Neil Gaiman Slams Elon Musk's New Twitter Rules as Rumors Spread of Sandman Cancelation

Acclaimed author Neil Gaiman has gotten into something of a Twitter fight with the social media site's new owner, Elon Musk. It all started when a Twitter user retweeted a post that claimed Netflix had canceled its TV series adaptation of Neil Gaiman's acclaimed series The Sandman. As just about everyone on Twitter quickly realized, the "source" of the "news story" was an account that parodies a real film news outlet, and was clearly bogus in its claims. That left Elon Musk open to all kinds of hard dunks from users about his "free speech" policies – including Neil Gaiman! 

"Damn @neilhimself I'm sorry. Take it to @PrimeVideo" the Twitter user wrote in his retweet of the parody headline. 

Gaiman responded by saying: "Just think. Now even parody/scam sites clickbaiting false news will be able to buy blue ticks. What fun it will be." 

Neil Gaiman is directly responding to the recent announcement from Elon Musk that he will be overhauling Twitter's coveted blue checkmark verification badge system. Instead of the social media platform distinguishing "official" or "high value" accounts (celebrities, public figures, official businesses, etc.), Musk wants to give users verification at a monthly price ($8), thereby giving the blue checkmark to whoever was willing to pay the premium.

"Twitter's current lords & peasants system for who has or doesn't have a blue checkmark is bullshit," Musk said in a post. "Power to the people! Blue for $8/month."

Additional plans include "priority in replies" that boost subscriber replies to the top, "which is essential to defeat spam/scam," according to Musk. Longer video and audio clips, fewer ads are also in the plans, as well as premium functions for subscribers, like bypassing paywalls on news stories. While Elon Musk and some others seem enthused by these new ideas, others (like Neil Gaiman) have worries about what Twitter will become under these new mandates. 

The case Gaiman is highlighting is a curious one, indeed. If that same user had reposted a parody news story with a verification mark by his name, it's unnerving to think how many other people may have taken it as fact. The fear is that an unchecked tier of "verified" users will lead to mass misinformation masked as "verified" truth. In short: Twitter, but worse. 

So far, The Sandman has NOT been canceled, but Netflix has been conspicuously quiet about the series and any hope of a Season 2 renewal. That's kept Sandman fans awake at night, hoping and praying the show continues. 

The Sandman is streaming on Netflix.