> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://hyperallergic.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # People Who Aren't Upset That a Rothko Was Defaced Today - URL: https://hyperallergic.com/people-who-arent-upset-that-a-rothko-was-defaced-today/ - Published: 2012-10-07T20:59:46.000Z - Updated: 2025-11-24T16:18:52.000Z - Description: The reaction in 140 characters or less after today's Rothko incident at the Tate Modern has been overwhelming … including some people who seemed to enjoy the news. - Author: Hrag Vartanian - Tags: Opinion, Mark Rothko, Tate Modern, Twitter, #wp, #wp-post, #image-position-hidden, #Import 2025-11-24 06:51 (2012, 2013, part 1) ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/twitter-rothko-tate-home.jpg "twitter-rothko-tate-HOME") The reaction in 140 characters or less after today’s [Rothko incident at the Tate Modern](https://hyperallergic.com/rothko-defaced-at-tate-modern/) has been overwhelming. At one point Rothko was a trending topic on the social media service, according to [one user](https://twitter.com/MrStevenMoore/status/254991809313386496?ref=hyperallergic.com), but more than that these news events inevitably bring out the best and worst in people. While the majority of people have understandably been horrified at the fact that someone would deface a renowned painting for no reason other than what appears to be self-promotion, not everyone felt that way. This post is about the *other* tweets, meaning the ones that expressed some type of enjoyment at the news, or maybe they just poked fun at the whole thing. Reading them is akin to being rubbernecking on the information highway. You don’t know why you have to look but you just do. We’ve saved you the time and compiled some of the most interesting from the first six hours after the incident below. *Enjoy … or, er, whatever you’re supposed to do with them.* [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-07-16-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.07.16 PM")](https://twitter.com/DawnHFoster/status/255005782322581504?ref=hyperallergic.com) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-07-52-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.07.52 PM")](https://twitter.com/aforaorta/status/255005802052587523?ref=hyperallergic.com) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-08-45-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.08.45 PM")](https://twitter.com/coolgothsweater/status/255006488685314050?ref=hyperallergic.com) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-09-23-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.09.23 PM")](https://twitter.com/thejaymo/status/255006517449863168?ref=hyperallergic.com) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-09-54-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.09.54 PM")](https://twitter.com/KatieMagnet/status/255009320020893697?ref=hyperallergic.com) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-10-33-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.10.33 PM")](https://twitter.com/VonSpacebee/status/255012751494225920?ref=hyperallergic.com) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-11-33-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.11.33 PM")](https://twitter.com/TheMichaelMoran/status/255013073524502528?ref=hyperallergic.com) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-12-04-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.12.04 PM")](https://twitter.com/bent%5Finnit/status/255021642277875712?ref=hyperallergic.com) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-12-34-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.12.34 PM")](https://twitter.com/apiology/status/255024946684780546?ref=hyperallergic.com) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-13-18-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.13.18 PM")](https://twitter.com/edmondcaldwell/status/255025689240141824?ref=hyperallergic.com) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-13-49-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.13.49 PM")](https://twitter.com/johnholtmagic/status/255028431933284352?ref=hyperallergic.com) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-14-22-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.14.22 PM")](https://twitter.com/RosHolland/status/255033088311185409?ref=hyperallergic.com) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-14-51-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.14.51 PM")](https://twitter.com/josephsdsu/status/255034106365214720?ref=hyperallergic.com) And this is a late entry: [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-54-39-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.54.39 PM")](https://twitter.com/bbhorne/status/255091991644356608?ref=hyperallergic.com) Beyond the fact that some people relished the art crime at the Tate today, there was a whole other range of emotions and takes too, and here is a taste. Some people expressed relief or something … [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-15-31-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.15.31 PM")](https://twitter.com/commsbitch/status/255006477994041344?ref=hyperallergic.com) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-15-56-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.15.56 PM")](https://twitter.com/David%5FCAA/status/255006678070726656?ref=hyperallergic.com) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-16-25-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.16.25 PM")](https://twitter.com/EIsie/status/255018991981051905?ref=hyperallergic.com) Some jokes: [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-17-20-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.17.20 PM")](https://twitter.com/Pundamentalism/status/255016168455290880?ref=hyperallergic.com) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-17-51-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.17.51 PM")](https://twitter.com/poet%5Fsouthern/status/255012970118127616?ref=hyperallergic.com) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-18-22-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.18.22 PM")](https://twitter.com/irrpfad/status/254999463985307648?ref=hyperallergic.com) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-18-49-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.18.49 PM")](https://twitter.com/Selected%5FPoems/status/255036867991461889?ref=hyperallergic.com) A timely restoration joke: [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-19-18-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.19.18 PM")](https://twitter.com/CraigVCPorter/status/254988516570832896?ref=hyperallergic.com) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-19-55-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.19.55 PM")](https://twitter.com/ed%5Fson/status/255023212927279105?ref=hyperallergic.com) Is this the beginning of a conspiracy theory? [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-21-2.jpg "Screen-Shot-2012-10-07-at-7.21-2")](https://twitter.com/bgji/status/255018729392467968?ref=hyperallergic.com) You call that vandalism?! [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-23-55-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.23.55 PM")](https://twitter.com/RhianEJones/status/255018780705558528?ref=hyperallergic.com) An interesting observation: [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-24-43-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.24.43 PM")](https://twitter.com/joffley/status/255011994216845312?ref=hyperallergic.com) This is just strange, so “no comment”: [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-25-35-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.25.35 PM")](https://twitter.com/liacheyenne/status/255026263578771457?ref=hyperallergic.com) And some people think the reaction was just too much: [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-26-14-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.26.14 PM")](https://twitter.com/BrokenBarnet/status/255005926518575104?ref=hyperallergic.com) [![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/51/f8/51f871d8-b6be-4a73-b958-0ca4fff0110a/content/images/hyperallergic-newspack-s3-amazonaws-com/uploads/2012/10/screen-shot-2012-10-07-at-7-26-50-pm.png "Screen Shot 2012-10-07 at 7.26.50 PM")](https://twitter.com/BevieKnowles/status/255017831769440259?ref=hyperallergic.com)