Another negative Twitter situation, this time between West End actress and theatre fan

[Princeton Returns]

Saw the discussion on WOS about this. Someone who has seen Phantom, numerous times it seems, tweeted a friend that she 'cant stand Sofia' regarding Sofia Escobar in Phantom. This person has also blogged some reviews over the years, some of which before have included negative comments. Does this constitute cyber bullying too?

This person didn't tag Sofia in (something I do think is wrong, tagging in people with your negative comments about them), so I guess she must have searched her own name on twitter. She replied to the tweeter with this

Sofia Escobar ?@sofia_escobar
@SHkiyolove It's ok cause I can't stand you either x

That reply should have been the end of it, but this has then led to a load of tweets about cyber bullying etc and standing up for herself etc. Her BF has also got involved.

Sofia Escobar ?@sofia_escobar
People have.And I won't be insulted and not stand up for myself.just because im a performer it doesn't give you a free pass to bullying. :)

5h Sofia Escobar ?@sofia_escobar
Being able to defend myself? I don't think so. My job doesn't make me super human and respect goes down well no matter what profession peopl

5h Sofia Escobar ?@sofia_escobar
by @SHkiyolove . And just because I'm a performer that gives people the right to insult me without me

5h Sofia Escobar ?@sofia_escobar
One of the lightest insults that have been brought to my attention through the 2 years I've played Christine by

5h Sofia Escobar ?@sofia_escobar
To be offensive, disrespectful and mean. To me "I don't like her portrayal' sounds v dif to 'I can't stand her'. And this is 1

5h Sofia Escobar ?@sofia_escobar
My final say on th bullying matter is as follows. I take criticism very well. But one thing is to criticise and one v different is


To me, one comment of 'I can't stand her' although strong, does not constitute bullying, especially when not directed at the person mentioned (e.g tagging them in on Twitter). She is not the first performer to tackle negative comments on Twitter (Jodie Prenger and Sheridan Smith have too based on peoples comments on WOS). Also, by making a big deal of it, you launch your army of fans on that tweeter which in some ways could be reversed and called cyber bullying as it is not just between two people anymore, but you are using your fans to do fight the battle for you. And we all know how nasty some hardcore fans can be.

What are peoples views on situation like this?

[devonian.t]

It seems like "cyber bullying" is going to be the knee-jerk response to any negative comment from now on.

I would have thought this 'can't stand' tweet was most likely shorthand for "can't stand her performance"- but it's a tweet, not an essay. Assuming the original tweeter doesn't know the performer in question, the only criterion he has for criticism is her performance. He's hardly commenting on her choice of spare room wallpaper, is he?

I think the lady has been very silly to get drawn like this. It's a bit like that comment in the Avengers movie about the ant and the boot. Who really cares about one person chirping off somewhere in nowhere land?

[hermajesty]

it could be anyone assuming Sofia's name. One can create an 'account' in any name

[Princeton Returns]

It could be but it seems highly unlikely when you look at her account.

[DeNada]

Of course it's Sofia Escobar posting.

Both fans and actors need to realise that Twitter is an extremely public forum, and you are basically talking directly to/at each other. There is nothing private unless it's a DM.

Ganging up on a fan is a stupid thing to do. So is tweeting something obviously negative about an actor.

People just need to be less stupid about it!

[Princeton Returns]

I actually think Sofia first response (although I personally think she would have been better to just ignore it) was ok on the whole. I dont know how it was meant, but with the wink emotorcon it had an element of fun and not too serious.

Sofia Escobar ?@sofia_escobar
@SHkiyolove It's ok cause I can't stand you either x

But to now cry cyber bullying etc just doesnt sit right with me

[The Scorpion]

It would appear Sofia and her boyfriend (the latter made some rather rude remarks about the original tweeter's age which I thought were uncalled for) must have searched through Twitter to find the tweet that started it all in the first place, something which is a bit disturbing. Did she expect to search Twitter for her own name and find only unadulterated adulation?!

None of this constitutes cyber-bullying. And if any of it did, it's using an army of fans to send abusive tweets to the original tweeter that is the closest to it, NOT saying "I can't stand X" in a tweet that wasn't even directed to the actor in question.

[mallardo]

Whoever Sofia Escobar is she'd better toughen up or she's going to have a very short career. If she's that insecure she must be hell to work with.

[philitalia]

IMO opinion it's better for a well-known person to ignore comments like that. You risk alienating fans by getting into stupid arguments.

If you do feel the need to reply then write something intelligent and witty, something that shows how silly the other person's comments are.
"It's ok I can't stand you either" is kindergarten level.

[Princeton Returns]

The Evening Standard is running with the story

http://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/tantrum-of-the-opera-thinskinned-musical-star-all-atwitter-over-criticism-from-twickenham-housewife-7847918.html

[Dave19]

I don't see the problem. Anyone can say what they want.
The fan had an opinion, and the actress had an opinion.
Today we live in a world where everyone expresses their opinions through these sites.

When other actors write stuff like that, nobody gives a damn. So now it's the commons against the stars and the commons decide which stars can say what they want on the internet and which ones can't?

I actually like the actress' reaction and I wonder where the idea comes from that anyone can say what they want online except certain celebrities, while others can?

It's actually quite fascinating that actors are not allowed to be real people, and if they speak their mind, people experience it as "negative".
If every popular actor would stop lying in interviews/social occasions/internet everyone would hate them. I guess it's part of the job, but I see the lying and fake answers as negative and I wish they were more honest and real.

I actually like this actress more now.
I suppose the commons just want to see "the perfect star". An illusion or something.

Every star is on facebook, every star is on twitter, the internet makes the world a very small place, so don't be surprised if you read an honest opinion of a star every now and then, or if one of them expresses their opinion to you. It's 2012.

Also, I'm surprised that "the Evening Standard" is so surprised by an actress that is honest online. It shows they don't really catch up with modern times.

[Princeton Returns]

The issue is her portraying herself as a victim of bullying, which she is not! If she had left it at just the one comeback it would have been fine, it's the reference to bullying plus her boyfriend getting involved and being actually quite nasty that isn't right

I also see a national newspaper is now picking up the story

[Dave19]

I don't see the problem if that is the way the actress sees it.
Why would lying be the better option?

Why do people see honesty as something negative?

And why is the opinion of the actress so much more important than the opinion of the fan? It's just something between 2 people. I don't see what the fuss is about.

[Princeton Returns]

Because it cheapens real bullying. She is playing the victim. As I say, just the one comment back is ok, but then complaining about cyber bullying, getting your boyfriend to be nasty to the tweeter to and young creating a big deal to thus get your fans to join in actually makes her closer to being a bully. The whole thing has been blown out proportion but Sofia has herself to blame by playing the victim and using the bully card.

[Sister George]

I think she's behaved like an idiot.

The only way she could have found that tweet is to search for it so if you can't cope with what you're going to find don't search for it (and if you do find it and don't like it don't respond as you're always going to look like an idiot for having done a self search!)

I think the following mantra should be instilled now to all performers at Drama schools

Step away from the search engine insecure performers, step away.

[Dave19]

"Step away from the search engine insecure performers, step away"

Why?

Are you having trouble adjusting to modern times? Every single person, including all the performers have searched for themselves on the internet. There is absolutely nothing weird, special or strange about that.

Some of them don't reply, some of the reply with lies and some of them reply and say what they really think.

The real problem is, why is it that the "commons" refuse to see stars as people? Why would it be negative in any way when an actress says what she thinks? Why should she ignore something or lie about what she feels? Are you really happier with a fake world like that? Get over yourself.

[ClapYo'Hands]

I think the main issue is the fact that she went to town on the cyber bullying thing when that was clearly not what it was.

[Sister George]

The key point of the phrase was 'insecure'

What the tweeter said was something that is probably said most nights after the show about her performance by a minority of the audience, with a much greater number praising her performance. You can't be loved by everyone.

But by searching your own name and then making it obvious you have by commenting on a fairly innocent comment shows a lack of class and emotional stability.

To then start claiming cyber bullying was even more foolish and say something like -
: “Just because I’m a performer that gives people the right to insult me without me being able to defend myself? I don’t think so.”

Yes, yes it does. It happens every night. The people pay the money and then have the right to their opinion. It's the job. Can't deal with it don't do it.

Oh and in future it might be best to substitute "star" with "moderately successful working actress"

[Dave19]

I agree that you can't be loved by everyone. Every performer should realize that.

But if she felt insulted by the comment and felt the need to say something about it, why not?

In my opinion she just asks for a more polite way of saying things. "I can't stand a person" is something very different than "I don't like her performance".

And I think everyone is entitled to their own opinion online.

[jaqs]

Theres nothing wrong with replying to the insult.
There is something wrong with getting your boyfriend and fans to insult the originator of the comment and then claim you are being bullied.