'lobal worming'
Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Brain Worms, And More Of This Week's 'One Main Character'
Every day, somebody says or does something that earns them the scorn of the internet. Here at Digg, as part of our mission to curate what the internet is talking about right now, we rounded up the main characters on X from this past week and held them accountable for their actions.
Each day on twitter there is one main character. The goal is to never be it
— maple cocaine (@maplecocaine) January 3, 2019
This week, we've got a stupid take on women's basketball teams, Kathy Hochul saying Black kids in the Bronx don't know what "computer" means and reactions to RFK Jr.'s brain worm diagnosis.
Wednesday
Ethan Strauss and Bill Simmons
The character: Ethan Strauss and Bill Simmons, podcasters, NBA fans, WNBA n00bs
The plot: Podcast king and frequent foot-into-mouth inserter Bill Simmons had NBA writer Ethan Strauss on his podcast this week to talk about sports. The WNBA came up as a topic, and the two ended up agreeing on a very hot take, that WNBA teams should not have their own unique names.
Ethan Strauss thinks WNBA teams should be called like the “W Pacers” bc it’s too hard to learn the name Fever and Bill agrees pic.twitter.com/gIg8OdI6MO
— Paternity Riley (@lesterfreamon) May 8, 2024
The repercussion: Not only is this a terrible idea, it's disrespectful and insulting. People did not like this section of the podcast, so folks went digging into the previous comments Simmons had made about the WNBA — and, yeah, looks like he doesn't really have a great track record about the sport.
So tonight, it’s the Gentlemen Liberty against the Gentlemen Fever in the MNBA Playoffs.
— 𝐑𝐞𝐲-𝐑𝐞𝐲 (@TheNoLookPass) May 8, 2024
Here's an easy solution for Bill Simmons and Ethan Strauss, have a Ringer intern laminate the list of WNBA franchises for easy reference.😂😂😂 FOH with the W Pacers. pic.twitter.com/sboztUkRH4
— Midtown Mike (@MidtownMike22) May 9, 2024
I'd rather not take suggestions from the guy who spent the last 25 years making WNBA jokes in his columns and podcasts
— Sue Basile (@SueBasile) May 8, 2024
You read the worst, most misogynistic, takes on twitter and wonder why men so openly and brazenly hate the WNBA .
— i. adan (@Imman_Adan) May 9, 2024
And then you remember Bill Simmons got himself to the biggest platform saying exactly what they’re saying now, 20 years ago. https://t.co/GunOpaFR8E
In a just world Bill Simmons would never be allowed to write or podcast or even publicly speak about women’s sports ever again. https://t.co/FzU19GVWFw
— sarah kelly (@thesarahkelly) May 8, 2024
Jared Russo
Monday
Kathy Hochul
The character: Kathy Hochul, NY governor, person with their foot in their mouth, AI shiller
The plot: On Monday, May 6, New York Governor Kathy Hochul appeared at California's Milken Institute Global Conference to show off her new consortium Empire AI, which will create an artificial intelligence computing center in upstate New York.
Her exciting new project was, however, overshadowed by Hochul claiming that there are "young Black kids growing up in the Bronx who don't even know what the word 'computer' is."
The sitting Governor of NY says “young black kids…in the Bronx don’t even know what the word ‘computer’ is”
— Phil Holloway ✈️ (@PhilHollowayEsq) May 7, 2024
How do these people get away with saying such things?
pic.twitter.com/SAsgeVMeXH
The repercussion: Hochul has since apologized for the deeply foolish comment, saying "I misspoke and I regret it" — but people were justifiably shocked and offended by her words.
New York liberals talk about black communities like missionaries…Bronx literally has tech & coding programs https://t.co/m7OqSWbWbI
— Antoine Hardy (@Slangdini) May 7, 2024
Does she realize that most of the black kids in the Bronx can work computers better than her whole staff? I'm very disappointed in this
— Bella Cobb (@BellaCobb68) May 7, 2024
I really want people to stop treating the Bronx like this. ALL the kids know what a computer is. What we really need to talk about is access to said computers since the funding for libraries have been cut. TWO libraries ( that I know of) uptown are closed with no reopening date https://t.co/8fkjro1kCx
— no link wonder (@LifeWithJRDN) May 7, 2024
I’m a young black kid who grew up in the Bronx with a mother who used to build computers. She also grew up in the Bronx. People should just be quiet. https://t.co/WWJzGyzUJw
— Camonghne Felix (@CAMONGHNE) May 7, 2024
Being a former high school teacher in the Bronx, I know mad young people who could do the funniest thing...and hack the shit out these people.
— aléxandros! (@bodega_gyro_ao) May 8, 2024
I have smarter shit to say about this, but I'll reserve that for another time. https://t.co/hJD8LNTTaL
New York Gov Kathy Hochul: There are Black kids in the Bronx who dont know what a computer is ….
— James R. Jones, PhD (@blackcapitol) May 7, 2024
Me: NAME’ EM pic.twitter.com/i2LT6S43mG
Darcy Jimenez
Wednesday
RFK Jr.
The character: Robert Francis Kennedy Junior, metaphorical brain worms haver, literal brain worms haver
The plot: RFK Jr. benefits from being a member of the Kennedy political empire, for sure, but he has a whole lot of downsides too. For starters, he's an unhinged anti-vaxxer, and has been one for years. He is also, unfortunately, running as an independent candidate for the presidency this year — in spite of his family's wishes.
Recently, it's been made public that not only has RFK Jr. had a brain worm infection, but he is suffering from mercury poisoning, too. Traditionally speaking, these are not excellent conditions to have while attempting to control the largest military in the entire world.
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said in a deposition that a doctor believed that an abnormality seen on his brain scans in 2010 “was caused by a worm that got into my brain and ate a portion of it and then died.” https://t.co/ekXunA3Enf pic.twitter.com/DRYzKTJO9p
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 8, 2024
The repercussion: Upon hearing the news, the internet has come together to express one singular thought: "Yeah, that sounds about right."
The Kennedy curse said now let’s do a silly one :) pic.twitter.com/QjtUVMPRwC
— GL (@gldivittorio) May 8, 2024
RFK Jr. saying he has a worm in his brain is kind of fun because it’s as close as we can get to a bottle of tequila running for president.
— Josh Gondelman (@joshgondelman) May 8, 2024
Plot twist: He actually did need the Ivermectin https://t.co/ZSSpXFFgtv
— Rebecca Cohen (@GynoStar) May 8, 2024
Post by @david.viennaView on Threads
A Veep writing room alum threw their phone when they saw this tweet. https://t.co/vaJeOY0pye
— Chris “Law Dork” Geidner (@chrisgeidner) May 9, 2024
This little guy been driving RFK around??? pic.twitter.com/laluqwBIu6
— Tim Gill (@timgill924) May 8, 2024
I have eaten
— Janel Comeau (@VeryBadLlama) May 8, 2024
the brain
that was in
RFK Jr
and which
he was probably
saving
to run for President
forgive me
it was delicious
and I am just
a worm
We've all been joking about how RFK Jr. must have brain worms, and then we find out he actually has brain worms! #LobalWorming pic.twitter.com/4sKMg6D2d3
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) May 9, 2024
RFK Jr on his third term pic.twitter.com/BlPZ52LvfY
— derek (@derpo377) May 9, 2024
Grant Brunner
Read the previous edition of our One Main Character column, which featured Dave & Buster's getting into gambling, a journalist with a hot take on the election, Jerry Seinfeld's tired opinion on comedy and a police e-fit that's unlikely to yield any suspects.
