Thank you Ann Romney! Or, you can thank the Mrs. Mitt yourself @AnndRomney on Twitter and be sure to add the #youpeople hashtag to your tweet to show you’re clued in). Just when we were about to post a another glowing tribute to Yahoo! for making a bold choice to turn its fledgling web presence upside down by naming a 37-year-old female engineer from Google, Marissa Mayer, as its new CEO, our new modern-day Marie Antoinette, Ann Romney lit up the online world and dimmed Mayer’s aura – temporarily, we think.
We the people, the 99%, now referred to for eternity (or at least next week) by Ann Romney as “you people” have been maintaining a steady drumbeat this month demanding that we learn more about presumptive Republican nominee Mitt Romney’s finances.
Us you people want to see a few more years of Romney’s tax returns other than the one year’s worth he has thus far provided. The drumbeat naturally started from the left, but some on the right have joined in, asking the Mittster to come clean about Swiss bank accounts and Cayman Island P.O. box addresses.
Thank you Ann Romney for taking “Good Morning America” host Robin Roberts to task for daring to ask the hard question about will the American people be able to see a couple of more years of the Romney tax returns. It may help some undecided voters decide for themselves if a guy like Mitt is better qualified to be in charge than Barack Obama.
Ann Romney responded unequivocally that “We’ve given all you people need to know.” Don’t worry your pretty little hopey-changey heads with our big complicated tax returns. Those of you making less than $1 million a year couldn’t possibly understand the loopholes one must jump through to keep up the dressage hobby the five homes and – lest we forget – the mandatory 10% tithe to the Mormon Church.
The Twittersphere first with jokes and outrage tagged #youpeople. YouTube video snippets of the interview came next. Followed by the memes on Facebook. Such is life in the online media fast lane.
Not meaning to take anything away from Yahoo!’s Mayer announcement. It has been a good week for Silicon Valley, the Internet and Yahoo! Appointing a 37-year old woman engineer who is credited with the sleek look of the Google homepage and the Gmail revolution is a savvy move indeed.
Still in the wake of the death of Apple genius Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook IPO flop, the Valley and tech needed a pick-me-up. Mayer’s youth, experience and vision are all something to get excited about. Her announcement that she is also pregnant, and plans to work during an October maternity leave, was a slam-dunk for women execs across the board. And, thanks to Ann Romney, the fact that Mayer “is obsessed with fashion” has a “fly penthouse” and once stopped traffic in San Francisco to have a Dale Chihuly glass sculpture installed. And then having The Killers perform at her wedding?
What else are people talking about online?
- Street photographers, texters and daily deal searchers be aware. Thieves are stalking distracted smartphone users as an easy mark. iPhone are the most commonly stolen item in America apparently so watch your pockets and purses.
- Brick and mortar malls are getting makeovers to compete with online shopping.
- One man reported finding his stolen car 42 years later on eBay. Crikey.
Kathy Drasky regularly writes about online culture. Her marketing and communications work with the ANZA Technology Network, Advance Global Australians and with various Australians and Australian enterprises has led to at least a dozen trips Down Under.
An accomplished digital photographer, her photos have appeared in 7×7 Magazine, the San Francisco Chronicle and Google Schmap.
