Casey Bloys, the Chief Executive and Chairman of HBO has recently acknowledged his involvement in instructing staff to create a fake Twitter account with the intent of attacking TV critics. This revelation comes in the wake of a Rolling Stone report that revealed Mr. Bloys had established a covert initiative to combat negative coverage of the network’s shows. At an HBO event held in New York, Mr. Bloys publicly apologized to the TV critics whom this ill-conceived campaign had targeted. He candidly admitted that this dubious endeavor occurred when he was working from home and spending an excessive amount of time scrolling through Twitter, leading to a regrettable lapse in judgment.
The text exchanges reviewed by Rolling Stone shed light on the details of this endeavor. On one occasion, a TV critic posted a tweet regarding the HBO period drama Perry Mason, expressing a desire for a more nuanced portrayal of male trauma without relying on flashbacks to the hero’s memories of trench warfare. Mr. Bloys, seemingly perturbed by the critique, shared the tweet with Kathleen McCaffrey, HBO’s Senior Vice President of Drama Programming, and even drafted a response for an employee to post on Twitter. The drafted response read, “A somewhat elitist take. Is there anything more traumatic for men (and now women) than fighting in a war? Sorry if that seems too convenient for you.” Fortunately, this response was never sent, but Rolling Stone reports that other messages were later dispatched from fake accounts.
During his address at the HBO event, Mr. Bloys regretted his actions, acknowledging that the orchestrated campaign involving a mere six tweets over 18 months was ultimately ineffective. He extended his apologies to those who were targeted by this ill-conceived scheme. Mr. Bloys also changed his approach to addressing criticism, emphasizing that he now communicates directly with journalists through private messages to provide constructive feedback.
The revelation of Mr. Bloys’ involvement in creating a fake Twitter account to target TV critics has generated considerable discussion and debate within the entertainment industry. It serves as a cautionary tale about the perils of venting frustration through inappropriate means and highlights the importance of addressing criticism more constructively and transparently.
