The Gladiator Era is upon us. With opening day worldwide ticket sales of $153M, the Ridley Scott historical action film is the long awaited sequel to Gladiator (2000), and continues the glorious saga of power and vengeance in Ancient Rome. It follows Lucius (Paul Mescal), who enters the Colosseum after his home is conquered by tyrannical Emperors that dominate Rome with an iron fist. With rage in his heart, Lucius must focus his anger and find the strength to return the glory of Rome to its people.
If I imagine our current social media landscape within the reconstructed Colosseum of Gladiator II, built in Morocco with over 1000 faux painted stone replicas, I see Mr. Musk ride in on a Great Rhinoceros in October 2022. Armed with the glory of a genius business plan and a limitless financial portfolio, he overthrows Twitter with “X”rebranding in July 23, 2023, leaving many dumbfounded. I for one, was relatively new to the Twitter-verse.
However, in July 2024, I observed an algorithm change that sent many running into the welcoming arms of another platform with a blue-colored logo. As for me, I made some adjustments and bunkered down, where I remain. In maneuvering the learning curve, I keep a lookout while watching the tide, and taking cues from the all powerful Emperor Musk.
However, since July 2024, I’ve learned a thing or two about intercepting the massive amount of “X” Impersonator/Fake profiles, Hate-Speech, and Female-Bot profiles (with links to images of their private parts).
The first defense is to be cautious about engagement with any and all profiles, until they are proven to be a legit. (Side note, most are not.) Second defense, remain neutral like a billboard in regards to sharing strong personal opinions. Thirdly, whenever possible, assume a Flower child mentality by sharing love and positivity. Lastly, stay on top of your posting game whenever X changes their algorithm, or you could potentially see a massive drop in engagement. And I’m talking from hundreds or thousands of views on a post, down to single or double digit views!
https://www.cntraveller.com/article/where-was-gladiator-ii-filmed
