
Someone please help @harmanxhundal find love in Kent. Thanks. https://t.co/KAPkgX1gE2 pic.twitter.com/XI86QwznGm
— City of Kent, WA (@cityofkent) May 13, 2020
Too ambitious to be just a one-off clapback, the account got increasingly spicy, in a sort of out-of-pocket kind of way:
Just because during your last arrest we asked you not to come back is no reason to be salty. Finish your probation, stop stealing Civics and you’ll be welcomed back! ❤️
— City of Kent, WA (@cityofkent) May 13, 2020
This new attitude has blossomed over the past week, culminating in this outrageous tweet that I was sent over Slack with the message "city of kent! not playing!":
Y’all ready for this trash? @CityofTukwila spent all day reporting our tweets to @Twitter trying to get us blocked and @CityofRenton spent the day icing their burn marks from me having to drag them. Calm down before I take @IKEAUSA from you. 👏🏽 Ya 👏🏽Heard? #MyNeighborsAreOld pic.twitter.com/tiystaT1FV
— City of Kent, WA (@cityofkent) May 15, 2020
Ha! Um! What?! I've repeatedly reached out for comment and have not heard back. I will update this post if I do.
May 12 seems to be when the City of Kent Twitter account pivoted into snarky self-awareness. In honor of National Police Week, the account shared a screenshot of the mayor's (satirical?) Facebook post calling for a cancellation of all crime to protect the police force from coronavirus, imploring those who commit crimes to "seek actual employment" and become a "functioning member of society."
Then, after dragging a random person for their "soulmate" tweet, the City of Kent's Twitter account began engaging in a wide variety of antics, from endlessly retweeting random Twitter users either shocked or delighted by the account's radical change to starting beef with the neighboring city of Tukwila's account. Kent's timeline now reads like a spirited (yet cringy) extended family member's page.
Also, wash your hands, wear a face covering and maintain a social distance from people. Mmmmmmk, thanks! ✌🏽 pic.twitter.com/uNbWzYuQLY
— City of Kent, WA (@cityofkent) May 13, 2020
Sure, a non-sentient city with a population of almost 130,000 having a riotous Twitter account is amusing. It also reminds me of the conversations we have about Taco Bell, Arby's, and Wendy's when they tweet like horny and socially competent 20-year-olds to make you forget they're actually just selling you mystery beef.
"Brand humanization 'works' now in part because people feel disconnected and disheartened after scrolling through the daily chaos," wrote Nathan Allebach, the person behind the unhinged Steak-umm Twitter account, in Vulture. "When a brand is entertaining or relatable, it opens the door to parasocial relationships, a.k.a. people viewing media personalities as friends."
This seems to be the tactic embraced by the City of Kent. The veil was briefly lowered on Friday when the person behind the account tweeted out that they turned down media interview requests because "this is about our great city—not about me," insisting that it's time for governments to "meet our communities where they are at, engage with them, hear from them and serve them. This is one of the tools I use to get your attention and then serve you." Then they requested nuggets.
Cntd...
Socioeconomic status and neighborhood. I got into government to fix this. It’s time to meet our communities where they are at, engage with them, hear from them and serve them. This is one of the tools I use to get your attention and then serve you.
4. Bring me nuggets. pic.twitter.com/uu9kfsKHs8
— City of Kent, WA (@cityofkent) May 15, 2020
Kent's humor often has a more libertarian, cop-loving, Gen X sensibility. "Do they deliver?" the city tweeted in response to a KING 5 story about a Hong Kong shop serving "tear gas" ice cream, leading, naturally, to the question: does the City of Kent want to spoon feed tear gas to its citizens? Or—in one of the only instances of the account retweeting a city council member during this tonal transition—displaying a resistance to raising taxes.
Do they deliver? 💅🏽 https://t.co/MGV3O3BEDv
— City of Kent, WA (@cityofkent) May 15, 2020
The tactics seem to be working for the city. The account apparently gained 3,500 new followers over four days.
I just hope they learn how to put it to good use.
I’ve got 3 metro busses rented and we’re all pullin up. The Mayor is coming too - I’m teaching her to be saucier for the people. You pick the nuggs and we will get them. The white claws are mango. 🥴❤️ https://t.co/eDjkhPlq9U
— City of Kent, WA (@cityofkent) May 17, 2020