The Worst Mom Ever Who Burns Pokémon Cards As Punishment For Her Kids, 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.
This week's characters include a Republican consultant with questionable parenting skills, a woman who said people should own their own house before they turn 30, a Fox News correspondent who jumped to conclusions about Colin Powell's death, a failed presidential assassin with a curious career announcement and a conservative pundit calling on America to invade Australia because of their COVID restrictions.
Friday
Liz Mair
The character: Liz Mair, former Republican National Committee communications strategist, not the Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter.
The plot: On Friday morning, Liz Mair tweeted, "I have resorted to burning Pokémon cards as a punishment when my kid doesn't do basic stuff he has to do."
She later added she burned the cards for punishment for not eating.
The repercussion: Mair's tweet revealing she set fire to her child's Pokémon cards over their refusal to finish their meals earned a ratio of epic proportions as people dunked on her parenting methods.
Mair later told TheWrap that her tweet was a joke that backfired spectacularly.
"While me and my box of matches are no real threat to Pokémon cards (the fire department and everyone on Twitter can rest easy on that front), I will admit to failing to land a lot of jokes and pranks and such over the course of my 43 years… Clearly, there's a reason I've never been asked to guest-host SNL."
She also later copped to being an internet troll.
Dishonorable Mention
The character: Alyssa Knobbe, controversial list maker.
The plot: Late last week, Knobbe tweeted a list of life objectives you should have accomplished by time you turn 30: be married, own a house, be in the best physical shape, know if you want to have children and be able to cook a steak to perfection.
The repercussion: Knobbe's tweet went viral but not in the way she had likely intended as her tweet was soundly booed, with one Twitter user dubbing her "today's worst Twitter account." She later deleted her tweet and locked her account.
Her tweet later became a humorous copypasta as folks riffed on other accomplishments people should make before they turn 30.
Monday
John Roberts
The character: John Roberts, Fox News national correspondent.
The plot: On Monday, while reacting to the news of Colin Powell's death from COVID complications, Roberts said, "The fact that Colin Powell died from a breakthrough COVID infection raises new concerns about how effective vaccines are long-term."
The repercussion: Roberts found himself dragged by Twitter for his statement, with many people lambasting him for leaving out the fact that Powell was 84 with serious underlying conditions. He later deleted his tweet.
Roberts later said he deleted his tweet because it was being interpreted as anti-vaccine, offering an explanation of what he claimed to mean:
"I deleted my tweet about the tragic death of Colin Powell because many people interpreted it as anti-vax. It was not. I was excited to get vaccinated, hoping it would help speed a return to 'normal life'. I also did a PSA on Fox encouraging vaccination for those able.
"As we all know, the FDA is now recommending boosters for certain people, and I personally know a number of people who have had breakthrough infections — some of them, quite troubling.
"Yes, Powell had myeloma, but I was still stunned to hear of his passing from COVID… We live in the same town, and we would occasionally run into each at the local sandwich shop. His death is a loss for our community and our country. I plan to get a booster as soon as possible."
Tuesday
John Hinckley Jr.
The character: John Hinckley Jr., former failed presidential assassin, current singer-songwriter.
The plot: On Tuesday, John Hinckley Jr. announced on Twitter that he had put out 10 original songs on Spotify and encouraged his followers to check out his new music. "Hello everybody, this is the real John Hinckley," he said. "I'm now a singer/songwriter. I have 10 original songs on Spotify and the other streaming sites."
The repercussion: The news that Hinckley was now putting out original music turned heads, with many Twitter users pointing out the surreality of a failed presidential assassin being on Twitter.
Thursday
Candace Owens
The character: Candace Owens, fact-challenged political pundit.
The plot: During her self-titled Daily Wire show, Owens called upon the United States to invade Australia over the country's restrictive COVID measures. "Australia currently, make no mistake, is a tyrannical police state. Its citizens are quite literally being imprisoned against their will. So when do we deploy?"
The repercussion: Owens's suggestion that the United States invade Australia became international news and was mocked on Twitter as many Aussies told the right-wing pundit they were quite fine and to mind her own business.
Read the previous edition of our One Main Character column, which includes a conservative pundit blaming Joe Biden for empty grocery shelves in the United Kingdom and more.
Did we miss a main character from this week? Please send tips to [email protected].
