The Bill Cosby #CosbyMeme Hashtag Backfired Immediately
Like, immediately. And it’s now been taken down — updated!
1. On Monday, Bill Cosby — or more likely one of his representatives — posted a tweet asking fans to meme him. The link led to a meme generator on billcosby.com.
2. Right away, Twitter users began subverting the meme generator to comment on the 2006 rape allegations against Cosby. (He has never been charged with sexual assault.)
3. The accusations have re-emerged in the past year after NBC announced it was developing a sitcom with him, a recent biography of Cosby opted not to report on the allegations, and Hannibal Buress called Cosby a “rapist” during his comedy act.
4. Cosby’s publicist did not respond to a request for a comment from BuzzFeed News.
update
Monday night, the meme generator was removed from Cosby’s website, and his tweet soliciting the fan interactivity disappeared. Cosby’s publicist did not respond to another request to comment.
6. Here are a few of Twitter’s offerings that illustrate the PR disaster.
How's this, did I do this right? RT @BillCosby: Go ahead. Meme me! #CosbyMeme
— Jason Steele (@FilmCow)
AYO BILL RT @BillCosby: Go ahead. Meme me! http://t.co/TzrXGcQ6Zf #CosbyMeme
— Lonely Kukoč (@HitDaBoogieZ)
Ohhh...#Cosbymeme is all "we'll email you when it's approved" ..they ain't stupid..but screenshots
— Yesha Callahan (@YeshaCallahan)
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