Entertainment journalist and founder of Deadline.com Nikki Finke was the subject of swift online backlash due to a tweet she sent following the news of Nelson Mandela's death Thursday.
In the tweet, Finke refers to the recently released biopic Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, starring actor Idris Elba as the former president of South Africa. Her comment was quickly repudiated as insensitive and off-topic, as it attempts to honor Mandela's memory with news on the movie's buzz.
R.I.P. Nelson Mandela, subject of Weinstein Co’s Idris Elba-starrer 'Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom' which opened Nov 29 and has awards buzz.— Nikki Finke (@NikkiFinke) December 5, 2013
The Twittersphere responded in typical fashion -- with a satirical hashtag #FinkeObits, parodying Finke's original tweet by marking the deaths of other famous figures in the context of their film legacies. The hashtag has been attributed to TV writer Beth Schacter (@bethshax) and we've compiled 22 of the wittiest tweets below.
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Finke later defended the tweet, but her response hasn't seemed to stem the barrage of 140-character takedowns.
I write about the entertainment biz. And that movie is a wonderful tribute to Nelson Mandela since it's based on his autobiography.— Nikki Finke (@NikkiFinke) December 5, 2013