Among the many options for television specials this past New Year's Eve, none quite matched the mayhem of CNN's yearly celebration, hosted by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper and Bravo executive and host Andy Cohen.
The pair of longtime friends shooting tequila on live television until they were visibly drunk was a spectacle enough, but the havoc apparently extended behind the camera too.
Whether it was an accident or deliberate is anyone's guess, but scores of raunchy tweets created by pranksters out in TV land somehow made it past the control room to appear onscreen throughout the broadcast.
In a year as chaotic as 2021, could there be any better way to bring things to a close than Twitter accounts with names like @DixieNormussss (get it, "Dixie Normus"? Read it quickly and think phallic thoughts and you'll get the idea!) appearing on national television, as seen below?
pic.twitter.com/Gf9r7zbD9Y— Dixie Normus (@Dixie Normus) 1641010610
"Dixie Normus" was just the beginning of a whole treasure trove of definitely-not-FCC-approved Twitter handles that appeared during the broadcast, like "Mike Oxlong," or @MikeOxLong625.
MY COCKS LONG!!! MADE IT ON #CNNNYE #NYE2021 #HAPPYNEWYEAR2022pic.twitter.com/EvYeEjqEub— Shteve (@Shteve) 1641011197
And, of course, there were a few classics that were thrown into the mix as well. Who doesn't love a good "Ben Dover" joke--or @BenDover 837, as it were--on live television?
Your intern working on NYE deserves a raise @cnnpic.twitter.com/JOAGDgJEPV— TikTok Investors (@TikTok Investors) 1641060064
Other masterpieces of the genre that appeared onscreen included Seymour Butts, Anita Dump, Harry Cox and Hugh Jass. Classic.
According to some sleuthing by The Daily Beast, all the accounts appear to be connected, conjuring images of a handful of pranksters high-fiving each other as the clock strikes twelve. Sophomoric though it may be, you can't help but be happy for them--whatever brings you joy in these trying times, right?
The prank perfectly dovetailed with what has to have been the messiest CNN New Year's Eve special in history, with Cooper and Cohen getting so drunk that Cohen went on an extremely cringe rant about former New York City Mayor Bill deBlasio. Even Cohen himself was embarrassed by it, tweeting the following morning that he was "a bit overserved" during the previous night's antics.
But not even Cohen's antics could eclipse the inappropriate screennames, which went viral--and gaves lots of viewers lots of laughs as 2021 turned to 2022.
you a legend— Spencer Morrison (@Spencer Morrison) 1641011453
Best thing I've seen today! Bahahaha, thank you— Georgia Johnson (@Georgia Johnson) 1641085809
Glad to see that Mike Oxlonge made it on the list.\nI wonder if Jenny Tilla made it yoo.— Patrick Kieran (@Patrick Kieran) 1641085971
No need for New Years fireworks. This will do.\n#goingoutwithabanghttps://twitter.com/TikTokInvestors/status/1477339103712915456\u00a0\u2026— Debate America (@Debate America) 1641185831
The Daily Beast discovered the following:\n\n"7 accounts (Anita Dump, Ben Dover, Dixie Normus, Harry Cox, Hugh Jass, Mike Oxlong and Seymour Butts) bombarded Twitter with the hashtag #CNNNYE to get noticed by CNN and seemed created solely for that purpose."\n\nSpectacular!https://twitter.com/TikTokInvestors/status/1477339103712915456\u00a0\u2026— Frosty Butthole \u26c4\ud83c\udf84 (@Frosty Butthole \u26c4\ud83c\udf84) 1641161392
Good lookin\u2019 out, Seymour Buttshttps://www.thedailybeast.com/cnn-duped-into-posting-raunchy-new-years-eve-prank-tweets\u00a0\u2026— matt barash (@matt barash) 1641091984
Hahahahahaha...(pause for deep breath)...hahahahaha!!!!https://www.thedailybeast.com/cnn-duped-into-posting-raunchy-new-years-eve-prank-tweets\u00a0\u2026— Chris Aubert\ud83d\udc63\u269c\ufe0f (@Chris Aubert\ud83d\udc63\u269c\ufe0f) 1641093008
Heywood Jablowme was not available for comment.— Zach (@Zach) 1641086168
These always make me laugh. I am an 11 yr old boy.https://twitter.com/huffpost/status/1477442398250835972\u00a0\u2026— Angela Romack (@Angela Romack) 1641084895
What better way to usher in a new year than to do so laughing, right? Thank you, pranksters!
@kileywrestling/Bluesky
