A Twitter joke spiraled out of control and the internet lost its mind, so Hannity covered it on his show.
Here’s what happened:
Olive Garden
The Italian chain restaurant released a statement alleging that guests at their restaurant had participated in the Capitol Riot, and in response they were invalidating their “Never Ending Pasta” passes as well as revoking Sean Hannity’s Lifetime Pasta Pass.
They took away Sean Hannity’s Pasta Pass ??? https://t.co/DIKDyxvfZt
— Caleb Sholly (@caleb_sholly) January 9, 2021
Or Did They?
A designer named Louie Mantia Jr., who is verified on Twitter, actually made the post.
This morning I made a “social media statement”-style joke image as if it had come from Olive Garden, and I want to talk about why I made it and why I deleted it.
Just so I’m abundantly clear: it’s not a real statement. pic.twitter.com/hTf2ymub5P
— Louie Mantia, Jr. (@Mantia) January 8, 2021
Mantia Explains
The Portland designer wrote that “Anderson Cooper said those who attacked the Capitol would be returning to Olive Garden and Holiday Inn,” then Hannity took the time on his show to lament about his love for Olive Garden.
Two days ago, Anderson Cooper said those who attacked the Capitol would be returning to Olive Garden and Holiday Inn.
And then, Sean Hannity spent time on his show talking about how much he loves Olive Garden.
These things actually happened. It’s ridiculous. pic.twitter.com/uUa1HnFExI
— Louie Mantia, Jr. (@Mantia) January 8, 2021
Axe Body Spray
He went on to explain that he thought it was ridiculous that AXE made a public statement about a can of their body spray being left in the Capitol Building.
There is a very low bar for what companies and individuals feel like they need to make public statements about.
Example: the fact that AXE felt like they should make a genuine statement about a can of body spray left inside the Capitol building is absurd. https://t.co/nvsSGpIze8
— Louie Mantia, Jr. (@Mantia) January 8, 2021
Making A Joke
Because it was absurd that Olive Garden was dragged into the incident, and he was essentially bored, he crafted a fictional statement.
When thinking about the absurdity of Olive Garden being dragged into this current event (and accounting for the fact that I have very little actual work to do these days), I wrote a fictional statement from Olive Garden… revoking Sean Hannity’s “Lifetime Pasta Pass.”
— Louie Mantia, Jr. (@Mantia) January 8, 2021
Jabbing at Cooper
He thought that since the Pasta Pass hasn’t been sold since 2019, and his intentional jab at Anderson Cooper would make the joke obvious.
I intentionally sprinkled in references to Anderson Cooper’s jab such as “Holiday Inn” that should’ve made this an obvious joke to anyone who read it. However, people thought Sean Hannity really lost his Pasta Pass (which, as we all know, has not been sold since 2019).
— Louie Mantia, Jr. (@Mantia) January 8, 2021
Too Big, Too Fast
But when the joke was tweeted and re-tweeted, and people started to believe his joke was real…
People joke that social media managers have a rough time when something like this happens. I know that to be true, and I didn’t consider that aspect seriously enough. Nor did I consider that my verified badge on Twitter would lend credence to something as stupid as this.
— Louie Mantia, Jr. (@Mantia) January 8, 2021
Hannity Responded
Even Hannity covered the tweet.
"Coming up: There was a blue check tweet today that I lost my lifetime pasta card at Olive Garden. We've looked into it, we'll tell you what that's about" pic.twitter.com/upMKwtgaEV
— Andrew Lawrence (@ndrew_lawrence) January 9, 2021
Not Just A Joke
Since actual journalists believed in the jokes legitimacy, he deleted the original tweet.
When my dumb joke about revoking Pasta Passes is believed to be true by *actual journalists* and causes *actual stress* for people who now have to deal with my joke, I think it becomes not *just* a joke.
So, I deleted the original tweet.
— Louie Mantia, Jr. (@Mantia) January 8, 2021
Taking It Back
It was fun while it lasted…
Olive Garden taking back Sean Hannity’s Lifetime Pasta Pass.pic.twitter.com/Jl0pxAI2sc
— NUFF (@nuffsaidny) January 8, 2021
OK.. One more restaurant I’ll never visit again.. No Big Deal!!
Their food sucks anyways
Time to step UP
The leftists are using Twitter and FB to organize themselves they will never get banned because FB and Twitter are Antifa and BLM members.
Twitter and Facebook ARE NOT Private companies they have gone PUBLIC as they are publicly traded.
Mexican President Manuel Lopez Obrador, is also mounting an International Campaign Taking On Tech Companies After Trump Bans.
All this “Conservative” sites should disconnect from Twitter and facebook use something else why anyone is sharing to FB or Twitter they are banning every conservative.
Twitter down 15% from $52 to $45, from last week to today, make sure everyone keeps telling everyone else to help this is the war we are fighting..
This is the next path forward, first Blocksite twitter and facebook from your internet provider, the state of Idaho internet provider blocked them both, in North Dakota banned users can sue Twitter and Facebook.
Use Ramble, GaB instead.
Tech bubble is imminent, close twitter, FB, Instagram accounts, dump their stock if own any from your IRA, 401K check your mutual funds that have Twitter or FB included, Twitter down again, dump before they go to zero, stop buying from Amazon, NO more made in the CCP purchases, buy direct from the mom’s and pop’s stores near you, made in America only, don’t wait DO IT TODAY.
Actually, the food has really suffered the past two years. It is not what it use to be.
So avoid Olive Garden.
I have eaten three times at two different Olive Garden Restaurants and they all SUCKED!!! Why on earth would anyone even WANT a LIFETIME PASTA PASS?? It’s beyond me!!
Got that right Pete.
That is so true. The food is not how it use to be
That place is gross
It won’t bother me at all to never eat there again.
Ahhhh Olive Garden, The McDonalds of Italian food
Olive Garden just lost a family group of 9. Shame that these companies seem to choose the wrong side of these issues.
This is false, Paul. You can keep enjoying Olive Garden!
This is false, folks!
It was a joke (satire) that everyone spread as if it is real. Sean Hannity explained it on his show. And he’s still eating at Olive Garden.
Is this a joke?
Olive Garden is off my Saturday Night Restaurant list from now on. Matter of fact it’s just plain off my restaurant list for any night.
Choke on your own overpriced food then. Ate their once. Never again.
The Las Vegas locations have terrible food….
Dinner in Olive Garden couple of times, never went back.
I’d like to see the rest of the story, but the website just keeps repeating page 1 every time I click on Next.
Not a good thing for Olive Garden to do that to Sean Hannity
Actually, most Italians consider Olive Garden’s food a joke on the American public
I used to eat at Olive Garden in the Eighties, I loved their food, the spaghetti and meat sauce. I used to go through so many of those bread sticks, when the meal came, I could barely eat that. After staying away from spaghetti for awhile, I finally returned to them about ten years later and nothing tasted the same at all!!
Stupid people. Hannity was trying to help them. Duh. Off my list of favorite places to eat. Sorry.
Looks like Hannity will have to go on suicide watch now. Without pasta life just isn’t worth living. Yuk-yuk! Who gives a damn about some overrated restaurant!
Communism at its finest folks! BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING!
Brown Shirts at their finest folks! I won’t be going to an Olive Garden, or any other Darden Restaurant, any time soon!
Haven’t been to Olive garden in a 100 years and won’t return anytime soon.
I’m sure Sean is crying, NOT!
The man can eat anywhere he pleases. Not waiting for free food I’m sure! LMAO
Oh my god shaun, what will u do without your pasta pass? You’ve been cancelled, because u tell the truth. I’ll pray they see the light, and still give u some bread sticks.This is just awful,u can’t fix stupid.
I won’t be eating at the olive garden anymore. TRAITOR. It isn’t like he can’t afford to eat here. It’s just a matter of honoring a person.
One word, STUPID!
Another sicko mental giant who is to far left. Bye never eat there again until they change their policy. Why the hell did you cancel Hannity’s lifetime pass. He stood up for you… How STUPID can you get? ..
I do think this is a joke, based on the fact that there’s probably more pasta available than we’ll ever be able to eat (sort of like potatoes). As a footnote, please don’t confuse “vicious” with “viscous” — which is an aerodynamics term that means “sticky” or drag-causing.
I guess I am out of date on this Internet stuff. I had always thought the Internet was created by the government (not the idiot politician) and its use was supplemented by satellites. Now is a license required to connect to the backbone of the net? How about demanding the FCC to revoke any license if they cannot control their biases.
This is Karl Marxx’s #4 on his list of how to change a country to communism. Destroy Christianity is #1
What? Why? And what is a lifetie pasta pass? Pass the bread sticks.
And I though it was the leftist elites that thought Olive Garden was for the masses and not good enough for their refined tastes. Now nobody will be eating there.