Yes, it’s two random thoughts in one day.
I really couldn’t wait any longer to post this one because I am…furious.
That’s right, furious.
So what has me so mad?
Twitter fakers. More specifically, teen drama impersonators.
These are people that pretend to be so-and-so from whatever show but really aren’t. All their tweets are made-up lies or the content is stolen from elsewhere. And what makes it worse is that thousands of fans think they are real.
Christy-Anne at OTH Twitter Bugs started her site to stop this very thing. She’s been successful at getting fake accounts shut down but it seems every day, more and more pop up.
This post was inspired by a particularly egregious example that came to a head today. There is one Twitter account that is proclaiming to be Bethany Joy Galeotti (Haley, One Tree Hill). This person has stolen TwitPics from the official OTH account and even stolen the design, layout and content from Galeotti’s official site to create their own. Yes, this person created a site that looks just like Galeotti’s–except it isn’t.
Christy-Anne, who has been in touch with Galeotti’s people, has confirmed that this and all Twitter accounts for her are fake. Same goes for Sophia Bush (Brooke), Chad Michael Murray (Lucas), etc.
These fakers are disgusting human beings, and I hope that comes off as harsh as I mean it to. What possesses you to pretend to be someone else? What makes you want to dupe thousands of genuine fans? If you are such fans of the show and the actors, why would you disrespect them this way?
What these people don’t seem to know is that what they’re doing is illegal. It is a crime in this country to impersonate someone else. And as Christy-Ann has shown, lawyers are willing to get involved.
I also don’t understand the fans that follow these accounts. Most of the time, they are so obviously fake. Every time you follow one, you are giving them undue legitimacy. We as true fans deserve more and I have to question the maturity, intelligence and loyalty of any fan that falls prey to these scams.
So how do you know if an account is real? First, see if it has the Twitter verified seal on it. All celebrities have been encouraged to register with the company in order to show their legitimacy. If they don’t have the seal, check with TruthTweet and Valebrity, two very reputable databases of celebrity accounts. Lastly, check with official sites for the network, show and the celebs themselves. If they are not confirmed in any of those places, odds are they fake.
Remember, anyone can make up a tweet that sounds real, or link to a site that isn’t their’s or even pass off a tabloid photo as their own. There are some accounts right now that I am questioning, ones for Leighton Meester (Blair, Gossip Girl), Taylor Momsen (Jenny, Gossip Girl), Autumn Reeser (Taylor, The O.C.), etc. Until they meet any of the above standards, or until I get conformation from their publicists, I have to assume they are fake. If they turn out to be real, I will make my apologies right here on this site. But you can’t blame me for being careful. Unlike some other people, I do want to look out for fellow fans.
To find out which teen drama stars are or aren’t on Twitter, search “Twitter” in the search bar and all the relevant posts will come up.
TeenDramaWhore 