SCOTUSblog is a private blog, sponsored by Bloomberg Law, that’s “devoted to comprehensively covering the U.S. Supreme Court without bias and according to the highest journalistic and legal ethical standards.” It’s one of the most-respected sources for Supreme Court coverage and analysis. It has its own Twitter account.
The Supreme Court, yesterday, made a controversial 5-4 ruling in a case known to many as the ‘Hobby Lobby’ case. Using 1993’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act, the majority decided that closely held corporations aren’t required to provide contraceptive coverage for employees. Unsurprisingly, this pissed a lot of people off. The Supreme Court does not operate a Twitter account (because that would be ridiculous).
I can see some of you are ahead of me.
Angry folks took to Twitter to vent, thinking they were blasting The Supreme Court’s official Twitter account – @SCOTUSblog.
They weren’t, of course. But that didn’t stop SCOTUSblog from having a lot of fun. They spent hours responding to dozens upon dozens of misdirected hostilities.
It won’t be televised here MT @cjnkira: @SCOTUSblog you ruled against the working people, especially women, today. Revolution is coming.
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 30, 2014
We thought blogging seemed very 21st century. MT @Iiuslep: @SCOTUSblog want to obliterate any progressive acheivement of 20th century.
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 30, 2014
Least we could do. MT @HeathNOLA: @SCOTUSblog oh they can still get coverage? How generous of you.
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 30, 2014
Sticks and stones RT @Im_X1: @SCOTUSblog You disgust me. The very antithesis of all the United States stands for. You all should be ashamed.
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 30, 2014
But you complete us. MT @stevenwishnoff: @SCOTUSblog You disgust me.
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 30, 2014
Ah, a call to action:
You are not the 1st & won’t be the last @JayRooTheDee: everyone should tweet @SCOTUSblog and tell them what we think of their misogyny.
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 30, 2014
We were going for Pandora’s Box. MT @cericme: @SCOTUSblog Congratulations on opening a HUGE can of worms and abused.
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 30, 2014
Lost our copy, apologies. MT @opinali: @SCOTUSblog today you have f@cked up real hard. Go read the f@cking First Amendment again, OK?
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 30, 2014
You want @drfreudblog RT @flowercamille: @SCOTUSblog it’s a shame that your mothers didn’t use birth control to prevent you and your idiocy
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 30, 2014
And then things hit a whole other level when people started catching on to what @SCOTUSblog was doing.
Drops mic. RT @sayyeslena: Have y’all seen what @SCOTUSblog is tweeting? #MyGovernmentIsBeingPassiveAggressive #Awkward
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 30, 2014
You have no idea MT @ZwielichtFunkel: I’d have thought that @SCOTUSblog is a parody account. Is douchebaggery by government accounts normal?
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 30, 2014
(warmer) RT @ktcapes: How is @SCOTUSblog a verified account? There’s no way actual SCOTUS administrative staff are writing these tweets. Lol
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 30, 2014
And finally…
And… scene. Goodnight MT @seanmcdh: was the @SCOTUSblog account hijacked by an angry 14 year old male? wow! So much for ”…by the people.“
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) July 1, 2014
Just FYI, the Twitter bio for @SCOTUSblog reads “A private blog about the Supreme Court of the U.S.”