Editor’s Note: This entry is dedicated to tracking and documenting the online activity surrounding the Weinergate Twitter scandal.
About
Weinergate refers to a controversy surrounding a tweet that went out of New York Democratic Representative Anthony Weiner’s Twitter account with a picture of a bulging penis under a pair of grey boxer briefs.
Origin
On May 27th, 2011, Anthony Weiner’s Twitter account posted a link to a yfrog hosted photo of a boxer brief clad man with a visible erection. The tweet was directed to a journalism student at a Washington State community college, who has since deleted both her Twitter and Facebook accounts.[1]
Anthony Weiner has since claimed that his Twitter account was hacked, but will not confirm or deny that the photo was of him.
Analysis
Anthony De Rosa posted an entry in his blog analyzing the EXIF data from the tweeted photo and showed that it did not match the EXIF data from an image posted immediately before on his Twitter account.[2]
Daily Show Commentary
John Stewart first reported on the scandal in an episode of the Daily Show on May 31st, 2011. During the segment he claims that Anthony Weiner is a friend of his, and that having known him rather well, has doubts about the photo belonging to the congressman.
In a follow-up segment on June 1st, he commented on Weiner’s lack of “certitude” about whether or not the picture was authentic.
On Twitter
External Links
[1] Ironic Surrealism – @GennetteNicole Femme Fatale of Weinergate Twitter Scandal / Posted on May 28th, 2011