Well, This 'Fox & Friends' Hashtag Backfired

In a fervent attempt to escape the time warp that has thrust them into the early 1900s, Fox & Friends created the hashtag #OverIt2014 and invited viewers to tweet what they were "over" as the year winds down. Are they over selfies? Are they over the president? That is probably what the show was looking for as a response. I will tell you what these dear social media users are not over: trolling.

The fact that Tuesday's campaign backfired is, perhaps, the most unsurprising news of the entirety of 2014. Seriously, on my round-up of things that had to happen to maintain the balance of the universe, that is probably at the top. If polarizing organizations, shows, whatever, create a hashtag, the trolls will come. It is like Newton's laws of social media.

Since the Obama campaign's innovative use of social media, conservatives have been scrambling to catch up. And in some instances they have made a decent headway. Research has shown that Facebook tends to be friendlier posting grounds for topics on the economy, foreign affairs, taxes, and immigration, which generally fall in the Republican purview. But climate change, income equality, and abortion rights? That falls in the Twittersphere.

But still, the gang over at Fox & Friends presses on in their social media exploration.

Pinch yourself, because this is real. This is a real thing that someone who gets paid at least living wage devised. To be fair, some people took it seriously. And by seriously I mean they spewed the same far-right absurdities the show promotes. For example, this man, who hates both the Affordable Care Act and talking geckos.

But the majority of the responses were predictably at odds with the program.

Nice try, Fox. See you in 2015!

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