Larry David bows to the will of the Internet
What's the going rate to get a celebrity to join Twitter? In Larry David's case, about $10,000 in charitable donations.
Twitter continues to grow apace: 140 million users and 340 million tweets a day! The cover of Time magazine! Betty White!
And yet, its charms have seemed to elude Larry David. While other celebrities have embraced the 140-character microblogging service, the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" star has stayed away.
Until now.
Remember when we told you about Charity Bribes? The site, which debuted in March, lets Internet users collectively coerce famous people to agree to amusing stunts in exchange for charitable donations to their favorite causes.
The inaugural proposition: Get Larry David to join Twitter for the promise of money to the National Resources Defense Council.
At the end of one month, the "bribe" had tallied up pledges totaling $10,163 from 103 people. Mr. David had 30 days to accept the offer or the bribe would expire.
As the days ticked away, Twitter remained stubbornly Larry David-less. Then, on March 11, that all changed.
"I was told by Charity Bribes that if I Tweeted they'd give 10k to the NRDC,"@LarryDavid4 tweeted. "Pay up!"
Though the account is unverified at the moment, the Washington Post has confirmed that @LarryDavid4 is, in fact, Larry David.
"We will soon be transferring the bribe money to the NRDC," CharityBribes co-creator William Burks Spencer said in an e-mail to CNET.
Up next: Team Coco, attempting to "get Conan O'Brien to interview a guest on his show wearing an eye patch & black turtleneck while holding a pipe. If asked why, he should say, 'I don't want to talk about it.'"
Be warned famous people; the Internet is coming for you.