Fans have slammed R.E.M. for leaving X, as they find it as a ‘childish’ decision.
The band simply wrote “X,” with a waving hand emoji, sharing their tweet where they said, “We’re outta here, Xers… R.E.M. will no longer be updating this band page, but you can find us on Bluesky and follow along on all other official platforms here: remhq.com.”
Still, fans didn’t like this decision. “Love you to bits guys but this is seriously childish,” someone wrote in the comments. “Millions of fans from around the world follow you on X but because you didn’t get ‘your way’ in an election means they miss out?”
Another person shared, “Childish move… seriously. I thought we were all adults.” One other fan added, “We can disagree and still be friends. That would be maturity!”
After Donald Trump’s reelection, several famous celebrities left Elon Musk’s X. In the last weeks of the election, Musk became a close advisor and major financial supporter of Trump, reportedly donating $118 million to his campaign. Trump has mentioned he might give Musk a role in a ‘government efficiency commission.’
Trump’s win seems to have pushed many celebrities to leave. They cite concerns about more misinformation, negativity, and alleged censorship on the platform.
On November 14, Barbra Streisand said her last post on X was, “Effective immediately, any comments I post will be on Bluesky. #TwitterExodus.” Jamie Lee Curtis’ exit from X got a lot of media attention. On November 14, she shared a screenshot on Instagram of her deleted Twitter page, where she wrote, “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. Courage to change the things I can. And the wisdom to know the difference.”
The news anchor Don Lemon announced he was leaving X on Instagram and with a statement on X. He said in an Instagram video, “I have loved connecting with all of you on Twitter and then on X for all of these years, but it’s time for me to leave the platform. I once believed it was a place for honest debate and discussion, transparency, and free speech, but I now feel it does not serve that purpose.”
R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe was angered after Trump used the band’s song ‘It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)’ at a rally in 2015. Stipe expressed his frustration, stating he didn’t want his music associated with Trump’s campaign.
