Panda insemination and 6 other events: Should you really be tweeting that?

Style writer Maura Judkis looks at seven live-tweeted events that stirred up discussion on Twitter.

5 Seconds

00:00

The National Zoo’s most recent attempt to get female panda Mei Xiang pregnant was live-tweeted on Monday, inspiring puerile humor from Twitter users tuning in. The tweets about panda artificial insemination (used for many pandas, including Ling-Ling and Hsing-Hsing, shown here in 1974) were informative, but all of the talk of frozen sperm icked some users out. Sample tweet: “Sperm frozen in 2005 from Tian Tian, our male giant panda, had good motility (lots of swimming) #pandaAI”

Kevin Clark / The Washington Post

The Twitter account @TitanicRealTime “live-tweeted” the sinking of the Titanic from the perspective of officers and passengers on the 100th anniversary of the disaster, along the same timeline of the actual sinking of the ship. The tweets, which described frozen bodies and mass casualties, were a way to imagine how terrifying it would be to be a passenger. As morbid as it was, history buffs loved it. Sample tweet: “All the lights have now dimmed, pure darkness. Only screams can be heard . . . ”

Southampton City Council / AFP/Getty Images

Angie Jackson, a then-27-year-old pro-choice activist, tweeted and blogged her experience taking the RU-486 abortion pill to “demystify” the experience for other women. While some appreciated her forthrightness, others felt that the details of an abortion were not meant for a broad audience. She received death threats and harassing posts from antiabortion activists. Sample tweet: “Definitely bleeding now.”

Jacquelyn Martin / AP

When Mike Duerksen of Winnipeg, Manitoba, live-tweeted a day of events leading up to his marriage proposal to his girlfriend, some people thought it was sweet. Others found a minute-by-minute accounting of his relationship with the hashtag #MikeProposes — which lasted through nearly 12 hours of continuous updates — tedious, and attention-seeking. The girlfriend said yes — so will he live-tweet his wedding in October? Sample tweet: “1st challenge: J. wants me to get off my phone and focus on our time together. #MikeProposes”

Gerald Martineau / The Washington Post

The Memorial Hermann Healthcare System in Houston live-tweeted a step-by-step colonoscopy in early April, with many close-up photos. They warned some of their followers that a few images would be graphic. Nevertheless, they were lauded by healthcare professional for their awareness-raising stunt. Sample tweet: “The laxative prep is not as bad as it used to be. You can now take a pill instead of drinking a gallon of fluid.”

Susan Biddle / For The Washington Post

Human rights journalist Mac McClelland, of Mother Jones magazine, was criticized in 2010 for live-tweeting her interview with a rape survivor. The Haitian woman later told Essence magazine that she did not give McClelland permission to share her story. Journalists questioned the ethics of live-tweeting an interview about such a sensitive subject. Sample tweet: “[Victim] is 23, tall, slim, mother of 3. Husban died in the quake. She was kidnapped at gunpoint by 5 men and taken to a car for the rape.”

Ramon Espinosa / AP

Live-tweeting a date is probably a sign that the date isn’t going well. Memphis Grizzlies basketball player Gilbert Arenas is one of several people to live-tweet his dates, and he subsequently went home alone, that night, after making fun of his date’s outfit on Twitter. Sample tweet: “I don’t think imma get the goods tonight ... I messed my chances up ... she looked mad ... over there lookin like a thunder cat...”

Jonathan Ernst / REUTERS

FEATURED PHOTO GALLERIES

James Gandolfini stars as Tony Soprano in the critically acclaimed HBO series 'The Sopranos.' The show received 16 Emmy nominations Thursday, July 22, 1999, including best dramatic series and best actor for Gandolfini. It is the first cable show ever recognized in the dramatic series category. (AP Photo/HO, HBO, Anthony Nesta) Original Filename: EMMY NOMINATIONS.jpg ORG XMIT: LA109

James Gandolfini dies at 51

James Gandolfini, whose portrayal of a brutal, emotionally delicate mob boss in HBO’s “The Sopranos” helped create one of TV’s greatest drama series and turned...

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 19: Vice President Joe Biden speaks before the Frederick Douglass statue now permanently placed in the US Capitol's Emancipation Hall in Washington, DC on June 19, 2013. The statue of the abolition leader was chosen by District residents to represent them in the Capitol because of his stance on self governance according to Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC). The statue by artist Steven Weitzman, was blocked from it's placement in the Capitol for years, a victim of rules that stated that only the 50 states can display statues of their favored sons and daughters in the Capitol. The House and Senate passed a resolution last month allowing DC to be represented in Emancipation Hall which features statues of notable leaders nominated by each state. (Photo by Linda Davidson / The Washington Post)

Frederick Douglass statue unveiled in the Capitol

The carving of the famed abolitionist and District advocate finds its place inside the halls of Congress.

TV presenter and conservationist Anneka Tanaka-Svenska wears a hat designed by Louis Mariette during the first day of Royal Ascot, in Berkshire, west of London, on June 18, 2013. The five-day meeting is one of the highlights of the horse racing calendar. Horse racing has been held at the famous Berkshire course since 1711 and tradition is a hallmark of the meeting. Top hats and tails remain compulsory in parts of the course while a daily procession of horse-drawn carriages brings the Queen to the course. AFP PHOTO / ADRIAN DENNISADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images

Photos of the day

Royal Ascot, protests in Brazil, Lego exhibition, flooding in India, Cheetah-Cub robot and more.

Two-year old male rat named Dyatlik wears a costume during a rodent exhibition in Minsk, Belarus, Saturday, June 15, 2013. (AP Photo/Sergei Grits)

Animal views

Rodent exhibition, swimming with elephants, Mexico’s feline mayoral candidate and more.

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 18: Madonna attends the Dolce & Gabbana and The Cinema Society screening of the Epix World premiere of 'Madonna: The MDNA Tour' at The Paris Theatre on June 18, 2013 in New York City. (Photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images)

Eye on entertainment

Madonna, Michael Buble, Barbara Streisand, Jackie Chan, Jerry Seinfeld, Estelle and other celebrities.

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 14: Johnathon Carrington, valedictorian at Dunbar High School, laughs with family and friends after his school's graduation ceremony at Howard University on Friday, June 14, 2013, in Washington, DC. Carrington, who grew up in Tyler House public-housing apartments and is graduating from one of DC's low-performing high schoolsy, where academic expectations are high. (Photo by Jahi Chikwendiu/The Washington Post)

Johnathon’s journey

Johnathon Carrington graduated Friday as the valedictorian of his neighborhood school, Dunbar High, and is headed to Georgetown University. But Carrington, 17, is nervous, and so are...

In this June 8, 2013 photo, youth compete in the Sao Carlos slum local soccer tournament in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The pitch is just dirt and the incandescent lights aren't so bright. But when the boys' feet strike the football in the Sao Carlos slum as night falls every Saturday, big league dreams glow, inflated by the hope of escaping the shantytown with sporting skills. (AP Photo/Felipe Dana)

Brazil’s other soccer fields

With the Confederations Cup opening this week and the World Cup one year away, all eyes are on Brazil, where soccer is arguably played with more passion and art than anywhere else....

Inmates walk at a high-security male prison camp outside Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk May 14, 2013. High-security male prison camp number 17 is intended to house male inmates who are serving a sentence for the first time, and have been convicted for serious crimes. Prisoners at the facility work in wood and metal processing shops, manufacture furniture, sew clothes and do other kinds of work. They can also take part in educational, sport and cultural programs. Picture taken May 14, 2013. REUTERS/Ilya Naymushin (RUSSIA - Tags: CRIME LAW SOCIETY) ATTENTION EDITORS: PICTURE 4 OF 29 FOR PACKAGE 'INSIDE SIBERIA'S PRISONS' SEARCH 'ILYA PRISON' FOR ALL IMAGES

Life in a Siberian prison

A look inside a high-security prison camp outside Krasnoyarsk, Russia

Back to Previous Gallery

Discussion Policy | FAQ | About Discussions

Comments

Add your comment

Read what others are saying About Badges

SuperFan Badge

SuperFan badge holders consistently post smart, timely comments about Washington area sports and teams.

More about badges | Request a badge

Culture Connoisseur Badge

Culture Connoisseurs consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on the arts, lifestyle and entertainment.

More about badges | Request a badge

Fact Checker Badge

Fact Checkers contribute questions, information and facts to The Fact Checker.

More about badges | Request a badge

Washingtologist Badge

Washingtologists consistently post thought-provoking, timely comments on events, communities, and trends in the Washington area.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Writer Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post editor, reporter or producer.

Post Forum Badge

Post Forum members consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on politics, national and international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Weather Watcher Badge

Weather Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on climates and forecasts.

More about badges | Request a badge

World Watcher Badge

World Watchers consistently offer thought-provoking, timely comments on international affairs.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Contributor Badge

This commenter is a Washington Post contributor. Post contributors aren’t staff, but may write articles or columns. In some cases, contributors are sources or experts quoted in a story.

More about badges | Request a badge

Post Recommended

Washington Post reporters or editors recommend this comment or reader post.

You must be logged in to report a comment.

Comments our editors find particularly useful or relevant are displayed in Top Comments, as are comments by users with these badges: . Replies to those posts appear here, as well as posts by staff writers.

All comments are posted in the All Comments tab.

More about badges

Get a badge

To pause and restart automatic updates, click "Live" or "Paused". If paused, you'll be notified of the number of additional comments that have come in.