Yesterday, after I filed Celebrity Social Media, our site manager Emily emailed me with some earth-shattering news: Ana de Armas Updates (@ArmasUpdates) is no longer. Suspended? Deleted? Hacked? This story has more possibilities than a subversive murder-mystery with a cast of suspicious and stylishly evil rich people.
First a bit of history: @ArmasUpdates caught on because, unlike toxic and humourless stan Twitter, it was clever. It took a big blow (being blocked by Ana herself) and used it as motivation to be even more sardonic (but never mean). It treated its object of affection as a human, not an infallible god. And as that all was happening, many of us were gagging over the daily quarantine pap walks with Ben Affleck, creating a perfect storm of snark and shipping that captured the fun of Twitter. Do you know how hard it is to have fun on Twitter in 2020? Nearly impossible!
That is why it the account was covered by The Cut and Paper and the LA Times. As Lainey pointed out, this was great for Ana because her fan account was smart and authentic, which by extension made her seem cooler and gave a different dimension to the Dunkin’ Donut runs. Even Knives Out got in on the fun.
And now, @ArmasUpdates? Why have you abandoned us when we need you most? The Instagram account is still active but hasn’t posted since mid-July (and it isn’t nearly as zesty as the Twitter feed). My very unsexy theory is that the account was suspended for using pap shots. Photo agencies are becoming increasingly protective of their property and celebrities (like Gigi Hadid and Jennifer Lopez) have been sued for posting photos of themselves without purchasing the rights; Paper Magazine is currently in a legal fight for its account (read about that here).
That’s the nuts-and-bolts explanation. It’s logical and reasonable. But what if it’s something different, something smarter and more exciting? What if this is a viral play for Knives Out 2? Think about how brilliant that would be. We would have no choice but to stan. Again.
