Elon Musk's $8 Twitter blue tick policy: KRK asks for $1, caste reservations, the craziest reactions

Ever since new Twitter CEO and owner Elon Musk announced his $8/month model for attaining a blue tick on Twitter, the existing verified (and unverified) accounts have gone abuzz with their own hot takes on the issue. Stephen King's spat with Musk has only fuelled the fire further, with people even replying to their thread with their own ideas of privacy concerns, social media democracy, and even a reservation-based demand. (And why not, after all, Elon Musk is the new Twitter Complaint Hotline Operator.)

As seen in King's case, Musk himself comments and stands firm with his $8 demand like a shopkeeper who is in no mood to bargain. 

1. Garfield gets a discount!

Before we get to the actual reactions, there is a trending meme that seems to be too important to be ignored as even the comic strip cat Garfield seems to have joined the debate. 

With Musk’s reply to Stephen King slightly altered, the meme reads on Musk’s behalf,

Garfield’s official Twitter account has uploaded nothing of this sort but if it does, Musk’s reply might most probably be the same. 

2. Even KRK weighs in!

Bigg Boss contestant, self-styled movie critic, part-time actor and full-time controversy king Kamaal Rashid Khan AKA KRK has an opinion on anything and everything. That’s why he continues to be trolled, sometimes even when he doesn’t open his mouth (a once-in-a-blue-moon phenomenon).

Given that it was Shah Rukh Khan’s birthday yesterday, a random Indian account tagged KRK in a tweet, throwing a mother-related profanity followed by “Wish SRK.”

Expecting Twitter God Musk to hear his prayers, KRK just shared the tweet followed by his own thoughts:

If Musk replies to the “2 rupees person” and bargains for a price higher than $1, Indians will get their meme fodder!

3. Even millionaires need to save up. 

As his bio reads, Petlin is the “Superintendent of the Kiryas Joel School District” (you can figure out whatever that is). Naturally, many observers (including Musk supporters) went on to allege King to being “stingy” which made the best-selling author remark: 

And then in truly English author-like manner, King went on to tweet an allegory from Mark Twain’s Tom Sawyer. 

4. Musk ends a digital “apartheid” 

Even though journalist and writer Dilip Mandal has a blue tick account with more than 400k followers, he has referred to the Twitter’s blue tick approach as a means of exclusivity through which a “feudal social elite” and even “an apartheid” have been created. Even before Musk’s announcement, Mandal took to his Twitter handle to offer his two cents on October 28: 

However, he has surprisingly welcomed the $8 system going as much as to thank Musk and even write (translated from Hindi to English): 

5. Reservations in blue ticks

Before Musk came up with the $8 model, the aforementioned Mandal had even suggested a $20 model!

At the same time, this rationale might obviously still be exclusive given that shelling out $8 wouldn’t be that easy (or $20 as suggested here) for all. Anyway, a Twitter profile simply named “Make Better India” went further to add how the Indian reservation policy can be added in this context too:

6. The fear of impersonation

Alejandra Caraballo, a cyber law expert working with Harvard Law Cyberlaw Clinic, brings out a common concern about Twitter users.

The fact that anyone can buy their way into getting a blue tick would come with their own security issues. How would Twitter verify the status of the account (if it is an impersonator or a bot), Musk needs to shed more light on this. 

For instance, Randi Mayem Singer, the screenwriter of Mrs Doubtfire (yes the movie that inspired Chachi 420) replied to Stephen King’s thread:

7- AOC calls out Musk’s “free speech”. Musk still bargains.

American Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez AKA AOC, an active critic of Musk, too weighed in on the recent developments: 

Now, How did Musk reply to AOC?

8. You’ve heard Musk. Now hear his brain. 

While Musk will continue his bizarre Twitter announcements, the parody account “Elon Musk’s inner monologue” (it is exactly what you think it is) has been offering its own rants, speaking from the perspective of the man himself.

At 59k followers, Elon Musk’s Inner Monologue (@HanaMichels) is also a verified account!

Read on more recent developments in Musk's reign as Twitter's head honcho: 

-7 days, 7 Twitter earthquakes: CEO Elon Musk's first week in office

-Elon Musk wants you to pay Rs 650 a month for Twitter blue tick, but what does it come with?