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MU's favorite Twitter accounts draw laughs, followers

By Tom Carbone

Published Sept. 3, 2010

In our increasingly Twitter-obsessed society, users of the site are being forced to set themselves apart from the masses if they want to get noticed by more than just their friends and porn stars. How are they doing this? Well, if you're famous, it definitely helps.

At MU, there are a few Twitter accounts that have garnered a large number of followers by being run by well-known students or by parodying well-known figures around campus. Here are a few MU-related Twitter personalities you should probably follow.

@FakeBrianBrooks – Shockingly enough, Brian Brooks said he actually finds his fake Twitter account to be quite funny. The Associate Dean at the School of Journalism was first parodied on Twitter sometime last year and has become a topic of conversation for Twitter enthusiasts around the School of Journalism. The account touches on various parts of Fake Brian Brooks’ life, from commenting on the latest J. Crew catalogue and cute girls around campus to weeding out beginning journalism students.

"I really don't mind it," the real Brooks said in an e-mail. "In fact, I'm flattered that someone thought there should be a Fake Brian Brooks."

@Kingsleyyy -- With a staggering 51,000 followers, sophomore Kingsley Russell has definitely figured out a successful brand for himself online. After starting as a YouTube sensation, the MU sophomore successfully carried his success over to Twitter, where his daily tweets consist of shortened versions of his sarcastic YouTube quips.

Kingsley records most of his videos from his dorm room, adding a sense of collegiate-ness that makes him all the more real. It also helps that Ashton Kutcher has mentioned Kingsley on his own Twitter, which almost certainly gained Kingsley many new followers.

@EnglishScope24 -- Bloggers from cbssports.com and espn.com have talked this Twitter account up, and rightfully so. Missouri basketball star Kim English uses Twitter to reach out to his fans and show what he's up to on a daily basis. He tweets about his meals, he tweets about his pet peeves and he tweets a ton about his girlfriend.

He also started a weekly Twitter session called "Talk 2 Me Tuesday," when he answers Twitter users’ questions. The questions are usually about the upcoming men's basketball season, his favorite things to do and eat and anything else people want to know about the Tiger basketball player.

@FakeBrotherJed -- Everybody's favorite Speakers Circle guest was blessed with a fake Twitter account associated with his name last spring, and the mastermind behind it all hasn't stopped. Using Twitpics, hashtags and RT's, Fake Brother Jed fits in with the Twitter world seamlessly.

The account's creator, who prefers to remain anonymous, came up with the idea after watching Brother Jed in Speakers Circle many times after class last spring. The creator sensed a strong amount of student interest at Brother Jed's daily speaking ritual and thought the parody Twitter account would appeal to most students on campus. Despite Brother Jed's controversial nature, the fake Twitter account doesn't aim to offend anybody.

"I think that attempt at evenhandedness is what makes the account have mass appeal," the anonymous creator said. "Because I'm not taking shots at any one person or action."