TV stars tweet to out the fakers (Michelle Trachtenberg not happy)
| June 21, 2010 at 10:35 AM EDTIt’s funny when we see a fictional character on twitter. We chuckle if Darth Vader or Indiana Jones tweets at us. Technically, the producers and writers of those films could get those accounts suspended. But they don’t- because they are either lazy (no shame!), or they like that their pop culture contribution lives on through modern technology. But do you know who is less accepting of fake twitter accounts? Celebrities. They encourage you to be a fan, but not to be them. Read on to see who has spoken out about these fakers.
Sometimes we forget that famous people can have as many hang-up’s as anyone else. Just because they get free designer jewelry and walk red-carpet events doesn’t mean they don’t mind a little identity theft. Part of it might have to do with their image, and who would want their reputation ruined by a faker? The other part of the problem might lie with the basic fact that no one wants to have themselves stolen away. (It tends to breed a sense of powerlessness, which is why we could never enter Witness Protection and have to change our names and histories!)
When celebrities in general become such personal property, the actual celebrity finds themselves bidding in a metaphorical eBay situation for none other than themselves.
The most interesting thing about the Dial Star web series is something we discovered when we watched an Annalynne McCord (90210) interview from one of those morning shows. It turns out there was a very strong person that she took on the Dial Star project. McCord said, “The reason I wanted to do it (the show) was – it was an opportunity for me to kinda speak out to a lot of my friends in young hollywood (about having to) deal with the twitter (and) facebook impersonators. And it’s like, I know imitation is the highest form of flattery, but – stealing ones identity is totally different!” She added, “It is illegal. And I actually don’t even have my own name as my twitter account, because someone else already had it. And she’s like ‘who’s that b*tch? Tell IAMannalynncc that she needs to get off twitter!,’ and I’m like, ‘Really? So what is AnnaLynne doing right now? I’m curious.’
Our Dial Star Review: Sex and the City, Heroes and Veronica Mars writer gives Annalynne McCord bad luck
Annalynne McCord Interview – Dial Star
Over 4,000 people still follow the fake AnnaLynne McCord twitter account. This is eerily similar to the Evangeline Lilly (Lost) fake twitter account issue we exposed earlier this year.
Several celebrities have spoken with annoyance about trying to carve out their online presence only to be met with impersonators. Kristen Bell joined twitter only to discover her name was taken by someone who was using her picture, but obviously not her. The person graciously (guiltily, we’d imagine) offered to hand the name over, but Bell decided to assert herself with the name @IMKristenBell. Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother) made his name a similarity assertive one: @ActuallyNPH.
When we talked to Michelle Trachtenberg (Mercy, Gossip Girl) she made it very clear that she hates online impersonators and her friends far too often often get confused by them.
Facebook and Twitter? It’s not me, it’s some crazy person. And don’t pay attention to them. There you go, that’s my campaign. – Michelle Trachenberg to Small Screen Scoop
Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder (The Vampire Diaries) were having such troubles getting fans to know which twitter accounts were theirs they provided photographic proof. Dobrev is now found at @NinaDobrev (previously, she felt the need to assert herself as @Real_NinaDobrev) and Somerhalder is at @IanSomerhalder.
Interestingly enough, it’s not just celebrities who get angry. Companies get angry too. Erika Christensen (Parenthood) tweeted this gem:
ERIKAjaneC: “BP wants Twitter to shut down a fake account mocking the oil company. Twitter wants BP to shut down the oil leak that’s ruining the ocean.”
In this case, we encourage the fake account to keep going. BP needs to be shamed.
TV Stars on Twitter:
A:
Dianna Agron, GLEE
Aziz Ansari, PARKS AND RECREATION
B:
Penn Badgley, GOSSIP GIRL
Andrea Barber, FULL HOUSE
Jim Beaver, SUPERNATURAL
Amber Benson, BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER
Sophia Bush, ONE TREE HILL
C:
Katie Cassidy, MELROSE PLACE
Kristin Chenoweth, PUSHING DAISIES
Louis C.K., Louie
Chris Colfer, GLEE
Stephen Colbert, THE COLBERT REPORT
Misha Collins, SUPERNATURAL
D:
Ellen Degeneres, THE ELLEN SHOW
Nina Dobrev, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
Anne Dudek, COVERT AFFAIRS
F:
Peter Facinelli, NURSE JACKIE
Jimmy Fallon, LATE NIGHT WITH JIMMY FALLON
Nathan Fillion, CASTLE
G:
Jim Gaffigan, MY BOYS
Katerina Graham, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
Christopher Gorhman, COVERT AFFAIRS
Donald Glover, COMMUNITY
Greg Grunberg, LOVE BITES
H:
Lucy Hale, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS
Alyson Hannigan, HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER
Danneel Harris, FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS
Aaron Hill, GREEK
Aldis Hodge, LEVERAGE
Sarah Hyland, MODERN FAMILY
J:
Gillian Jacobs, COMMUNITY
K:
Mindy Kaling, THE OFFICE
Stana Katic, CASTLE
Ashton Kutcher, THAT 70′S SHOW
M:
Seth MacFarlane, FAMILY GUY
Allison Mack, SMALLVILLE
Al Madrigal, GARY UNMARRIED
Kevin McHale, GLEE
Leighton Meester, GOSSIP GIRL
Seth Meyers, SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE
Lea Michele, GLEE
Alyssa Milano, CHARMED
Andy Milder, WEEDS
Cory Monteith, GLEE
N:
Kunal Nayyar, THE BIG BANG THEORY
Kevin Nealon, WEEDS
O:
Oprah, THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW
P:
Hunter Parrish, WEEDS
Busy Phillipps, COUGAR TOWN
Jada Pinkett Smith, HAWTHORNE
Q:
Zachary Quinto, HEROES
R:
Amber Riley, GLEE
Zach Roerig, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
Michael Rosenbaum, SMALLVILLE
S:
Bob Saget, FULL HOUSE
Kyra Sedgwick, THE CLOSER
Ian Somerhalder, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES
John Stamos, GLEE
Eric Stonestreet, MODERN FAMILY
Ethan Suplee, MY NAME IS EARL
U:
Michael Urie, UGLY BETTY
Jenna Ushkowitz, GLEE
V:
Milo Ventimiglia, HEROES
James Van der Beek, MERCY
W:
Rainn Wilson, THE OFFICE