As soon as the director of Times of India Literary Carnival tweeted that rape-accused journalist Tarun Tejpal had been asked to drop out of the event, due to take place on December 5-7, the phrase "extraneous noise" started trending.
The organisers were forced to ask Tejpal to withdraw in the face of waves of criticism, both on social media and in private from other participants expressing their dismay in very strong terms. This quick flip flop by the organisers wasn't surprising but gave the Twitter world something to joke upon.
It didn't take long for a Twitter account named Extraneous Noise to emerge. Here was its first message.
Some people have also been changing their handles to "Extraneous Noise. This is why:
Here is what Twitter had to say about all of this
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We have asked Tarun Tejpal to drop out of the TOI Litfest. We've got a great program & we don't want it hijacked by extraneous noise.
— bachi karkaria (@bachikarkaria) November 24, 2014The organisers were forced to ask Tejpal to withdraw in the face of waves of criticism, both on social media and in private from other participants expressing their dismay in very strong terms. This quick flip flop by the organisers wasn't surprising but gave the Twitter world something to joke upon.
Asking Tejpal to "drop out" of #ToiLitFest because of "extraneous noise" rather than rape charge shows lesson not fully learnt
— Minhaz Merchant (@minhazmerchant) November 24, 2014Tejpal uninvited from #TimesLitFest because they don't want "a great program hijacked by extraneous noise." What a putdown for protesters! — Kanchan Gupta (@KanchanGupta) November 24, 2014It didn't take long for a Twitter account named Extraneous Noise to emerge. Here was its first message.
And for the Times a messiah is born
— Extraneous Noise (@NoiseExtraneous) November 24, 2014Some people have also been changing their handles to "Extraneous Noise. This is why:
If you are outraged by TOI calling you Extraneous Noise, please change your Twitter name (not handle) to 'Extraneous Noise'.
— Extraneous Noise (@beastoftraal) November 24, 2014Here is what Twitter had to say about all of this
Extraneous noise? at a Times organization event? Sounds like Arnab Goswami... — Blog link in bio (@bwoyblunder) November 24, 2014Extraneous Noise. My new rock group. Need a singer and 3000 jungle drummers. Auditions right here, right now. — Peter Griffin (@zigzackly) November 24, 2014For Times Group, Twitter is Extraneous Noise. Arnab Goswami is Intraneous Noise — Joy (@Joydas) November 24, 2014https://t.co/7MixtavWZM "extraneous noise" is the new "penance that lacerates" — wastrelette (@wastrelette) November 24, 2014Really hoping that Prufrock Club doesn't get cancelled due to extraneous noise — Liberal Of New Delhi (@LiberalsOfDelhi) November 24, 2014Ranbir Kapoor is an extraneous noise for Katrina and me. — BabaFakeJournoRampal (@FakeJourno) November 24, 2014I guess @bachikarkaria had to be persuaded by extraneous noise because her conscience has stopped producing intraneous noise — The Bad Doctor (@doctoratlarge) November 24, 2014