Twitter vs. Threads

About

Twitter vs. Threads refers to jokes and memes about the competition between Twitter and Meta's social media platform Threads. Twitter vs. Threads memes also often reference the supposed rivalry between Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg. After Meta launched the text-based app Threads in early July 2023 and after the app's users rose to over 100 million in a week after launch, jokes about the rivalry between the two apps began to spread online. The tension was exacerbated by Twitter threatening to sue Meta for alleged intellectual property theft and poaching former employees, with Musk tweeting "Zuck is a cuck" in response to a tweet comparing both platforms.

Background

The micro-blogging site Twitter faced various issues following its acquisition by Elon Musk in late 2022, including a brief period started on July 1st, 2023, when the site restricted public access and restricted the number of tweets one could view in a day.

On July 6th, 2023, Mark Zuckerberg's Meta launched an app called "Threads," which was originally conceived as a Snapchat competitor in 2019 but was listed on the App Store in July 2023 as a "text-based conversation app" that promised a microblogging experience.^[1] Various media companies presented Threads as a direct competitor to Twitter before it was released.^[4][5]

After Twitter user @MarioNawfal posted a tweet on June 20th discussing Meta's plan to release Threads, Elon Musk seemingly proposed a cage fight with Zuckerberg at the prompting of user @kwmarkoff26656.^[2]

On July 10th, the Threads app surpassed over 100 million users.^[3]

Developments

Various internet users posted memes comparing Twitter and Threads in the days leading up to and soon after the release of Threads. Twitter^[6] user @kirawontmiss posted a Spongebob Reading meme with the Twitter and Threads logos on July 5th, 2023, gathering over 40,000 likes in six days (seen below, left). On July 6th, thr Instagram^[7] page @6.memes.9 posted a Barbie Oppenheimer Splitscreen meme that gathered over 32,000 likes in five days (seen below, right).

Also on July 6th, Twitter^[8] user @ayeejuju posted a tweet that read, "elon you better have a crazy announcement tomorrow cuz threads is SERIOUS," paired with a meme of the Flash posing next to the Green Arrow's grave. The post gathered over 18,000 likes in five days (seen below, left). On July 6th, the Instagram^[9] page @sarcastic_us posted a Floating Boy meme that gathered over 30,000 likes in five days (seen below, right).

Elon Musk's "Zuck is a Cuck" Tweet

On July 9th, 2023, Musk responded to a screenshot of various brands posting on Threads with the statement, "Zuck is a cuck." The tweet was followed up by Musk eight hours later with the statement, "I propose a literal dick measuring contest 📏." Musk's initial tweet gathered over 400,000 likes, while his follow-up gathered over 50,000 likes in two days (seen below).^[10]

Various Examples

Search Interest

Unavailable.

External References