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#the drama now on twitter over this because it reached gossip accounts
delicatepointofview · 6 months
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yo the louis blacklist topics for the radio interview i'm dying
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godbirdart · 2 years
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can confirm twitter is basically pre-2018 tumblr hell right now and it’s why i’ve been heavily leaning away from it as of recent
this is based on my personal corner, but over the years it’s gone from a [remotely] humble platform filled with aspiring artists just trying to vibe, to a cluttered hellscape of callout posts, drama, with a light sprinkling of unrelated perfectly fine fandom art. it feels like i see at least one callout near-daily for things ranging from petty art theft to actual accounts of abuse and you’re almost Expected to react to it no matter if it merits the reaction or not
people i’ve followed for years who used to just vibe and post cute art or photos are now ALWAYS involved in the comments section of something that had nothing to do with them to begin with, as if they have to prove “hey look how nonproblematic i am!” and it’s... really uncomfortable to see. i’ve watched people tear creators with huge followings apart over very literal baseless callouts then smugly gossip about them all over my timeline, as if they were WAITING for the person to slip up. shit’s fucked.
twitter has reached a point where if you follow a person who got called out, and you weren’t there for the great unfolding of events to get the memo, YOU YOURSELF may now be considered a shitty person simply by following them still. twitter shows you if people you follow follow a person on the person’s profile, and if you haven’t checked your twitter app in a hot minute, it’s possible you’re going to get a passive aggressive “uhhh hey you’re still following them :/” ping, as if other people have any kind of say as to who you follow to begin with
in a strange way you almost feel obligated to post a “hey i don’t agree with [xyz content]” in your bio or pinned tweet or whatever, and not solely just because you’re against those things but because if you DON’T post that, people may assume otherwise about you if you just so happen to interact with the wrong person. i know this isn’t exclusively a twitter thing, but it feels Especially bad on twitter
i’ve had people forward me callout posts, and while i’ll still read them [because yeah some posts can be merited], i always ask the person who sent it: what’d they do? is it recent? are they harming people? are they trying to be better? and i’ve been met with “oh i didn’t read it” or “how can you defend them?!?” or “oh so you think [xyz thing] is okay??” and i just
i fucking Just
maybe i’m just old now but after years of having drama after drama hitting my timeline, being expected to react to every little thing with the same level of outrage, i’m so tired. twitter has numbed me to a point where i say: if it’s not recent or related to present behavior + actions, not someone i know personally, not harming irl people or animals, and the person in question has either long since stopped doing the thing or is actively trying to be better, i do not fucking care. do not send me that shit. go away, go outside maybe
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stark-tony · 4 years
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tododeku fic recs
* = incomplete
meet you again someday (after we take the long way ’round) by theroyalsavage
summary: Midoriya Izuku's life is saved by a boy with the strongest Quirk he has ever seen. 
Eventually - inevitably - he falls in love.(An AU in which Todoroki never attends UA, they never clash at the sports festival, but they come together all the same.)
pairings: tododeku
tags: hurt/comfort
warnings: none
that is just the way by celestialfics
summary:  Shouto has his first sleepover.
pairings: tododeku
tags: fluff
warnings: none
what is right and what is easy by theroyalsavage
summary: Midoriya Izuku is not chosen to represent Hogwarts in the Triwizard Tournament. He does not slay a dragon, or rescue innocents, or brave a maze of dark magic. He does not win accolades, or fame, or glory.
Instead, Izuku meets the son of the greatest dark wizard of the age, a Durmstrang student with hair like a sunrise and eyes like a war. And maybe, he just might win something else.
pairings: tododeku, kiribaku, tsuchako
tags: fluff, angst
warnings: none
First Time For Everything by kazzarole
summary: Midoriya is the catalyst of many of the 'firsts' in Shouto's life--it just makes sense that Shouto should share his first kiss with him, too.
pairings: tododeku
tags: fluff
warnings: none
alone together by celestialfics
summary:  Five times when other Class 1-A kids notice Todoroki and Midoriya in their own world.
pairings: tododeku
tags: fluff
warnings: none
A Simple Warmth by patster223
summary: “I’m trying to make Todoroki a sweater for his birthday, but…” Izuku pokes at the tangle of yarn. “It’s more complicated than I thought it would be.���
In which Izuku sucks at knitting, his classmates are eager to help out, Todoroki finally gets to be cozy, and knitting is a vector for romance.
pairings: tododeku
tags: 
warnings: none
Conventional Taste by WowBoring
summary: He didn’t think it would matter if Midoriya were taking him to a sewer convention; it was probably still going to be the highlight of his Golden Week.
In order to avoid a visit from his unpleasant grandparents Todoroki attends a hero convention with Midoriya, and learns a few things along the way.
pairings: tododeku
tags: fluff
warnings: abuse
pls respond by Esselle
summary: 'Midoriya: UR SO CUTE
Shouto chokes on nothing. How is he supposed to respond to that? Is he supposed to respond at all?
Midoriya: Look at your big head aaaaaaaaaaaaah Midoriya: *Image Attached*
Oh, Shouto thinks. He was talking about Shouto's Nitotan, which is now smashed to one of Izuku's cheeks in the image Izuku just sent, as Izuku squeezes it joyfully. Even if Izuku wasn't talking to him directly, the butterflies in Shouto's stomach feel a bit joyful, too.
He types out: I wish I were that Nitotan right now. Then he snorts, and erases it.'
--
Izuku has a wide variety of special moves, but his Key Smash might be the most powerful of all.
pairings: tododeku
tags: fluff, humor
warnings: none
i can keep a secret, could you? by handcrusher (ameliafromafairytale)
summary: The last thing Todoroki wants is for his father to figure out that 1) he's gay and 2) he's dating the boy he's supposed to overcome as a hero. So, he and Midoriya devise a plan.
Just how long can they keep it up?
pairings: tododeku, tsuchako, momojirou
tags: 
warnings: 
hold on tight by lunalou
summary: "What are you doing?" Shouto asks.
"Hugging you." Midoriya returns in a patient voice. His arms tighten around Shouto's waist and he presses his forehead more firmly against his back. "You know it's a hug, Shouto-kun. Don't play dumb."
or, five times somebody from 1-a hugs todoroki and the one time he hugs them first
pairings: tododeku
tags: 
warnings: 
If I'm Being Honest.... by I_dont_know_man
summary: Midoriya scrunched up his nose in confusion. “Uh, Shouto, why are you glaring at me like that?”
“I-” Todoroki began to lie, until nausea slammed him like a door to any room that Bakugou entered. “I--” Todoroki grit his teeth, and glared daggers into the wall behind Midoriya. Goodbye, friendship. It had been absolutely divine while it lasted. “Because you’re very attractive.”
They say honesty is the best policy, but it sure as hell had a knack for Todoroki making a complete and utter fool of himself. 
  In which Todoroki is placed under a mysterious truth-telling quirk and suffers, Uraraka laughs at him, Midoriya is confused but smitten nonetheless, and Twitter is the thirstiest site on the planet.
pairings: tododeku, kiribaku
tags: humor, fluff
warnings: 
Guiding Light by furihatachlookie
summary:  It was his mother's idea to enroll him at the local elementary school. His father believed a private tutor was better, but nobody can argue with a mother who's made up her mind, and a balanced exposure to kids his own age sways his father's judgement enough to agree and sign the papers.
pairings: tododeku
tags: fluff, angst
warnings: 
Todoroki and Yaoyorozu's Elite Study Club by hanwritesstuff (hannahkannao)
summary: “Well, as I see it, we have two options.” Shouto holds up two fingers. “We can either ignore this and pretend it never happened or... not.” He doesn't know which one he wants. “What does not entail, exactly?” Yaoyorozu asks. “...I don't know.”
In which Todoroki accidentally learns something about Yaoyorozu, Yaoyorozu accidentally learns something about Todoroki, and they spend a considerable portion of their study sessions... not studying.s
pairings: tododeku, momojirou
tags: fluff, humor
warnings:
Do What You Will, If That's What You Want by stanzas
summary: “What do you mean you’re retiring?” Bakugou asks nicely, or at least as nicely as someone like Bakugou can ask. The question is phrased more like a demand.“
Call it a mid-life crisis,” Shouto answers, like Bakugou asked him what the weather would be tomorrow, and takes a deep sip from his coffee. “I’m thinking of changing careers.”
The world of heroes is quick to adapt to surprises, but Pro Hero Entropy’s (very premature) retirement announcement throws almost everyone for a pretty impressive loop.
pairings: tododeku
tags: hurt/comfort, angst, humor
warnings:
extra, extra! by rythyme (pugglemuggle)
summary: Shouto & Creati: ACTUALLY Dating?! by Hitachi Hitomi at September 18, 2047 3:42 pm."Ever since heartthrob 
Todoroki Shouto and the Everything Hero "Creati" made their official debuts, the two 22-year-old heroes have been nothing but professional towards each other. But was this all a sham to cover up the truth?" 
Or: The media thinks Shouto and Creati are dating. Hint: they aren't. A multimedia TodoDeku & MomoJirou fanfic told through news articles, gossip columns, twitter, tumblr, text messages, and more.
pairings: tododeku, momojirou
tags: fluff, humor
warnings:
you broke the dark and my whole earth shook by aloneintherain
summary:  Shouto had imagined himself as the country’s top hero for decades. Endeavour had put those images in his head when he was a child, and they had stayed there, growing like a fungus, until Shouto had reached adulthood. Even now, he was only just beginning to realise he didn’t have to live his life according to almost thirty-year-old decisions made by his abuser. He could do more. Be more. Outside of the hero community.
Izuku gets a job offer in America. Somehow, this brings Shouto and Izuku closer than ever before.
pairings: tododeku
tags: fluff, hurt/comfort
warnings:
count your blessings, not your flaws by PitViperOfDoom
summary:  Midoriya Izuku has never been asked out, confessed to, or flirted with, except as a joke.
pairings: tododeku
tags: angst, hurt/comfort
warnings: bullying
call the fire department (i'm burning up with love) by Edgedancer
summary:  An (abridged) list of things Todoroki Shouto did not have before U.A.: Loud neighbors. Fire alarms. Friends. Midoriya Izuku.
pairings: tododeku
tags:
warnings:
long nights and daydreams by dreamtowns
summary: According to the public, Pro Heroes Deku and Entropy are an amazing Hero Duo, best friends, and the most eligible bachelors in the world. According to their fans, they’re head over heels in love with one another yet oblivious to the others’ feelings. According to their friends and family, they’ve been in love with one another since high school, but, for reasons unknown to them, refuse to act upon said feelings.
According to said heroes, they have been (secretly) married for six years.
pairings: tododeku
tags: fluff, hurt/comfort
warnings: 
extra-salty/twitter-verse series by SportsAnimeRuinedMyLife (KnightOfRage)
summary:  In his third year at UA, Todoroki Shouto works in a burger place, catches on fire and falls in love. Only two of those things are on purpose.
Or...Todoroki Shouto's exciting adventures in customer service.
part one of the extra salty/twitter-verse
pairings: tododeku, kiribaku
tags: fluff, humor
warnings: none
More Than Skin-Deep by Emmeri
summary: It was a fact, really. That he was ugly. Having a scar which takes up half his face kind of does that, in Todoroki's eyes. So why does he overhear the girls call him the class pretty boy?
He'll just have to ask Midoriya about it; he has too little filter to tell anything but the truth.
pairings: tododeku
tags: fluff, angst
warnings: 
Your Biggest Fan by Latios
summary: He opens the bag on the floor to see what could have been left in there-- and promptly freezes, staring at the contents inside.
“Midoriya.” He calls.
“Hm?”
“You bought our hero merch?”
~
Aka, Class 1-A starts to see themselves appear on merchandise in their local stores. Todoroki tries not to buy things, and fails.
pairings: tododeku
tags: fluff, humor
warnings: 
Marry The Mole by Haurvatat
summary: “You're going to break up with him before he can propose.”
The hands went down and the steel wall of Midoriya's entire being went up. “...Excuse me?”
“And in return-” Enji gritted his teeth, “-I will deposit 20 million yen in your checking account.”
-
The gay drama fic based on a tumblr post absolutely zero people wanted to see but YOU'RE GETTING ANYWAY
pairings: tododeku
tags: humor
warnings: 
ascended fanboy by aloneintherain
summary: “I want to honour them,” Izuku said softly. “When I cosplay, I just want people to see how amazing these heroes are.”
Shouto brushed a thumb over his cheek, careful not to smudge his makeup. “They do. I promise.”
Or: Izuku and Shouto attend HeroCon, five years post-graduation.
pairings: tododeku
tags: 
warnings: 
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violetarks · 4 years
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Just A Game: Ex's
Anime: My Hero Academia (SMAU)
LEVEL DOWN | MENU | LEVEL UP
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"Did you use to date Kirishima?"
The question knocked Y/N out of her thoughts as she looked away from her phone. She glanced up at Shinso, eyes only half-interested in the conversation. She placed her phone down and her hands on her lap.
The waitress serving them was the same one from the last time Y/N were here, by herself because Shinso slept in after drinking so much coffee the night before. The waitress obviously recognised her because as soon as they placed their orders, she took out her phone hurriedly with a smile. But Y/N didn't mind, she just ate her shortcake quietly.
Shinso felt out of place here. In front of Y/N. Where they were supposed to have their date. But he was forced to come here, to make things better.
But he had questions.
"Excuse me?" Y/N hummed, tilting her head to the side.
"It's just..." Shinso started, staring at the fabric of his jeans. He couldn't meet her gaze. "You said you'd talk to me about this in person. So I wanted to ask. Were you and Kirishima a thing?"
Y/N blinked at him before picking up her mug again. She held the warmth in her palms to keep out the cold, glancing at the way the steam rolled off the surface.
"We started dating in high school, second year." She stated, making Shinso's heart beat faster at her words, "It was pretty fun and we were already friends before that. I started my channel a few months after we started dating too. So I had the support of my friends, family and some of my fans."
Shinso finally looked up at her. But this time, her eyes were frozen on her warm coffee. She kept it like that for a while.
"Eiji and I ended our relationship a year, maybe two years ago." She admitted to Shinso, fingers running on the rim of the cup, "It was for the best, really. So none of us really held any hard feelings against each other. We agreed that we were better off as best friends, and at the time we had just finished moving in with Katsuki so we decided that we wouldn't kick each other out."
She tore her gaze away from the drink, now looking up at Shinso, who stared wide eyed. "So to answer your question, yes. I did date Kirishima. But we're over now." She sighed out, "Anything else you want to know?"
Shinso cleared his throat, stabbing his fork into the shortcake in front of him, "Do you mind talking about why you broke up?"
Y/N chuckled, biting the piece of cake on her own fork, "Well, mainly because we had drifted off from being lovers back to just friends. I suppose we were kind of ignoring it until we went on stream together and someone asked if we were still dating."
Shinso mentally cringed. He hated it when fans did that sometimes. Y/N went on, "We avoided the question on stream, but they kept pressing on about it until I kind of just... broke down, I guess. I started crying on stream because I didn't know either. Eiji turned it off and we just sat in my room crying for a bit."
She shook her head at herself with a sad smile. "From that point on, we ended things and just continued being friends and roommates. Katsuki didn't mind, since we were all best friends anyway." She told Shinso, "And they still care about me in the same way they always have."
She then hardened her glare at her food and turned to the window. "Turns out, that 'fan' was apart of that gossip group on Twitter. The one that talks about us sometime too." She scowled, annoyed look on her face, "They basically said Eiji and I weren't dating and we were doing this for clout or whatever. So, the last time we talked about our relationship was on a live stream where we got some fans to ask us questions. Eiji said it would put the drama to rest and it did, everyone believed the truth."
Shinso huffed out, clenching the fabric of his jeans beneath the table, "I would too. I can't believe someone would say that about you."
He's hated that gossip account for years now. He once collaborated with someone who had a bad reputation on that channel and the video was filled with hate comments about the person. Needless to say, he understood why she didn't want to bring it up again.
"I'm sorry, again, for all the lying and... stuff." He said, drawing on the rim of his plate as he finished his food, "And for saying that you only hung out with me because you thought I was hot. I know that isn't true."
Y/N blinked, feeling a wave of wind pass over her as the door swung open and a few people filed into the cafe. She replied, "You asked me what I knew about you, that time."
Shinso shivered at the memory.
"Do you want to know what I would've said if I weren't so mad?" She mumbled out.
Shinso nodded his head.
"You're a caring guy who actually just wants to keep his heart intact." She spoke, a little louder to show confidence in what she was saying to him. Shinso found no traces of doubt. "You try very hard to keep up with your friends even though you can be tired sometime. You like sweets, much more than I'd ever guess."
Shinso chuckled along with her.
She then stared at the table they sat at. "And you lie." She said, "You lie because you don't want people to know the real you. You're afraid that if you tell them the truth, that they won't be as invested in you as you are to them. But when they find out, it all goes to Hell. You start to think that maybe it wasn't a good idea to lie, to cover up your mistakes that make you seem 'weak' or 'petty'. You regret a lot of things."
By that time, he had shrunken into his chair, wanting to hide away from the world. He hated confrontation, where it was especially needed.
Y/N reached out and pat his hand lightly. "It sounds pretty bad, but I'm sure we can do something about that." She told him, wearing a warm grin, "I'm not gonna' let you not learn from your mistakes."
"Thanks, Y/N. That means a lot." He spoke to her, shaky breath.
She didn't say anything back, taking her hand off of his and onto the table.
"Are you okay?" He clears his throat, gesturing to her phone, which was lighting up the table beneath it. He was glad to change the subject. "Looks like they're going crazy."
Y/N picked up her phone, taking a quick glance before putting it down. "It's—It's just Eijiro and Katsuki. They want to know when I'm coming back." She sighed out, taking hold of her drink again.
Shinso looked out the window. "Do you need to leave?" He asked quietly.
She stared at him for a moment. Then hummed out, holding up her mug "Do you want me to?"
He took no time thinking over his answer.
"No."
She smiled softly.
"Then I guess I can stay for a little longer."
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TAGS: @just-some-stars @freyafolkvangr @headfirst-halo @wotsitgirl @falling4fandoms @katsuki-bakuhoee @adorable-punk-superheroes @firecet @ouijaeater15 @swoonhui @thegalxe @caitff @camry-orphanaccount @angelofdarkness1020 @someweirdshitman @jazzylove @cathy8taffy @doggonudezz
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caeows · 5 years
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      jeon jeongguk  .  cis male  .  he/him  /  graeme bae just pulled up by blasting dirty little secret by all american rejects --- that song is so them  !  you know  ,  for a twenty three year old actor  ,  i’ve heard they’re really gullible  ,  but that they make up for it by being so tenacious  .  if i had to choose three things to describe them  ,  i’d probably say tousled hair  ,  triple dog dares and a closet full of black  .  here’s to hoping they don’t cause too much trouble  !  
hello  !  i’m deni  (  she/her pronouns  ,  gmt+9 timezone  )  .  i’m best reached on discord at gayfairy#6371 for plotting  .  below the cut is  ...  a ridiculous amount of keyboard smashing but it was a holiday and i was feeling inspired so  !!  i included a few TLDRs for some quick scanning  .  there’s also some plots at the bottom i’d LOVE to see  .    looking forward to writing with you all  !
* ☆ ·˚  background.
you could say he was destined for the spotlight  .  
      an only child  ,  he grew up watching his parents performances on the stage  ,  accepting their kisses and gentle smiles before they set off for tours around the country and left him with his cousins  .  sure  ,  they were absent --- but they tried  --- and graeme knew he wanted to be just like them  .  when his parents delighted in his little home-staged sets he presented ,  they quickly enrolled him in acting classes and coached him through first auditions  ,  even moved back to korea when it was clear some american roles wanted to confine him to one note  .  after gaining exposure  ,  graeme shared the screen with one of the biggest names in the american industry in a dramatic hit that led to some ridiculous fanmail being sent to him as a kid  ,  then excitedly landed a role in a revamped science fiction film he was stoked af abouy !!! unfortunately  ,  the film was met with an absolute brutal blowback from fans  ,  some of that hot  ,  petty anger taken out on graeme  ,  and at thirteen years old  ,  his parents made the decision for him to step back and focus on school  .   (  he still holds onto those spiteful letters------  all that hate from grown ass adults thrown at a child  ) 
      performing arts high school  ,  but graeme stayed away from the public stage for a bit  .  worked on some sets as a tech to get a better idea of the film making process  .  kept a low profile occasionally caught by curious paparazzi at a basketball court or baseball game  .  recognizable  ,  but not to the point where he couldn’t be seminormal  .  there were a few bumps in the road  ::  leaked photos of a beer at a high school party  ,  couple of fake friends sliding in for clout  ,  people pushing questions like when are you returning  ??  how does it feel to ruin one of the most important films of all time ???  shitty  .  but  ,  with the help of his parents  ,  friends and coaches  ,  graeme returned to student films to grow more comfortable in front of a camera  .  his official comeback was in the background of a friend's directorial debut  ,  a lady-love drama critics salivated over but failed to earn is’ nominations  .  still  ,  graeme’s name was back and out there  .  jumping headfirst into the thing that scares him  ,  graeme’s slated for teen flicks  ,  romantic dramas  ,  action films  .  a diverse portfolio  .  people love a comeback  .     ------as if there was something wrong with what he did before  .  
TLDR.  former international child star who took a break after experiencing a massive fan-driven backlash  .  pseudo retired  ,  did the performing arts school thing  .  popped back on the screen about a year ago and working his ass off since  .  early career inspiration : jake lloyd  ,  natalie portman  , yeo jingoo
* ☆ ·˚  current.
      suddenly  getting all this praise and earning cash  ,  living on his own in a sprawling city of work and sin  .   hasn’t stop busting his ass  ,  no  ,  but maybe he’s found outlets for all his stress in  . . . less than healthy outlets  .  some of the headlines are way off the mark  ,  some a little too close to home  .  either way  ,  it’s not something his parents or his management company are thrilled about  (  doesn’t he want to be taken seriously as an actor ,  they say  )  and he does  .  of course he does  .  but what else does he have to sacrifice to be taken seriously ?  and how serious does any twenty-something year old wanna get  ?
      late hours on dance floors  ,  strips of things he doesn’t know the name of on his tongue  ,  lips on any pretty   ,  wanting pair he can find  .  he’s young  ,  virile and at the top of his game  .  who can blame him  ?  it starts with a string of tabloid images  ,  a rumpled and sleepy-eyed graeme leaving apartments that aren’t his in clothes he was spotted in the night before  .  zoomed-in  ,  fan-cropped photos on twitter of hickeys and swollen mouths and unbuttoned shirts  .  america’s sweetheart  ?  maybe  ,  but clearly not around the clock  .  him  ,  scaling rails of hotels and dancing on top of cars  .  grabbing mics at clubs and taking over DJ boots at parties   .  twitter explodes when he moonwalks through the airport one time and baristas trend his insane coffee orders  .  
      and even though he’s got his own name --- and a variety of different spellings  ,  hashtags  ,  and whatevers --- blacklisted on social media  ,  every now and then he’ll run along a stream of grueling comments  ,  petty nitpicks about his performances  ,  his looks  ,  his voice  ,  his goddamn smile and it’s-----   it’s rough  ,  even for someone who grew up in that environment  .  there’s days where he’ll hole up in his apartment and refuse to see anyone  ,  refuse to leave  .  the guy in the interviews with the wide smile and sparkle eyes is so  ,  so far away and people almost forget that he’s human  ,  too  .  he pushes himself out of that mindset  ,  sometimes with help  ,  but it’s always a shadow on his back  ,  waiting to catch him at his weakest  .  
TLDR.  tabloids gossip about speculated hookups and strange behavior  .  potential alcohol abuse  .  pushback from management and parents  .  anxiety towards social media  .  current career inspiration : ansel elgort
* ☆ ·˚  tidbits.
      sporty as fuck —— basketball  ,  soccer  ,  skateboard  ,  swimming  ,  climbing  .  says he would’ve been an athlete if not for movies  .  fit as fuck despite a steady diet of ramen and pizza  .  claims to like horror movies the most  ,  but he’s a total schmaltz snob  .  can hold a pretty tune well enough to pass  .  has a private twitter account for the memes   ,  public accounts are all operated by a social media manager so he doesn’t have to read comments   .  watches college basketball championships religiously  .  has very strong opinions about scented candles  .  likes sugary drinks more than coffee but claims to be a connoisseur  .  loves biopics  .  punk and 2000s emo rock fan .  gets anxious easily  ,  suffers through interviews and avoids personal topics as best as he can  .  is rumored to be difficult to work with  ,  but keeps to himself on sets save for a few opinions about blocking  and lighting  .  pan as fuck and fairly open about it  .  mom and dad are chill  ,  but don’t understand much of anything past bi  .  they get on to him more for his diet and job  .   when not on the court or working  ,  spends free time rewatching anime in the safety of his bed in an threadbare pair of boxers  ,  eating Doritos by the fistful and leaving his manager on read  .
      even his underwear is black  .  occasionally, he’ll change it up with a screen printed vintage t-shirt and wears whatever kind of fancy thing his stylist squeezes him into  .  otherwise wears by a black or white t-shirt  ,  black pants and combat boots  .  seventy percent of his sneakers have sharpie drawings on them and he’s got a lot of holes in his ears and another in a place you’d be lucky  (  or unlucky  )  to see  .  loves dangy earrings and wearing his hair loose  ,  a bit long with a mild perm  .  silver on his wrists and friendship bracelets from yesteryear but no rings  .  tattooed up  !  recently collaborated to design a line of temporary tattoos  .  extensive collection of sunglasses  .  hit up a lot of music festivals in the past but that’s died down in recent months due to a busy schedule  .  swung his way into VIP passes before  .  he was a total Warped kid in the past  ,  no shame  .  no longer does fan conventions because of a negative experience a few years back  ,  and even fan meets are a little awkward  ,  but he manages to push through  .  can’t drive worth a damn but he’ll kick your ass at any arcade game  .  occasionally  ,  he’ll stream over twitch but that’s becoming less and less common  . was banned from several dave & busters before he made it back on the screen  .  moody as fuck  .
* ☆ ·˚  plots.
      so  .  bonds  .  there’s a best friend who may not have been there since the beginning  ,  but they’ve been there when it matters  .  the friendship is new  ,  fresh  ,  and maybe graeme shouldn’t be as dependent on it as he is  ,  but he can’t help it  .  clinging to them like crazy --- let’s hope it doesn’t fall to the wayside  .  (  ? / 1  )  there’s several of his idiot friends who  ,  after being stranded on too many red carpets  ,  a hundred hotel rooms  ,  and hours of press junkets  ,  have learned to survive by snapchatting each other random dares throughout the day  .  (  1 / unlimited  )  there’s a few childhood friends who  ,  like him  ,  grew up either in or close to the spotlight and they have this  ,  like  . . .  support group kind of situation  .  i don’t know  .  graeme checks on them from time to time  ,  even as they’ve grown apart  .  (   2 / unlimited  )  he’s got some partying buddies who may not have his best interest at heart --- who may or may not stop him when he’s slurred out and whining about twitter trolls .  some gaming partners he teams up with over stream  ,  but lately they’ve drifted apart  .
      it’s such a cliche that his management’s set him up for a fake dating situation  .  if graeme wants the dramatic  ,  serious roles  ,  then he needs to show he’s a mature and capable young man  .  how else to do that than jump headfirst into a few awkwardly orchestrated dates with another hotshot on the radar  ?  (  ? / 1  )  but they’re not serious  .  so  ,  he hasn’t stopped hooking up  ,  or thinking about a one night stand that totally rocked his world  .   (  ? / 5 )  and  (  ? / 1 )  media and fans definitely know about a few of these  .  the jury’s out for how they feel about it  .  then there’s his competition  ,  actors in the same demographic targeting the same roles  .  it’s a tough business and they know it  ,  but the press picks up on all these weird quotes and posts that twist shit into beefs  .  what other misunderstanding will cause the casket to blow  ?  (  ? / unlimited )  there’s some co stars on old and upcoming films  .  people who see how hard he works and how much effort he puts into what’s seen on the screen  .  they tough out hard days on set and the press circuits during promotion  .  see him at his worst and best  .  (  ? / unlimited )
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cutieodonoghue · 8 years
Text
let’s just be us
summary: based on this post by @bleebug (rockstar!killian and movie star!emma secretly dating, but those pesky fans figure it out...)
word count: ~3500
an: thanks to @swans-and-pirates for being a stellar beta! <3
Emma Swan likes to think she has it all in order.
 Being an A-List celebrity is hard enough as it is, with paparazzi discovering her when she so much decides to go visit Starbucks for ten minutes. But, she has a plan and she has tricks that keep her relatively average.
 Trick number one: private social media accounts.
While she would like to be the kind of person who doesn’t spend her days scrolling through Facebook wondering what her exes look like now, she kind of is. For the most part she spends too much time on Pinterest and Instagram looking for ideas for decorating, fashion, and recipes.
 She gets a private Twitter account one slow Tuesday afternoon while she’s waiting to be taken to set.
 She’s working in Los Angeles for the next few days finishing up this action-adventure blockbuster and while it’s been fun, she cannot wait to get to fly out to New York to visit family and friends for a few weeks before she has to go shoot a television pilot for Netflix.
 Mary Margaret, who has crowned herself the President of Emma’s fan club, monitors everything Emma does like a hawk. Emma practically doesn’t need an agent or manager with Mary Margaret scouring the depths of the internet for every review and comment written about her.
 She only gets the private Twitter account because of one reason: she’s tired of the notifications and the stress of running her public account.
 She follows only a handful of names. It helps keep things clean and she can still scroll blankly through Twitter while not worrying about what people will think if she retweets a dozen pictures of puppies or if she starts tweeting at her favorite bakery about when they’ll have her favorite kinds of muffins again.
 It’s nice. It’s simple. And when she wants to make a public post, she can switch over quite easily.
 Her phone starts vibrating in her hand as she’s scrolling through her newly acquired private Twitter timeline and she rolls her eyes when she sees who’s calling her- his stupid big eyes shining bright blue and his dopey grin spread so wide across her screen.
 Emma slides to answer and pulls the device to her ear. She bites down on her lip as a smile spreads, forming dimples in her cheeks. “I thought you were too busy with Good Morning America for me today.”
 “Did you just follow me on Twitter under the username swangirl?” he immediately asks.
 Emma laughs. She shrugs her shoulders. “I made a private account, okay? I just want to be able to have some normal even though I can’t have that.”
 He hums. “I understand.” For a moment, he’s quiet. “My private account is thatjollyroger if you’d rather-”
 She laughs again and suddenly misses him a lot more than she has in a while. Her heart squeezes tight and she turns to look at her laptop’s desktop image. He’s kissing her cheek while she laughs, both of them sitting together on the small window seat in their New York City apartment.
 It’s her favorite picture. Mostly because Killian hadn’t insisted on taking a dozen to perfect the moment. It just was and they were.
 Killian Jones has been her secret boyfriend since they met on the set of one of his early music videos. It was about five years ago, and back then they weren’t under as much pressure as they are now, with the spotlight on them practically everywhere they turn.
 Back then, she was kind of famous, with a big movie under her belt, and she was starring in his music video as a favor to a friend. Killian was just getting into his big break as well, with his album hitting the Billboard Top 10.
 It’s been five years of growth since then. For both the two of them, and their careers.
 He’s a solo artist and a very popular one at that. Every time she turns on the radio, she hears one of his singles. He’s been traveling the world promoting his latest album, one he’s admitted to her in private was completely inspired by her.
 It makes her smile, her cheeks reddening, because Killian Jones could write about anything but he chose her.
 “I miss you,” Emma admits in a quiet voice. She presses her cheek against her shoulder and listens to his end- it’s awfully loud. She imagines the guys in his band are being rowdy while they wait to go on air.
 “I miss you more,” Killian says. He sighs. “What do you say I come to town on Friday? I do miss Cocoa Bean quite a bit.”
 Emma smiles, glancing over at the puppy curled up on her couch, napping as if she doesn’t get enough sleep.
 “She misses you too. But not as much as we miss Mister Smee.”
 “The scoundrel,” Killian laughs. “He’s been so out of sorts. He misses you and Cocoa too much.”
 Emma bites on her lip. Her stomach twists excitedly at the idea of him coming to town. They have an apartment here that she uses a lot more lately rather than sharing it with him. It’s been awhile since he’s been here.
 “What’s next on the tour?”
 “Ah...” Killian groans in consideration. “A few shows in Florida and then it’s over when we head back up to New York.”
 She smiles. “God, I can’t wait for tour to be over.”
 Her boyfriend laughs. “You should come to Florida with me after I come see you in LA. We could go to Disney World. Do you have anything going on?”
 Emma rolls her eyes. “You know if we went to Disney World together the whole planet would implode or something.”
 Killian practically whines, “But, Swan… think of the fun we’d have!”
 A smile twists at her lips. She considers it- riding rides, eating too much, and buying up all of the Mickey memorabilia they set their sights on. She can only imagine Killian Jones in the middle of it all.
 “You’re right. It would be fun.”
 “Plus you’ve got an in, don’t you? With that film you did last year.”
 She hears a knock at her trailer door and she sits upright, closing her laptop as she rises to her feet. “They want me on set. I gotta go, babe. We can talk about this later.”
 “Yeah, I should be on my way as well.”
 “Okay.”
 For a moment, they share a companionable silence, almost telling each other they wish it could be easier.
 “I love you.”
 “I love you too.”
 ..
 Emma’s second trick of being an A-List celebrity is this: no looking at reviews for stuff she’s done, and no looking into gossip. No matter what.
 She’s usually quite good at this. She stays clear of the drama and lives in a peaceful, blissful bubble with her puppy pictures and chocolate chip cookie recipes.
 However, sometimes the gossip comes to her.
 In this particular instance, she’s sitting up in bed with Killian in their hotel room in Orlando, having just made a post about flying out of LAX earlier that day.
 Her eyes narrow at the comments section and she actually laughs under her breath when she realizes what a lot of people seem to be talking about- she and Killian’s nearly identical posts about flying.
@ekforever: You and @killianjones both flying out of LAX at the same time???
@ahopper: @ekforever just because they’re at the same airport together doesn’t mean they even saw each other. Get a life. Let them live.
@ekforever: @ahopper check my page for the facts. They’re more than just friends.
It’s intriguing enough to draw her attention away from the comments section of her public Instagram and Twitter pages.
She clicks on @ekforever, discovering an Instagram account dedicated to pictures of she and Killian. To her surprise, the page has 312k followers, and an incredible amount of posts. She begins to scroll through, clicking on pictures to find out what they had to say about Killian’s GMA interview.
 One is a video that automatically plays- showing Killian’s ears and cheeks burning bright red when the interviewer asks, “I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask about Emma Swan. You were just on the set of her new film, recording a song with her for the soundtrack, right?”
 “Ah… I, yeah-”
 Their relationship to the public, at least what they’ve tried to paint a picture of, has always been close friends who often work together on small projects.
 They get together sometimes for dinner and take the occasional selfie to sate the Internet’s need to see them together, but that’s really it. Emma keeps her relationship with Killian as silent as she possibly can and Killian does the same.
 But apparently, according to this fan page, they’re failing quite epically at keeping things friendly.
 “What’re you looking at, Swan?” Killian asks, practically addicted to the sound of his own voice, propping his chin up on her shoulder.
 Emma turns slightly and shakes her head. Quickly, she clicks out of the page. “Nothing.”
 Her boyfriend makes a face at her. “I heard the GMA interview.”
 Emma closes her laptop and sets it aside. “I was just… looking at some gossip stuff. People are kind of crazy. Have you ever seen the fan pages?”
 “Of course I have,” Killian gives her an incredulous look. “Perhaps we’re just a little too obvious?”
 Emma shakes her head. “No. We’re not. Normal people wouldn’t notice that I was wearing your shirt two months ago when you were in Europe and I was in LA. Or that you were blushing like an idiot during the GMA interview at the mention of my name.”
 Killian arches his eyebrow. “Did they notice that…?”
 Emma rolls her eyes and kisses him to shut him up. Mostly, so she doesn’t have to think about the ramifications of their small slip-ups and mistakes. It works, both of them smiling into the kiss with Killian’s hand on her cheek.
 At the same time, their dogs decide to jump up onto the bed. She laughs against his lips when she gets a wet nose against her arm.
 “Hey, Smee,” she murmurs, reaching down to scratch beneath his ears. “How are you?”
 Killian takes the other puppy into his arms and kisses her head. “Miss Cocoa Bean, you and your brother are awfully eager to interrupt a good moment, aren’t you?”
 Emma smiles at her boyfriend and rests her cheek against his shoulder. She leaves a kiss to it and breathes him in, a somber feeling falling over her.
 “Do you think…” Emma bites on her lip. “What do you think would happen if we announced we were dating?”
 Killian tucks Cocoa against his stomach and continues to stroke her fur, much to her approval. When they got her, she was a tiny thing, so Killian took to calling her Cocoa Bean, even though Emma just wanted to call her Cocoa. Both are equally adorable.
 Emma leans away from Killian just a little, enough so she can see his contemplative expression.
 He smiles at her, shrugging his shoulder. “I suppose people would know we’re together.”
 It still causes her anxiety. Knowing just how popular they are. She’s afraid of what it’ll do to their relationship- being public.
 “I don’t want to lose you,” Emma admits in a whisper.
 Killian frowns. His hand cups the back of her head and he leaves a kiss to her forehead. “Hey, hey. You won’t ever lose me. I promise you that.”
 Emma sighs. She admires him- the way his hair hangs over his forehead, the laugh lines in his cheeks, the brilliant blue of his eyes. He’s her entire world.
 “I love you,” Emma tells him.
 Killian kisses the spot between her eyes, then gently over her eyes when they fall closed. His lips trace a pattern down her cheeks and then finally, he kisses her lips.
 “Emma Swan, I have loved you since the day I met you,” Killian murmurs. “And I’m not keen on ever letting you go.”
 Emma breathes out of her nose, opening her eyes to look up at him. Smee is curled up in her lap- his dog, while the puppy they’d chosen together is in his lap.
 “That sounds an awful lot like a proposal,” Emma teases, trying to keep from feeling like she could break down crying.
 She sits upright, their shoulders pressed together, while she strokes Smee’s fur.
 “Would you like it to be?”
 Her heart skips a beat and her jaw falls open. “I… no. I want you to propose when you’re ready.”
 Emma swallows. She stares at him and tears well up in her eyes when he twists a ring on his right hand.
 Killian holds the ring between his fingers, admiring it. “Liam gave this to me when I was sixteen.” He smiles a little. “He said it kept him safe and in turn, he hoped it would keep me safe as well.”
 Emma watches as her boyfriend spreads out one of her palms. He settles the ring down in her hand. Her heart races so fast and she has a hard time thinking straight with all of the thoughts whirring through her mind.
 “I want you to have it.” Killian adds. “Because even when I’m not with you… I am.”
 She can only imagine what the fans of theirs will think of this development, if they’ll even notice it, but Emma can’t find it in herself to really care too much.
 She smiles at Killian and kisses him firmly, their noses bumping afterwards.
 “So, like, are we secretly engaged now?” Emma asks, again teasing.
 Killian’s eyebrows dance playfully. “That would be interesting, wouldn’t it?” Emma shoves at him and he laughs heartily before kissing her cheek. “Only if you want to be.”
 Emma glares at him for a moment, but Killian takes it in stride. He takes her hand and squeezes it gently.
 “Let’s just be us, hm?”
 Emma finds peace with the statement. She smiles and nods. “Let’s just be us.”
 ..
 Emma doesn’t have a good excuse to use when she’s recognized in the backstage area of Killian’s show in Miami, sporting a ring hanging from a chain around her neck, so she just laughs and says she’s here to support her friend.
 She’s kind of stupid and high on actually being here to support her guy, so she takes a bunch of pictures with some of the behind the scenes crew and with fans that come for a private meet-and-greet. She ends up being there for the whole thing, engaging with the fans as much as Killian does.
 It’s fun. Getting to be here with him, seeing how he is in his element.
 She’s seen him like this, of course, before. They’ve been together for five years. Five chaotic years, but she’s still been able to come to shows just as much as he’s been able to spend time on set with her.
 She loves him so much.
 The best part of being at the show has to be the way he stares at her from the stage. It’s as if she’s the only one in the crowded room.
 “This one’s for you, darling,” he says, dedicating the sappiest of his love songs to her.
 It’s enough to make her blush. She hides her face in her hands for a moment and then sets her sight on him, her hands clasped together over her heart while she sways and sings along to the song.
 She loves him so much sometimes it hurts to think about it.
 ..
 The hotel room is a bit of a mess when Emma wakes up on the morning they’re going to finally be heading home to New York City.
 Killian had woken up before her a few minutes ago and he’d immediately gone to take a shower.
 She hears the water hitting the shower floor as she runs her fingers through her hair. It’s a disaster, but she doesn’t have a hair tie around her wrist like she usually does. She imagines she’ll find one eventually.
 Emma sits down in front of her laptop at the desk and while she waits for it to boot up, she smiles slightly at the crumpled mess of bed sheets and pillows strewn about.
 Killian’s guitar is sitting against the desk. He’d played for her when they came back to the room last night, because she said she wanted to hear a song. He was more than happy to oblige her.
 Cocoa curls up by Emma’s feet after she dresses herself in her favorite travel outfit- a band shirt and jeans. Emma smiles at the puppy and looks around for Smee, who has decided to sit himself down on the end of the bed behind her.
 Emma’s heart swells happily when she sees she has a few texts from Mary Margaret and David excited to see her later today and she bites down on her lip as she goes into her Instagram.
 She last used it on her private account, so she doesn’t think twice about where she’s posting this.
 It’s a simple post about how excited she is to get to go home to New York City. She decides to post a selfie, because she feels good. She doesn’t really care what’s captured in the image, because Mary Margaret, one of the thirty seven followers she has on this account, won’t care- she’ll just be excited to see Emma so excited.
 Killian comes out of the bathroom, bringing with him the fresh scent of the warm shower he’d taken.
 “Good morning,” she says, looking up at him while she hits post to Twitter as well as Instagram as a force of habit.
 “Good morning, love,” Killian approaches her. He’s only wearing a towel around his hips, secured with a flimsily tucked knot.
 As soon as he kisses her and his hair drips onto her shoulder, she scrunches her nose up at him. “When’s the flight leave?”
 Killian takes his fingers through his hair and sighs as he thinks about it. “We’ve got two hours before we need to be at the airport.”
 Her phone begins vibrating in her palm and she frowns when she sees Regina’s name on the screen. She bites her lip. “I should take it. It’s Regina.”
 Killian nods in understanding.
 “Hey, Regina-”
 “Emma, I thought we were keeping him a secret,” Regina says pointedly.
 Emma frowns, her heart starting to race fast. She walks into the living area of the hotel room while Killian returns to the bathroom.
 “What are you talking about?”
 “The post you just made?” Regina asks. “Emma, you’re basically shouting from the rooftops ‘I’m dating Killian Jones.’”
 Emma’s eyes widen and a sick feeling sinks to the pit of her stomach. “I… what?”
 “Guitar in the lower left hand corner… his dog on the bed,” Regina lists off. “Not to mention you have sex hair.”
 Emma gasps. “I do not!”
 “Listen, I’m just trying to help because this is one thing you’ve been adamant about. Delete the post as soon as you can.”
 Emma pulls her phone away from her face and puts Regina on speaker.
 “I’m looking to see what the damage is…” Emma pulls up her public Instagram page and grimaces at the picture. “I meant to post this on my private page.”
 Regina sighs. “Okay, well, we can fix this if you take it down right now, Emma. The more time you take to delete, the more people who see it.”
 Her heart is practically in her throat and she can hardly breathe, much less think straight.
 Emma spies Killian stepping into the hotel room, not a care in the world. He sits down on the edge of the bed and lifts his guitar into his lap, beginning to pluck a few notes. He grins at Cocoa, who goes to greet him at his feet.
 And it’s enough to make Emma’s heart at ease.
 She steps into the room again, meeting Killian’s eyes and offering him a mirrored grin.
 “Regina, I want to… keep it up,” Emma says into her phone, though she keeps a smile on her face while she stares at Killian. “I’m engaged to Killian Jones.”
 “Emma-”
 She doesn’t hear what else Regina has to say, because she’s focused on the way Killian’s eyes brighten and how he sets his guitar down again before he goes to her and lifts his eyebrows.
 “Engaged?” he asks.
 She lowers her phone after hanging up on Regina. She knows Regina’s already calling her back, desperately confused and needing answers, but Emma doesn’t want to give them.
 Emma sucks in a breath and searches his eyes. She scrunches up her nose at him. “Yeah. If that’s okay with you.”
 Killian wraps his arms around her and laughs, his nose bumping hers. “Darling, it’s more than okay.”
 Emma’s eyes fall closed and she kisses him, adoring the way he gently squeezes her sides before he takes her left hand.
 “We’ll need to get you an engagement ring as soon as possible,” he says. “And, bloody hell, I should tell my manager.”
 Emma laughs happily. She shakes her head. “No, we don’t need to say anything.” She bites her lip. “Let’s just be us.”
 He grins, soft and slow. “Let’s just be us.”
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Matt Kuchar, social media, and stories that take on lives of their own
Matt Kuchar leaves Hawaii a winner, but not entirely unscathed.
That’s the prevailing sentiment from a sect of golf observers, the byproduct of an accusation by a former PGA Tour player on Saturday afternoon. The match was lit at 5:08 p.m. ET; by 10, Kuchar, a beloved and venerated personality by American crowds, had come on the business end of a Twitter roasting . . . over how much he paid a fill-in caddie.
Five hours is all it took. Five hours in which Kuchar was on the golf course, oblivious to the drubbing.
“It’s not a story,” Kuchar would eventually say. This statement was aimed at the rumors; time will tell if he’s proven right. Through another prism, Kuchar is already wrong. Because stories like this are a reckoning more and more athletes are forced to confront.
The past decade has shown that realities can come to life through social media. There are arguments for the virtues and vices of digital platforms, but there’s no debate over their capability. Facebook and Twitter have helped overthrow tyrannical regimes, brought improper behavior to light, given the oppressed a voice. Tangible paragons of speaking truth to power.
There’s an upshot, however. The mob mentality often found on Twitter and Facebook can go unchecked, taking on lives of their own. The forums are so emotionally driven that narratives can reach a fever pitch without consideration of context or facts, and the appetite for "owning" someone overtakes the crusade that's supposed to be fought.
For Kuchar, this materialized at the hands of Tom Gillis of the PGA Tour Champions. In a series of tweets, the 50-year-old Gillis claimed that Kuchar had stiffed David “El Tucan” Ortiz—the local caddie Kuchar had on the bag for his victory in Mayakoba—something fierce.
Now, while the list of athletes indiscretions is long, being tightfisted spurs a special kind of fury. Ours is a culture that implores the rich to spread the love; those failing are branded. Michael Jordan, Scottie (“No Tippin”) Pippen, Pete Sampras and, yes, Tiger Woods are some of the alleged stars with alligator arms.
Kuchar's case, however, felt different, for it wasn’t a tip as it was wages owed. The optics alone—a veteran with $46 million in career earnings low-balling a man who makes less than $46,000 a year—were damning. That Gillis’ previous blast of Ben Crane over an unpaid bet to Daniel Berger proved accurate wasn’t helping, nor was Australian pro Cameron Percy’s reply of, “It’s not out of character if true.” Several popular media personalities stoked the fervor with their Kuchar stories. The only notable name to defend Kuch was Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee, and he was promptly “ratioed"—the phantasm to describe the overwhelming amount of negative reaction to a tweet—in kind.
This outcry is predictable, and if Gillis is right, understandable. Save for one problem: neither Kuchar nor Ortiz had publicly spoken on the issue.
Golf Digest’s Brian Wacker was among a handful of journalists to approach Kuchar after the Sony Open’s third round about the Twitter rumors. This occurred around 11 p.m. ET, six hours after Gillis posted his claim. Kuchar was emphatic in denying the allegations (also worth noting when Gillis was asked how he got his information, he was light on specifics).
“That’s not a story. It wasn’t 10 percent, it wasn’t $3,000. It’s not a story,” Kuchar told reporters. Kuchar later approached Wacker in the media center saying, "We had an agreement to start the week. He was excited to go to work that week.” His remarks did nothing to stop the drama.
For what it’s worth, Ortiz told Golf.com after the Mayakoba win he had not received or discussed his pay with Kuchar, only that he was aware of the standard 10 percent. (At the time of writing, Golf Digest's attempts to reach Ortiz through the Mayakoba Resort were unsuccessful). What’s not as clear is Kuchar’s first point: does this constitute a story?
To be clear, scuttlebutt on athletes’ lives on and off the field is nothing new. Drug use, gambling, affairs, sexual orientation; the biggest sports figures have been subjected to it all. What has shifted, though, is where those questions are coming from.
The problem with narratives that emerge on social media is athletes have two options: response or silence. Neither is particularly desired. As Kuchar showed, a response never quiets the whispers, and silence only makes them grow louder.
Kuchar is not alone. Last June, Jimmy Walker self-professed to backstopping, the practice of purposely not marking a golf ball in order to give an opponent a potential advantage. It served as an archetype of the pluses and perils of mob mentality. Good in that it raised a dialogue, receiving the attention and engagement of a marquee name, providing an opportunity for discourse. Bad in that the conversation was less than civil, as Walker—who was forthright and level-headed about the manner—was roasted for admitting to doing something almost everyone does.
“I was just trying to shed some light on how it actually happens out here,” Walker said at the U.S. Open. He was guilty before charges were brought.
Fans aren't the only ones starting a fire. Tour pro Joel Dahmen took to Twitter after the Quicken Loans National to accuse Sung Kang of cheating. In 2017 then-rookie Grayson Murray called out Bryson DeChambeau for an injury withdraw at Riviera. Former major champ Steve Elkington aired some less-than-flattering remarks toward Rory McIlroy, and the Ulsterman did not take the shot lying down. Danny Willett's 2016 Ryder Cup was ruined by online remarks from his brother.
There are nuances to each, but those nuances are often lost in the commotion. A shame, as they contain truths. In defense of Kuchar, Chamblee made a handful of valid points. Alas, judging by the responses, they were points that fell on deaf ears. Chamblee wasn't so much scolded for the contention, but for the sheer audacity to go against the predominant sentiment. To counter, at least on social media, is to quarrel.
The fallout is real. Despite the tour releasing a statement that backed him up, Kang is forever marked as a cheat. The attention sparked by his bout with Elkington caused McIlroy, one of the more cerebral, candid voices in golf, to quit Twitter. "I don't need to read it. It's stuff that shouldn't get to you and sometimes it does," he said.
At least the above examples were related to competition. In the fall, an Instagram user noticed Dustin Johnson’s fiancee Paulina Gretzky had deleted Johnson’s photos from her social media accounts. Conjecture quickly spread about the status of their relationship, the gossip manifesting in the worst kind of tabloid speculation. The noise became so loud Johnson had to issue a statement. “Every relationship goes through its ups and downs, but most importantly, we love each other very much and are committed to being a family," Johnson said. "Thank you for your love and support."
Johnson and Gretzky have not been shy about their relationship. They are also not foreign to controversy, which fueled the gossip. But even the most public of figures warrant privacy, and more than a few observers asked, "What does this have to do with golf?"
Of course, all public figures are subjected to a heightened level of scrutiny, and sometimes it serves a real purpose. Good can come of a herd mentality, as witnessed by the movements against harassment and assault. And if Ortiz really was shorted, he likely has a better chance at getting what's his thanks to Gillis.
But the pack can be so consumed by righting a wrong that, at times, it fails to ask where the wrong really lies...or if a wrong has even been had.
On Sunday the Golf Channel made a brief mention of Kuchar's Twitter drama. On social media, some saw it as rubbish, the tour and its partner putting their heads in the sand to a story that had become bigger than the tournament. Conversely, as bad as Kuchar looks at the moment, we still don't have definitive proof that the story is legitimate. A mere one-off by the broadcast would have given Gillis' accusation more merit and steam. Once that train leaves the station, there's no turning around.
So you give Kuchar the benefit of the doubt. Even if that doubt is raised.
These are awkward times, where suspicion and truth are blurred. But it's the new reality.
0 notes
lowvillegolfclub · 6 years
Text
Matt Kuchar, social media, and stories that take on lives of their own
Matt Kuchar leaves Hawaii a winner, but not entirely unscathed.
That’s the prevailing sentiment from a sect of golf observers, the byproduct of an accusation by a former PGA Tour player on Saturday afternoon. The match was lit at 5:08 p.m. ET; by 10, Kuchar, a beloved and venerated personality by American crowds, had come on the business end of a Twitter roasting . . . over how much he paid a fill-in caddie.
Five hours is all it took. Five hours in which Kuchar was on the golf course, oblivious to the drubbing.
“It’s not a story,” Kuchar would eventually say. This statement was aimed at the rumors; time will tell if he’s proven right. Through another prism, Kuchar is already wrong. Because stories like this are a reckoning more and more athletes are forced to confront.
The past decade has shown that realities can come to life through social media. There are arguments for the virtues and vices of digital platforms, but there’s no debate over their capability. Facebook and Twitter have helped overthrow tyrannical regimes, brought improper behavior to light, given the oppressed a voice. Tangible paragons of speaking truth to power.
There’s an upshot, however. The mob mentality often found on Twitter and Facebook can go unchecked, taking on lives of their own. The forums are so emotionally driven that narratives can reach a fever pitch without consideration of context or facts, and the appetite for "owning" someone overtakes the crusade that's supposed to be fought.
For Kuchar, this materialized at the hands of Tom Gillis of the PGA Tour Champions. In a series of tweets, the 50-year-old Gillis claimed that Kuchar had stiffed David “El Tucan” Ortiz—the local caddie Kuchar had on the bag for his victory in Mayakoba—something fierce.
Now, while the list of athletes indiscretions is long, being tightfisted spurs a special kind of fury. Ours is a culture that implores the rich to spread the love; those failing are branded. Michael Jordan, Scottie (“No Tippin”) Pippen, Pete Sampras and, yes, Tiger Woods are some of the alleged stars with alligator arms.
Kuchar's case, however, felt different, for it wasn’t a tip as it was wages owed. The optics alone—a veteran with $46 million in career earnings low-balling a man who makes less than $46,000 a year—were damning. That Gillis’ previous blast of Ben Crane over an unpaid bet to Daniel Berger proved accurate wasn’t helping, nor was Australian pro Cameron Percy’s reply of, “It’s not out of character if true.” Several popular media personalities stoked the fervor with their Kuchar stories. The only notable name to defend Kuch was Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee, and he was promptly “ratioed"—the phantasm to describe the overwhelming amount of negative reaction to a tweet—in kind.
This outcry is predictable, and if Gillis is right, understandable. Save for one problem: neither Kuchar nor Ortiz had publicly spoken on the issue.
Golf Digest’s Brian Wacker was among a handful of journalists to approach Kuchar after the Sony Open’s third round about the Twitter rumors. This occurred around 11 p.m. ET, six hours after Gillis posted his claim. Kuchar was emphatic in denying the allegations (also worth noting when Gillis was asked how he got his information, he was light on specifics).
“That’s not a story. It wasn’t 10 percent, it wasn’t $3,000. It’s not a story,” Kuchar told reporters. Kuchar later approached Wacker in the media center saying, "We had an agreement to start the week. He was excited to go to work that week.” His remarks did nothing to stop the drama.
For what it’s worth, Ortiz told Golf.com after the Mayakoba win he had not received or discussed his pay with Kuchar, only that he was aware of the standard 10 percent. (At the time of writing, Golf Digest's attempts to reach Ortiz through the Mayakoba Resort were unsuccessful). What’s not as clear is Kuchar’s first point: does this constitute a story?
To be clear, scuttlebutt on athletes’ lives on and off the field is nothing new. Drug use, gambling, affairs, sexual orientation; the biggest sports figures have been subjected to it all. What has shifted, though, is where those questions are coming from.
The problem with narratives that emerge on social media is athletes have two options: response or silence. Neither is particularly desired. As Kuchar showed, a response never quiets the whispers, and silence only makes them grow louder.
Kuchar is not alone. Last June, Jimmy Walker self-professed to backstopping, the practice of purposely not marking a golf ball in order to give an opponent a potential advantage. It served as an archetype of the pluses and perils of mob mentality. Good in that it raised a dialogue, receiving the attention and engagement of a marquee name, providing an opportunity for discourse. Bad in that the conversation was less than civil, as Walker—who was forthright and level-headed about the manner—was roasted for admitting to doing something almost everyone does.
“I was just trying to shed some light on how it actually happens out here,” Walker said at the U.S. Open. He was guilty before charges were brought.
Fans aren't the only ones starting a fire. Tour pro Joel Dahmen took to Twitter after the Quicken Loans National to accuse Sung Kang of cheating. In 2017 then-rookie Grayson Murray called out Bryson DeChambeau for an injury withdraw at Riviera. Former major champ Steve Elkington aired some less-than-flattering remarks toward Rory McIlroy, and the Ulsterman did not take the shot lying down. Danny Willett's 2016 Ryder Cup was ruined by online remarks from his brother.
There are nuances to each, but those nuances are often lost in the commotion. A shame, as they contain truths. In defense of Kuchar, Chamblee made a handful of valid points. Alas, judging by the responses, they were points that fell on deaf ears. Chamblee wasn't so much scolded for the contention, but for the sheer audacity to go against the predominant sentiment. To counter, at least on social media, is to quarrel.
The fallout is real. Despite the tour releasing a statement that backed him up, Kang is forever marked as a cheat. The attention sparked by his bout with Elkington caused McIlroy, one of the more cerebral, candid voices in golf, to quit Twitter. "I don't need to read it. It's stuff that shouldn't get to you and sometimes it does," he said.
At least the above examples were related to competition. In the fall, an Instagram user noticed Dustin Johnson’s fiancee Paulina Gretzky had deleted Johnson’s photos from her social media accounts. Conjecture quickly spread about the status of their relationship, the gossip manifesting in the worst kind of tabloid speculation. The noise became so loud Johnson had to issue a statement. “Every relationship goes through its ups and downs, but most importantly, we love each other very much and are committed to being a family," Johnson said. "Thank you for your love and support."
Johnson and Gretzky have not been shy about their relationship. They are also not foreign to controversy, which fueled the gossip. But even the most public of figures warrant privacy, and more than a few observers asked, "What does this have to do with golf?"
Of course, all public figures are subjected to a heightened level of scrutiny, and sometimes it serves a real purpose. Good can come of a herd mentality, as witnessed by the movements against harassment and assault. And if Ortiz really was shorted, he likely has a better chance at getting what's his thanks to Gillis.
But the pack can be so consumed by righting a wrong that, at times, it fails to ask where the wrong really lies...or if a wrong has even been had.
On Sunday the Golf Channel made a brief mention of Kuchar's Twitter drama. On social media, some saw it as rubbish, the tour and its partner putting their heads in the sand to a story that had become bigger than the tournament. Conversely, as bad as Kuchar looks at the moment, we still don't have definitive proof that the story is legitimate. A mere one-off by the broadcast would have given Gillis' accusation more merit and steam. Once that train leaves the station, there's no turning around.
So you give Kuchar the benefit of the doubt. Even if that doubt is raised.
These are awkward times, where suspicion and truth are blurred. But it's the new reality.
0 notes
4seasonscountryclub · 6 years
Text
Matt Kuchar, social media, and stories that take on lives of their own
Matt Kuchar leaves Hawaii a winner, but not entirely unscathed.
That’s the prevailing sentiment from a sect of golf observers, the byproduct of an accusation by a former PGA Tour player on Saturday afternoon. The match was lit at 5:08 p.m. ET; by 10, Kuchar, a beloved and venerated personality by American crowds, had come on the business end of a Twitter roasting . . . over how much he paid a fill-in caddie.
Five hours is all it took. Five hours in which Kuchar was on the golf course, oblivious to the drubbing.
“It’s not a story,” Kuchar would eventually say. This statement was aimed at the rumors; time will tell if he’s proven right. Through another prism, Kuchar is already wrong. Because stories like this are a reckoning more and more athletes are forced to confront.
The past decade has shown that realities can come to life through social media. There are arguments for the virtues and vices of digital platforms, but there’s no debate over their capability. Facebook and Twitter have helped overthrow tyrannical regimes, brought improper behavior to light, given the oppressed a voice. Tangible paragons of speaking truth to power.
There’s an upshot, however. The mob mentality often found on Twitter and Facebook can go unchecked, taking on lives of their own. The forums are so emotionally driven that narratives can reach a fever pitch without consideration of context or facts, and the appetite for "owning" someone overtakes the crusade that's supposed to be fought.
For Kuchar, this materialized at the hands of Tom Gillis of the PGA Tour Champions. In a series of tweets, the 50-year-old Gillis claimed that Kuchar had stiffed David “El Tucan” Ortiz—the local caddie Kuchar had on the bag for his victory in Mayakoba—something fierce.
Now, while the list of athletes indiscretions is long, being tightfisted spurs a special kind of fury. Ours is a culture that implores the rich to spread the love; those failing are branded. Michael Jordan, Scottie (“No Tippin”) Pippen, Pete Sampras and, yes, Tiger Woods are some of the alleged stars with alligator arms.
Kuchar's case, however, felt different, for it wasn’t a tip as it was wages owed. The optics alone—a veteran with $46 million in career earnings low-balling a man who makes less than $46,000 a year—were damning. That Gillis’ previous blast of Ben Crane over an unpaid bet to Daniel Berger proved accurate wasn’t helping, nor was Australian pro Cameron Percy’s reply of, “It’s not out of character if true.” Several popular media personalities stoked the fervor with their Kuchar stories. The only notable name to defend Kuch was Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee, and he was promptly “ratioed"—the phantasm to describe the overwhelming amount of negative reaction to a tweet—in kind.
This outcry is predictable, and if Gillis is right, understandable. Save for one problem: neither Kuchar nor Ortiz had publicly spoken on the issue.
Golf Digest’s Brian Wacker was among a handful of journalists to approach Kuchar after the Sony Open’s third round about the Twitter rumors. This occurred around 11 p.m. ET, six hours after Gillis posted his claim. Kuchar was emphatic in denying the allegations (also worth noting when Gillis was asked how he got his information, he was light on specifics).
“That’s not a story. It wasn’t 10 percent, it wasn’t $3,000. It’s not a story,” Kuchar told reporters. Kuchar later approached Wacker in the media center saying, "We had an agreement to start the week. He was excited to go to work that week.” His remarks did nothing to stop the drama.
For what it’s worth, Ortiz told Golf.com after the Mayakoba win he had not received or discussed his pay with Kuchar, only that he was aware of the standard 10 percent. (At the time of writing, Golf Digest's attempts to reach Ortiz through the Mayakoba Resort were unsuccessful). What’s not as clear is Kuchar’s first point: does this constitute a story?
To be clear, scuttlebutt on athletes’ lives on and off the field is nothing new. Drug use, gambling, affairs, sexual orientation; the biggest sports figures have been subjected to it all. What has shifted, though, is where those questions are coming from.
The problem with narratives that emerge on social media is athletes have two options: response or silence. Neither is particularly desired. As Kuchar showed, a response never quiets the whispers, and silence only makes them grow louder.
Kuchar is not alone. Last June, Jimmy Walker self-professed to backstopping, the practice of purposely not marking a golf ball in order to give an opponent a potential advantage. It served as an archetype of the pluses and perils of mob mentality. Good in that it raised a dialogue, receiving the attention and engagement of a marquee name, providing an opportunity for discourse. Bad in that the conversation was less than civil, as Walker—who was forthright and level-headed about the manner—was roasted for admitting to doing something almost everyone does.
“I was just trying to shed some light on how it actually happens out here,” Walker said at the U.S. Open. He was guilty before charges were brought.
Fans aren't the only ones starting a fire. Tour pro Joel Dahmen took to Twitter after the Quicken Loans National to accuse Sung Kang of cheating. In 2017 then-rookie Grayson Murray called out Bryson DeChambeau for an injury withdraw at Riviera. Former major champ Steve Elkington aired some less-than-flattering remarks toward Rory McIlroy, and the Ulsterman did not take the shot lying down. Danny Willett's 2016 Ryder Cup was ruined by online remarks from his brother.
There are nuances to each, but those nuances are often lost in the commotion. A shame, as they contain truths. In defense of Kuchar, Chamblee made a handful of valid points. Alas, judging by the responses, they were points that fell on deaf ears. Chamblee wasn't so much scolded for the contention, but for the sheer audacity to go against the predominant sentiment. To counter, at least on social media, is to quarrel.
The fallout is real. Despite the tour releasing a statement that backed him up, Kang is forever marked as a cheat. The attention sparked by his bout with Elkington caused McIlroy, one of the more cerebral, candid voices in golf, to quit Twitter. "I don't need to read it. It's stuff that shouldn't get to you and sometimes it does," he said.
At least the above examples were related to competition. In the fall, an Instagram user noticed Dustin Johnson’s fiancee Paulina Gretzky had deleted Johnson’s photos from her social media accounts. Conjecture quickly spread about the status of their relationship, the gossip manifesting in the worst kind of tabloid speculation. The noise became so loud Johnson had to issue a statement. “Every relationship goes through its ups and downs, but most importantly, we love each other very much and are committed to being a family," Johnson said. "Thank you for your love and support."
Johnson and Gretzky have not been shy about their relationship. They are also not foreign to controversy, which fueled the gossip. But even the most public of figures warrant privacy, and more than a few observers asked, "What does this have to do with golf?"
Of course, all public figures are subjected to a heightened level of scrutiny, and sometimes it serves a real purpose. Good can come of a herd mentality, as witnessed by the movements against harassment and assault. And if Ortiz really was shorted, he likely has a better chance at getting what's his thanks to Gillis.
But the pack can be so consumed by righting a wrong that, at times, it fails to ask where the wrong really lies...or if a wrong has even been had.
On Sunday the Golf Channel made a brief mention of Kuchar's Twitter drama. On social media, some saw it as rubbish, the tour and its partner putting their heads in the sand to a story that had become bigger than the tournament. Conversely, as bad as Kuchar looks at the moment, we still don't have definitive proof that the story is legitimate. A mere one-off by the broadcast would have given Gillis' accusation more merit and steam. Once that train leaves the station, there's no turning around.
So you give Kuchar the benefit of the doubt. Even if that doubt is raised.
These are awkward times, where suspicion and truth are blurred. But it's the new reality.
0 notes
elmiragc · 6 years
Text
Matt Kuchar, social media, and stories that take on lives of their own
Matt Kuchar leaves Hawaii a winner, but not entirely unscathed.
That’s the prevailing sentiment from a sect of golf observers, the byproduct of an accusation by a former PGA Tour player on Saturday afternoon. The match was lit at 5:08 p.m. ET; by 10, Kuchar, a beloved and venerated personality by American crowds, had come on the business end of a Twitter roasting . . . over how much he paid a fill-in caddie.
Five hours is all it took. Five hours in which Kuchar was on the golf course, oblivious to the drubbing.
“It’s not a story,” Kuchar would eventually say. This statement was aimed at the rumors; time will tell if he’s proven right. Through another prism, Kuchar is already wrong. Because stories like this are a reckoning more and more athletes are forced to confront.
The past decade has shown that realities can come to life through social media. There are arguments for the virtues and vices of digital platforms, but there’s no debate over their capability. Facebook and Twitter have helped overthrow tyrannical regimes, brought improper behavior to light, given the oppressed a voice. Tangible paragons of speaking truth to power.
There’s an upshot, however. The mob mentality often found on Twitter and Facebook can go unchecked, taking on lives of their own. The forums are so emotionally driven that narratives can reach a fever pitch without consideration of context or facts, and the appetite for "owning" someone overtakes the crusade that's supposed to be fought.
For Kuchar, this materialized at the hands of Tom Gillis of the PGA Tour Champions. In a series of tweets, the 50-year-old Gillis claimed that Kuchar had stiffed David “El Tucan” Ortiz—the local caddie Kuchar had on the bag for his victory in Mayakoba—something fierce.
Now, while the list of athletes indiscretions is long, being tightfisted spurs a special kind of fury. Ours is a culture that implores the rich to spread the love; those failing are branded. Michael Jordan, Scottie (“No Tippin”) Pippen, Pete Sampras and, yes, Tiger Woods are some of the alleged stars with alligator arms.
Kuchar's case, however, felt different, for it wasn’t a tip as it was wages owed. The optics alone—a veteran with $46 million in career earnings low-balling a man who makes less than $46,000 a year—were damning. That Gillis’ previous blast of Ben Crane over an unpaid bet to Daniel Berger proved accurate wasn’t helping, nor was Australian pro Cameron Percy’s reply of, “It’s not out of character if true.” Several popular media personalities stoked the fervor with their Kuchar stories. The only notable name to defend Kuch was Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee, and he was promptly “ratioed"—the phantasm to describe the overwhelming amount of negative reaction to a tweet—in kind.
This outcry is predictable, and if Gillis is right, understandable. Save for one problem: neither Kuchar nor Ortiz had publicly spoken on the issue.
Golf Digest’s Brian Wacker was among a handful of journalists to approach Kuchar after the Sony Open’s third round about the Twitter rumors. This occurred around 11 p.m. ET, six hours after Gillis posted his claim. Kuchar was emphatic in denying the allegations (also worth noting when Gillis was asked how he got his information, he was light on specifics).
“That’s not a story. It wasn’t 10 percent, it wasn’t $3,000. It’s not a story,” Kuchar told reporters. Kuchar later approached Wacker in the media center saying, "We had an agreement to start the week. He was excited to go to work that week.” His remarks did nothing to stop the drama.
For what it’s worth, Ortiz told Golf.com after the Mayakoba win he had not received or discussed his pay with Kuchar, only that he was aware of the standard 10 percent. (At the time of writing, Golf Digest's attempts to reach Ortiz through the Mayakoba Resort were unsuccessful). What’s not as clear is Kuchar’s first point: does this constitute a story?
To be clear, scuttlebutt on athletes’ lives on and off the field is nothing new. Drug use, gambling, affairs, sexual orientation; the biggest sports figures have been subjected to it all. What has shifted, though, is where those questions are coming from.
The problem with narratives that emerge on social media is athletes have two options: response or silence. Neither is particularly desired. As Kuchar showed, a response never quiets the whispers, and silence only makes them grow louder.
Kuchar is not alone. Last June, Jimmy Walker self-professed to backstopping, the practice of purposely not marking a golf ball in order to give an opponent a potential advantage. It served as an archetype of the pluses and perils of mob mentality. Good in that it raised a dialogue, receiving the attention and engagement of a marquee name, providing an opportunity for discourse. Bad in that the conversation was less than civil, as Walker—who was forthright and level-headed about the manner—was roasted for admitting to doing something almost everyone does.
“I was just trying to shed some light on how it actually happens out here,” Walker said at the U.S. Open. He was guilty before charges were brought.
Fans aren't the only ones starting a fire. Tour pro Joel Dahmen took to Twitter after the Quicken Loans National to accuse Sung Kang of cheating. In 2017 then-rookie Grayson Murray called out Bryson DeChambeau for an injury withdraw at Riviera. Former major champ Steve Elkington aired some less-than-flattering remarks toward Rory McIlroy, and the Ulsterman did not take the shot lying down. Danny Willett's 2016 Ryder Cup was ruined by online remarks from his brother.
There are nuances to each, but those nuances are often lost in the commotion. A shame, as they contain truths. In defense of Kuchar, Chamblee made a handful of valid points. Alas, judging by the responses, they were points that fell on deaf ears. Chamblee wasn't so much scolded for the contention, but for the sheer audacity to go against the predominant sentiment. To counter, at least on social media, is to quarrel.
The fallout is real. Despite the tour releasing a statement that backed him up, Kang is forever marked as a cheat. The attention sparked by his bout with Elkington caused McIlroy, one of the more cerebral, candid voices in golf, to quit Twitter. "I don't need to read it. It's stuff that shouldn't get to you and sometimes it does," he said.
At least the above examples were related to competition. In the fall, an Instagram user noticed Dustin Johnson’s fiancee Paulina Gretzky had deleted Johnson’s photos from her social media accounts. Conjecture quickly spread about the status of their relationship, the gossip manifesting in the worst kind of tabloid speculation. The noise became so loud Johnson had to issue a statement. “Every relationship goes through its ups and downs, but most importantly, we love each other very much and are committed to being a family," Johnson said. "Thank you for your love and support."
Johnson and Gretzky have not been shy about their relationship. They are also not foreign to controversy, which fueled the gossip. But even the most public of figures warrant privacy, and more than a few observers asked, "What does this have to do with golf?"
Of course, all public figures are subjected to a heightened level of scrutiny, and sometimes it serves a real purpose. Good can come of a herd mentality, as witnessed by the movements against harassment and assault. And if Ortiz really was shorted, he likely has a better chance at getting what's his thanks to Gillis.
But the pack can be so consumed by righting a wrong that, at times, it fails to ask where the wrong really lies...or if a wrong has even been had.
On Sunday the Golf Channel made a brief mention of Kuchar's Twitter drama. On social media, some saw it as rubbish, the tour and its partner putting their heads in the sand to a story that had become bigger than the tournament. Conversely, as bad as Kuchar looks at the moment, we still don't have definitive proof that the story is legitimate. A mere one-off by the broadcast would have given Gillis' accusation more merit and steam. Once that train leaves the station, there's no turning around.
So you give Kuchar the benefit of the doubt. Even if that doubt is raised.
These are awkward times, where suspicion and truth are blurred. But it's the new reality.
0 notes
hamiltongolfcourses · 6 years
Text
Matt Kuchar, social media, and stories that take on lives of their own
Matt Kuchar leaves Hawaii a winner, but not entirely unscathed.
That’s the prevailing sentiment from a sect of golf observers, the byproduct of an accusation by a former PGA Tour player on Saturday afternoon. The match was lit at 5:08 p.m. ET; by 10, Kuchar, a beloved and venerated personality by American crowds, had come on the business end of a Twitter roasting . . . over how much he paid a fill-in caddie.
Five hours is all it took. Five hours in which Kuchar was on the golf course, oblivious to the drubbing.
“It’s not a story,” Kuchar would eventually say. This statement was aimed at the rumors; time will tell if he’s proven right. Through another prism, Kuchar is already wrong. Because stories like this are a reckoning more and more athletes are forced to confront.
The past decade has shown that realities can come to life through social media. There are arguments for the virtues and vices of digital platforms, but there’s no debate over their capability. Facebook and Twitter have helped overthrow tyrannical regimes, brought improper behavior to light, given the oppressed a voice. Tangible paragons of speaking truth to power.
There’s an upshot, however. The mob mentality often found on Twitter and Facebook can go unchecked, taking on lives of their own. The forums are so emotionally driven that narratives can reach a fever pitch without consideration of context or facts, and the appetite for "owning" someone overtakes the crusade that's supposed to be fought.
For Kuchar, this materialized at the hands of Tom Gillis of the PGA Tour Champions. In a series of tweets, the 50-year-old Gillis claimed that Kuchar had stiffed David “El Tucan” Ortiz—the local caddie Kuchar had on the bag for his victory in Mayakoba—something fierce.
Now, while the list of athletes indiscretions is long, being tightfisted spurs a special kind of fury. Ours is a culture that implores the rich to spread the love; those failing are branded. Michael Jordan, Scottie (“No Tippin”) Pippen, Pete Sampras and, yes, Tiger Woods are some of the alleged stars with alligator arms.
Kuchar's case, however, felt different, for it wasn’t a tip as it was wages owed. The optics alone—a veteran with $46 million in career earnings low-balling a man who makes less than $46,000 a year—were damning. That Gillis’ previous blast of Ben Crane over an unpaid bet to Daniel Berger proved accurate wasn’t helping, nor was Australian pro Cameron Percy’s reply of, “It’s not out of character if true.” Several popular media personalities stoked the fervor with their Kuchar stories. The only notable name to defend Kuch was Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee, and he was promptly “ratioed"—the phantasm to describe the overwhelming amount of negative reaction to a tweet—in kind.
This outcry is predictable, and if Gillis is right, understandable. Save for one problem: neither Kuchar nor Ortiz had publicly spoken on the issue.
Golf Digest’s Brian Wacker was among a handful of journalists to approach Kuchar after the Sony Open’s third round about the Twitter rumors. This occurred around 11 p.m. ET, six hours after Gillis posted his claim. Kuchar was emphatic in denying the allegations (also worth noting when Gillis was asked how he got his information, he was light on specifics).
“That’s not a story. It wasn’t 10 percent, it wasn’t $3,000. It’s not a story,” Kuchar told reporters. Kuchar later approached Wacker in the media center saying, "We had an agreement to start the week. He was excited to go to work that week.” His remarks did nothing to stop the drama.
For what it’s worth, Ortiz told Golf.com after the Mayakoba win he had not received or discussed his pay with Kuchar, only that he was aware of the standard 10 percent. (At the time of writing, Golf Digest's attempts to reach Ortiz through the Mayakoba Resort were unsuccessful). What’s not as clear is Kuchar’s first point: does this constitute a story?
To be clear, scuttlebutt on athletes’ lives on and off the field is nothing new. Drug use, gambling, affairs, sexual orientation; the biggest sports figures have been subjected to it all. What has shifted, though, is where those questions are coming from.
The problem with narratives that emerge on social media is athletes have two options: response or silence. Neither is particularly desired. As Kuchar showed, a response never quiets the whispers, and silence only makes them grow louder.
Kuchar is not alone. Last June, Jimmy Walker self-professed to backstopping, the practice of purposely not marking a golf ball in order to give an opponent a potential advantage. It served as an archetype of the pluses and perils of mob mentality. Good in that it raised a dialogue, receiving the attention and engagement of a marquee name, providing an opportunity for discourse. Bad in that the conversation was less than civil, as Walker—who was forthright and level-headed about the manner—was roasted for admitting to doing something almost everyone does.
“I was just trying to shed some light on how it actually happens out here,” Walker said at the U.S. Open. He was guilty before charges were brought.
Fans aren't the only ones starting a fire. Tour pro Joel Dahmen took to Twitter after the Quicken Loans National to accuse Sung Kang of cheating. In 2017 then-rookie Grayson Murray called out Bryson DeChambeau for an injury withdraw at Riviera. Former major champ Steve Elkington aired some less-than-flattering remarks toward Rory McIlroy, and the Ulsterman did not take the shot lying down. Danny Willett's 2016 Ryder Cup was ruined by online remarks from his brother.
There are nuances to each, but those nuances are often lost in the commotion. A shame, as they contain truths. In defense of Kuchar, Chamblee made a handful of valid points. Alas, judging by the responses, they were points that fell on deaf ears. Chamblee wasn't so much scolded for the contention, but for the sheer audacity to go against the predominant sentiment. To counter, at least on social media, is to quarrel.
The fallout is real. Despite the tour releasing a statement that backed him up, Kang is forever marked as a cheat. The attention sparked by his bout with Elkington caused McIlroy, one of the more cerebral, candid voices in golf, to quit Twitter. "I don't need to read it. It's stuff that shouldn't get to you and sometimes it does," he said.
At least the above examples were related to competition. In the fall, an Instagram user noticed Dustin Johnson’s fiancee Paulina Gretzky had deleted Johnson’s photos from her social media accounts. Conjecture quickly spread about the status of their relationship, the gossip manifesting in the worst kind of tabloid speculation. The noise became so loud Johnson had to issue a statement. “Every relationship goes through its ups and downs, but most importantly, we love each other very much and are committed to being a family," Johnson said. "Thank you for your love and support."
Johnson and Gretzky have not been shy about their relationship. They are also not foreign to controversy, which fueled the gossip. But even the most public of figures warrant privacy, and more than a few observers asked, "What does this have to do with golf?"
Of course, all public figures are subjected to a heightened level of scrutiny, and sometimes it serves a real purpose. Good can come of a herd mentality, as witnessed by the movements against harassment and assault. And if Ortiz really was shorted, he likely has a better chance at getting what's his thanks to Gillis.
But the pack can be so consumed by righting a wrong that, at times, it fails to ask where the wrong really lies...or if a wrong has even been had.
On Sunday the Golf Channel made a brief mention of Kuchar's Twitter drama. On social media, some saw it as rubbish, the tour and its partner putting their heads in the sand to a story that had become bigger than the tournament. Conversely, as bad as Kuchar looks at the moment, we still don't have definitive proof that the story is legitimate. A mere one-off by the broadcast would have given Gillis' accusation more merit and steam. Once that train leaves the station, there's no turning around.
So you give Kuchar the benefit of the doubt. Even if that doubt is raised.
These are awkward times, where suspicion and truth are blurred. But it's the new reality.
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Matt Kuchar, social media, and stories that take on lives of their own
Matt Kuchar leaves Hawaii a winner, but not entirely unscathed.
That’s the prevailing sentiment from a sect of golf observers, the byproduct of an accusation by a former PGA Tour player on Saturday afternoon. The match was lit at 5:08 p.m. ET; by 10, Kuchar, a beloved and venerated personality by American crowds, had come on the business end of a Twitter roasting . . . over how much he paid a fill-in caddie.
Five hours is all it took. Five hours in which Kuchar was on the golf course, oblivious to the drubbing.
“It’s not a story,” Kuchar would eventually say. This statement was aimed at the rumors; time will tell if he’s proven right. Through another prism, Kuchar is already wrong. Because stories like this are a reckoning more and more athletes are forced to confront.
The past decade has shown that realities can come to life through social media. There are arguments for the virtues and vices of digital platforms, but there’s no debate over their capability. Facebook and Twitter have helped overthrow tyrannical regimes, brought improper behavior to light, given the oppressed a voice. Tangible paragons of speaking truth to power.
There’s an upshot, however. The mob mentality often found on Twitter and Facebook can go unchecked, taking on lives of their own. The forums are so emotionally driven that narratives can reach a fever pitch without consideration of context or facts, and the appetite for "owning" someone overtakes the crusade that's supposed to be fought.
For Kuchar, this materialized at the hands of Tom Gillis of the PGA Tour Champions. In a series of tweets, the 50-year-old Gillis claimed that Kuchar had stiffed David “El Tucan” Ortiz—the local caddie Kuchar had on the bag for his victory in Mayakoba—something fierce.
Now, while the list of athletes indiscretions is long, being tightfisted spurs a special kind of fury. Ours is a culture that implores the rich to spread the love; those failing are branded. Michael Jordan, Scottie (“No Tippin”) Pippen, Pete Sampras and, yes, Tiger Woods are some of the alleged stars with alligator arms.
Kuchar's case, however, felt different, for it wasn’t a tip as it was wages owed. The optics alone—a veteran with $46 million in career earnings low-balling a man who makes less than $46,000 a year—were damning. That Gillis’ previous blast of Ben Crane over an unpaid bet to Daniel Berger proved accurate wasn’t helping, nor was Australian pro Cameron Percy’s reply of, “It’s not out of character if true.” Several popular media personalities stoked the fervor with their Kuchar stories. The only notable name to defend Kuch was Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee, and he was promptly “ratioed"—the phantasm to describe the overwhelming amount of negative reaction to a tweet—in kind.
This outcry is predictable, and if Gillis is right, understandable. Save for one problem: neither Kuchar nor Ortiz had publicly spoken on the issue.
Golf Digest’s Brian Wacker was among a handful of journalists to approach Kuchar after the Sony Open’s third round about the Twitter rumors. This occurred around 11 p.m. ET, six hours after Gillis posted his claim. Kuchar was emphatic in denying the allegations (also worth noting when Gillis was asked how he got his information, he was light on specifics).
“That’s not a story. It wasn’t 10 percent, it wasn’t $3,000. It’s not a story,” Kuchar told reporters. Kuchar later approached Wacker in the media center saying, "We had an agreement to start the week. He was excited to go to work that week.” His remarks did nothing to stop the drama.
For what it’s worth, Ortiz told Golf.com after the Mayakoba win he had not received or discussed his pay with Kuchar, only that he was aware of the standard 10 percent. (At the time of writing, Golf Digest's attempts to reach Ortiz through the Mayakoba Resort were unsuccessful). What’s not as clear is Kuchar’s first point: does this constitute a story?
To be clear, scuttlebutt on athletes’ lives on and off the field is nothing new. Drug use, gambling, affairs, sexual orientation; the biggest sports figures have been subjected to it all. What has shifted, though, is where those questions are coming from.
The problem with narratives that emerge on social media is athletes have two options: response or silence. Neither is particularly desired. As Kuchar showed, a response never quiets the whispers, and silence only makes them grow louder.
Kuchar is not alone. Last June, Jimmy Walker self-professed to backstopping, the practice of purposely not marking a golf ball in order to give an opponent a potential advantage. It served as an archetype of the pluses and perils of mob mentality. Good in that it raised a dialogue, receiving the attention and engagement of a marquee name, providing an opportunity for discourse. Bad in that the conversation was less than civil, as Walker—who was forthright and level-headed about the manner—was roasted for admitting to doing something almost everyone does.
“I was just trying to shed some light on how it actually happens out here,” Walker said at the U.S. Open. He was guilty before charges were brought.
Fans aren't the only ones starting a fire. Tour pro Joel Dahmen took to Twitter after the Quicken Loans National to accuse Sung Kang of cheating. In 2017 then-rookie Grayson Murray called out Bryson DeChambeau for an injury withdraw at Riviera. Former major champ Steve Elkington aired some less-than-flattering remarks toward Rory McIlroy, and the Ulsterman did not take the shot lying down. Danny Willett's 2016 Ryder Cup was ruined by online remarks from his brother.
There are nuances to each, but those nuances are often lost in the commotion. A shame, as they contain truths. In defense of Kuchar, Chamblee made a handful of valid points. Alas, judging by the responses, they were points that fell on deaf ears. Chamblee wasn't so much scolded for the contention, but for the sheer audacity to go against the predominant sentiment. To counter, at least on social media, is to quarrel.
The fallout is real. Despite the tour releasing a statement that backed him up, Kang is forever marked as a cheat. The attention sparked by his bout with Elkington caused McIlroy, one of the more cerebral, candid voices in golf, to quit Twitter. "I don't need to read it. It's stuff that shouldn't get to you and sometimes it does," he said.
At least the above examples were related to competition. In the fall, an Instagram user noticed Dustin Johnson’s fiancee Paulina Gretzky had deleted Johnson’s photos from her social media accounts. Conjecture quickly spread about the status of their relationship, the gossip manifesting in the worst kind of tabloid speculation. The noise became so loud Johnson had to issue a statement. “Every relationship goes through its ups and downs, but most importantly, we love each other very much and are committed to being a family," Johnson said. "Thank you for your love and support."
Johnson and Gretzky have not been shy about their relationship. They are also not foreign to controversy, which fueled the gossip. But even the most public of figures warrant privacy, and more than a few observers asked, "What does this have to do with golf?"
Of course, all public figures are subjected to a heightened level of scrutiny, and sometimes it serves a real purpose. Good can come of a herd mentality, as witnessed by the movements against harassment and assault. And if Ortiz really was shorted, he likely has a better chance at getting what's his thanks to Gillis.
But the pack can be so consumed by righting a wrong that, at times, it fails to ask where the wrong really lies...or if a wrong has even been had.
On Sunday the Golf Channel made a brief mention of Kuchar's Twitter drama. On social media, some saw it as rubbish, the tour and its partner putting their heads in the sand to a story that had become bigger than the tournament. Conversely, as bad as Kuchar looks at the moment, we still don't have definitive proof that the story is legitimate. A mere one-off by the broadcast would have given Gillis' accusation more merit and steam. Once that train leaves the station, there's no turning around.
So you give Kuchar the benefit of the doubt. Even if that doubt is raised.
These are awkward times, where suspicion and truth are blurred. But it's the new reality.
from synergygolfsolutions http://bit.ly/2RRH4GD via IFTTT
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