposes of entertainment and inspiration, we’ve pulled together our best-of selection. Although there are many accounts that just push out the written word of authors, we’ve focussed on those that comment and engage using a particular author’s voice.

SEE ALSO: Top Fictional Accounts | Top Fake Celebs | Top Social Media & Tech Spoofs

Take a look through the slideshow below for our favorites and suggest in the comments any we’ve missed. We’ll add the best suggestion in as the tenth slide.

[UPDATE: Thanks for all the suggestions -- we've added in Oliver Goldsmith as our tenth Tweeter.]


1. Jonathan Swift





You might expect some tales of merry adventure from Gulliver's Travels author Jonathan Swift, but this Swift is more concerned with where his next gin is coming from, the antics of his whippet and the unseemly behavior of his constant companion Stella. Written in olde English, following this account will bring such vocab delights as "periwigtastrophe" to your stream.


2. Charles Dickens




This account manages to get the balance between a character voice and modern commentary spot on: "If I wrote Great Expectations in the year 2011, young Pip would desire to be famous, rather than a gentleman. Fame is the new class." Polite interactions with other period characters and elegantly phrased comments on London life in general should keep you amused.


3. Walt Whitman




With a huge beard, even larger appetite and out-spoken opinions, Whitman is a larger-than-life character. Not one to follow if you're easily offended, but if you're not, you'll enjoy this sometimes surreal stream as much as we do.


4. Laura Ingalls Wilder




Wendy McClure's Wilder is a true Twitter treasure. Offering amusing commentary about domestic life on the prairie, we'd like to think the Little House series author would have enjoyed these witty "Twittergraphs" sent over the wires in her honor.


5. Edgar Allan Poe




With more than 24,000 followers, it seems many of you are already tuned into Poe's brand of marvellous macabre humor. Poe's darkly funny standalone tweets are something to look forward to, but his #askpoe sessions are even funnier still.


6. Alexander Pope




This account continues Pope's line of satirical verse with 140-character comic rhymes on contemporary topics that will make you groan. Don't believe us? Try "Hath Peter FALK at least felt HADES' Sting? / 'Tis no use asking DEATH for 'one more thing'."


7. James Boswell




With ready opinion on modern British "politicks" and media and -- when he's left babysitting two small children, news from the home front that usually involves "VILE EXCRESENCES" from various orifices -- Boswell is a mixed bag of fun to follow.


8. Samuel Johnson




You can also find the subject of James Boswell's famous biography on Twitter. Samuel Johnson offers hilarious commentary on current events in an 18th century tongue. Johnson appears bemused by modern life ("The prominent Persons 'pon the Video Music Awards do sport opaque Eye-Glasses & wave their Hands as if afflicted by PALSY") making for witty tweets.


9. William Shakespeare




The Bard is big on Twitter. In addition to accounts offering his works in 140-character bursts, there are several spoof accounts. While you should also check out Mr_Shakespeare and Wwm_Shakespeare, we felt this particular parody account worthy of featuring -- if not just for the fantastic tweet shown above.


10. Oliver Goldsmith




We've picked a fledgling account penned by Irish writer Oliver (or "Nolly") Goldsmith as our tenth literary Twitterer. Interestingly, Goldsmith is said to have coined the phrase "goody two-shoes." We're looking forward to more natty phrases from him over on Twitter.

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, joecicak

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Categories: Lists, Twitter Lists, features, gallery, media, parody, pop culture, social media, social networking, spoofs, trending, twitter
Jul 12 2011

5 Hilarious Google+ Parodies [VIDEOS]

By Amy-Mae Elliott


Already usingGoogle+? Follow Mashable News for the latest about the platform’s new features, tips and tricks as well as our top social media and technology updates.

Are you loving Google+? Have you yet to secure an invite? Or are you already fed up with the hype, and fear social networking overload? If you’re in the latter camp, then we have a treat for you.

We’ve found five funny videos that offer a comedic look at the new service. They include some classic memes updated for the occasion and some spoof walk-throughs that will definitely make you smile, if not laugh out loud.

Have a look through the video gallery below (which contains a bit of NSFW language), and let us know in the comments which spoofs you found amusing.


1. The Google Minus Project


This is genius. No spoilers, but if you watch one parody video on Google+, we urge you to make it this one.


2. Dmitri Finds Out About Google Plus


Dmitri's journey of discovery continues as he's informed of the launch of the new tool and what it means for online privacy. His joy is, of course, evident.


3. Google- Anti-Social Network Preview


Did you think you were all cutting-edge with your Google+ invite? Well, Google Minus is the new Plus.


4. The Google+ Project: A Quick Look-See


In addition to its hilarious voiceover, this includes new footage separate from the original promo video.


5. Hitler Learns of Google Plus


It just had to be done (and it has been several times, but this version is our favorite) if only for the line spoken before the majority of the group leaves the room.

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Jul 10 2011

10 Must-Follow Fictional Twitter Accounts [PICS]

By Amy-Mae Elliott

If you enjoyed our list of must-follow fake Twitter celebs, then we wager you’ll love this offering of the best fictional accounts.

Whether you want to be amused by your favorite caped crusader, keep up with some cartoon characters or see tweets from film baddies, you’ll find it all in this fun list.

SEE ALSO: Twitter’s 37 Shortest Usernames

Take a look through the gallery and, because there are so many more great accounts that we didn’t have room include, share in the comments your favorites that didn’t make the list.


1. The Batman





Even more deliciously dark than the most recent Batman movie, this version of the caped crusader is an anti-hero indeed. Offering a stream of witty one-liners about just how tough he is, somehow the mix of real-life commentary mixed with Gotham City references works.


2. Mrs Stephen Fry




Did you know British comedy star and Twitter legend Stephen Fry has a wife and kids? Her name is Edna (we're not sure what the kids's names are -- all five, six or possibly seven of them). As the winner of a Shorty Award and author of Mrs Fry's Diary, she may be made up, but she's well worth a follow.


3. Bender




If you're a fan of Bender from Futuruma, then you'll enjoy this stream's acerbic tweets. This fan-run account manages to capture all of Bender's alcoholic, kleptomaniacal hatin', in a fun way, of course.


4. Death Star PR




If a space station ever needed a public-relations makeover, it's the planet-destroying Death Star. This Twitter account tries to mend the Death Star's reputation while also recruiting folks to the dark side. We only recommend following if you're strong enough to resist its sway.


5. Cobra Commander




It may be odd that a terrorist leader racked up more than 100,000 followers, but he's actually quite a funny guy. Two favorites include: "The one thing I loathe about women besides their incessant need to speak their opinions are these cursed gladiator sandals," and "Installing booby traps outside my office has cut down on useless meetings by 75%"


6. Darth Vader




Calling people "asshat," threatening tweeple and hashtagging commands with "obey" are just what we'd expect from the Sith Lord. Follow for cutting commentary from the dark side.


7. Homer J. Simpson




Everyone's favorite yellow donut-lover tweets via this official account. Despite its above-board status, it's actually very funny with an average of several tweets per week.


8. Lord Voldemort




Harry Potter's nemesis offers humorous commentary on current affairs and witty retorts, with various Potter references thrown in for good measure. With over a million followers it looks as if the Death Eaters are getting more and more numerous ...


9. False Peter Griffin




This unofficial account hasn't been going for a long time but it has already notched nearly 70,000 followers from just 17 amusing tweets. If you're a Family Guy fan, there's always Stewie to follow too.


10. Yoda




Finally, is your Twitter life lacking wisdom from a small green sage? Then follow Yoda you must ...

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Categories: Celebrities, Celebrity Lists, Darth Vader, Film, Lists, Television, Twitter Lists, Yoda, batman, cobra commander, features, gallery, homer simpson, parody, pop culture, spoof, trending, twitter, voldemort