BBC Sherlock Fan Forum - Serving Sherlockians since February 2012 » Think before tweeting, or Amanda Abbington on Twitter

SusiGo · June 30, 2014 3:16 pm

Sorry, but I really have to get this off my chest. I know (from my own father) that old people are sometimes not safe drivers anymore and cause accidents (as do younger drivers as well). And it might be not a bad idea to introduce regular medical check-ups.

But this tweet by Amanda me me really angry. She should think before she posts something like that, especially as she is famous and many people read her opinions. It is inhuman.

"I'm in no way ageist but the cadaver who nearly killed me in her car just now probably shouldn't be driving anymore"
amanda abbington @CHIMPSINSOCKS 5 days ago

Last edited by SusiGo (June 30, 2014 3:19 pm)

Tinks · June 30, 2014 3:29 pm

I do think some of her tweets are misjudged, tbh, and I find it a bit worrying sometimes, because she clearly has several very young, very impressionable fans amongst her followers, judging my some of the tweets she gets, and as she's a Mum herself, I do wish she'd think before tweeting sometimes.

Having said that, she's human, and I suppose we can all do or say things that are misguided at times.

tonnaree · June 30, 2014 4:09 pm

That's why I tend to avoid Twitter mostly. I think of all the various social media sites it lends it's self most easily to rash posts. JMHO

SolarSystem · June 30, 2014 4:33 pm

tonnaree, I agree. But we are talking about a grown-up woman here, and whether she is a celebrity or not: she should be able to think before she posts. Whatever happened there, a little bit of respect certainly isn't too much to ask...? There are other ways and words to express that she's pissed.

Harriet · June 30, 2014 5:49 pm

Apparently, she is a bit prone to thoughtlessness but sometimes willing to reconsider:

"Apologising to all those who were offended by the faux X-ray of the obese man. As you can see, I've taken it down."
From today https://twitter.com/CHIMPSINSOCKS/status/483559046566670336

The reactions of some of her followers are maybe more troubling

Last edited by Harriet (June 30, 2014 5:50 pm)

besleybean · June 30, 2014 5:54 pm

I think Amanda's like most of our celebrities: a bit of a curate's egg!
Her tweet that really got me( and I wish I'd been quicker in thinking of the snappy reply I never sent!)was one which read something like: Just had great sex with Martin.
Now I don't know whether she was trying(and failing) to be funny...
But boy I wanted to reply: I rather hope the last 2 words in that sentence are unnecessary, though actually, the whole of your tweet was completely unnecessary.

Last edited by besleybean (June 30, 2014 5:59 pm)

Harriet · June 30, 2014 5:58 pm

Good reply!

SusiGo · June 30, 2014 6:00 pm

Yep, I agree.

Pocketsizedwolf · June 30, 2014 6:05 pm

Ok first of all, Amanda has no problem with old people at all but the woman literally nearly killed her.

And secondly, the "I've just had great sex with Martin" tweet was tweeted by a spam account dressed up to look like Amanda's, using a lower case L instead of an I in CHIMPSINSOCKS.

SusiGo · June 30, 2014 6:08 pm

And yet I think it offensive to call an old person a "cadaver".

besleybean · June 30, 2014 6:24 pm

Oh Pocketsizedwolf thank you so much for that.
I had missed that explanation at the time and I am so glad it wasn't a genuine tweet.
Amanda really did go down(ha!) in my estimation after it...
Though I guess that was nothing compared to the tax debacle.
Anyhow...
Oh and I do wish people wouldn't ape celebs account names...I did have words with one lovely young fan girl about that( and I won't name and shame!)...sure enough she eventually had to change the account name as another celeb actually mistook her for the real celeb.

Last edited by besleybean (June 30, 2014 6:25 pm)

Harriet · June 30, 2014 6:32 pm

SusiGo wrote:
And yet I think it offensive to call an old person a "cadaver".

Well, she will be called a "cadaver" soon enough by rude younger women and men, regarding her own age

besleybean · June 30, 2014 6:35 pm

Remember I was told on my last forum(after I suggested it) that Amanda was too old to play Mary and that Steven would want some young dolly bird.

Harriet · June 30, 2014 6:38 pm

And this is the kind of fans she encourages unwillingly.

However, I would prefer Dawn French to make fat jokes and Maggie Smith to call old people cadavers

besleybean · June 30, 2014 6:39 pm

Well said!

Tinks · June 30, 2014 6:41 pm

Pocketsizedwolf wrote:
Ok first of all, Amanda has no problem with old people at all but the woman literally nearly killed her.
.

I'm glad she's ok.
But it doesn't excuse her using the dreadful term "cadaver" to describe the person.
Sorry, but it's not acceptable and maybe she should have taken time to calm down before taking to twitter - text a friend to let off steam privately, instead?

Pocketsizedwolf · July 1, 2014 3:10 am

Harriet wrote:
And this is the kind of fans she encourages unwillingly.

Not being rude or wanting to start some kind of ridiculous fight but did you mean me? I wouldn't really call myself a fan any more, I'm a friend of hers. The woman almost killed her car, so I assume any insensitive language was the result of shock and anger.

Last edited by Pocketsizedwolf (July 1, 2014 10:19 pm)

Pocketsizedwolf · July 1, 2014 3:12 am

Tinks wrote:

I'm glad she's ok.
But it doesn't excuse her using the dreadful term "cadaver" to describe the person.
Sorry, but it's not acceptable and maybe she should have taken time to calm down before taking to twitter - text a friend to let off steam privately, instead?

The issue with language is that it's expressive. And people find different things offensive, but as a great man once said, just because you're offended, doesn't make you right. I'm sure people would have been just as offended if she'd said the c word, or any number of other words.

Tinks · July 1, 2014 4:34 am

Sorry,Pocketsizedwolf, but how can calling an elderly person a cadaver, possibly be right?

And, purely because you mentioned it, I do find the c word extremely offensive, and I have seen Amanda use that on Twitter, too.

As I said, since she clearly has a lot of very young followers, I feel she should think before she tweets sometimes.

SolarSystem · July 1, 2014 4:47 am

Actually, I think just because you are a public person doesn't mean that you should censor yourself all the time only because of what young fans might make of it. Amanda is not responsible for the fans and their reactions. Like everybody else she should have the right to say and write whatever she wants to say and write.
That being said, she then also has to live with negative reactions. And I'm sure she is able to live with that and not in need of a friend to register on the BBC Sherlock Fan Forum to defend her. I actually think that's a bit ridiculous, but that's probably just me. And of course there's the freedom of speech and all that.

Last edited by SolarSystem (July 1, 2014 4:48 am)