The WeRateDogs Twitter Account Is Embroiled In Scandal After Being Accused Of Whitewashing Dog Names
CNET- This is Kanan. He is, without a doubt, a good boy. He’s also at the centre of an internet row bubbling over at one of Twitter’s most beloved accounts, WeRateDogs. The account, now closing in on 7 million followers, is exactly what it sounds like. It routinely posts and rates pictures of dogs that have been submitted by Twitter users around the world, embedding funny captions above adorable photos. Now the account is being accused of whitewashing. On Monday, WeRateDogs posted an image of Kanan but changed the good boy’s name to “George”. Shortly after, Twitter user @marybwagner asked the account what George’s real name was and why it was changed from the original, Arabic-origin name.
Matt Nelson, creator of the WeRateDogs account, speaking to CNET, explained why the name change occurred. “That post worked better with a simple name, more specifically something monosyllabic. The “This is ____” introduction had to be as blunt as possible for the remainder of the tweet to work. This is just something I’ve learned over the years running the account. George seemed like a good name, and I’ve learned that people really enjoy common “old man” names that contrast a pic of an adorable puppy.”


I mean who didn’t see this sandal coming? No good thing on the internet can exist forever. That’s what we learned here. WeRateDogs was the one thing on the internet that it seemed would never take an L. How do you fuck up tweeting out cute pictures of dogs with cute captions? It’s proof that nobody is invincible.
The explanation from the WeRateDogs creator makes does make some sense. When it comes to captions on Twitter, people are more responsive to simpler names, and simpler things in general, cause people are stupid. But it does take some of the magic away from the Twitter account about dogs that the people behind the scenes are trying to be mad scientists to up their engagement. The thing the WeRateDogs account seems to have forgotten is that dogs put asses in the seats no matter what. It’s seemingly the one commodity on the internet that the law of diminishing returns doesn’t apply to (and porn, of course). So yeah, their explanation makes sense if you’re talking about any other thing on the internet except dogs and porn.
None of that matters now, though. WeRateDogs is all kinds of fucked. Their Google search history is polluted. Their mentions will never get a break. People will forever and always see them as racist now. That’s how the world works. But like I said, it’s their own doing. They lost the vision. They made it too complicated. People don’t give a fuck if the dog’s name is Kanan or George or Chad or Brian or Stalin or Saddam Hussein. They’re gonna Like and RT their faces off. WeRateDogs messed around and did too much and got burned.
Please follow the @icanteven account on Instagram for all your dog needs. Thank you.