Humans are human. It’s because of this that life in and around the California capitol has inspired some great comedy over the years. In recent years, some of the best comedy has come in the form of real-time tweets from a handful of parody accounts by people in and around the Building. This isn’t a comprehensive list, but it should give you some ideas about who you should be following.
Unruly Unruh
Joined Twitter: April 2013
Followers: 1,560 Followers
Most Recent Tweet: This Month
Why Should You Follow? Unruly Unruh, named after former Speaker Jesse Unruh, dispenses wisdom and occasionally crude (but expertly timed) humor on Floor activities, the personal lives of legislators, and general California politics.
Vanity Caucus
Joined Twitter: May 2013
Followers: 1,868 Followers
Most Recent Tweet: This Month
Why Should You Follow? Although the account describes itself, “always sarcastic, never intentionally mean” it was the focus (allegedly) of an several-month investigation by Assembly leadership (allegedly) after a comment critical of one legislators appearance.
Bacteria Bear
Joined Twitter: April 2011
Followers: 1,752 Followers
Most Recent Tweet: October 2015
Why Should You Follow? This bear (scientific classification: Ursus schwarzeneggerus) has been hibernating for nearly a year now, but in it’s day was one of the more prolific parody twitter accounts. Named for a truck-proof security barrier that was installed outside the Governor’s office in the late 2000s, BB retweeted photos taken with visitors and regularly harassed the reporters who congregated near it while waiting on press conferences.
Assemblyman Chewie
Joined Twitter: September 2015
Followers: 325 Followers
Most Recent Tweet: Last Month
Why Should You Follow? Who can resist insider humor mixed with Star Wars references like “Has anyone found funding for a clone army in the budget bill?” Certainly not I.
Rotunda Reagan
Joined Twitter: June 2015
Followers: 182 Followers
Most Recent Tweet: Six Months Ago
Why Should You Follow? This twitter account is as active as the statue in the basement. Maybe getting a few more followers would entice the author to bring it back? Never hurts to ask.
Bronze Gipper
Joined Twitter: June 2015
Followers: 133 Followers
Most Recent Tweet: This Month
Why Should You Follow? The longer-lasting of the two parody accounts based on the grinning robot in the basement, the Gip is clearly someone who enjoys connecting with elected officials and other parody accounts in tweets. I see great things to come from this account. Follow now and you never know how far those coat-tails will take you.
Leland Yee’s Gun
Joined Twitter: March 2014
Followers: 290 Followers
Most Recent Tweet: A Few Months Ago
Why Should You Follow? The FBI raid on Senator Yee’s office came as a big surprise for most Capitol staffers. What shouldn’t have come as a surprise was the nearly-instantaneous rise of the wise-cracking “Leland Yee’s Gun.”
Roger Dodger
Joined Twitter: June 2011
Followers: 361 Followers
Most Recent Tweet: A Few Months Ago
Why Should You Follow? Created just months after the real Roger was sworn into his first term in the Assembly, Roger Dodger has had the time to follow the full arc of his career from young legislator to the Roger we know today. Looking back on the tweets from this account, it can be painful to see just how prescient they were. From the very first tweet (“Roger Hernandez for Congress Twitter Kickoff! It will be hard to write just how truly awesome I am in 140 characters or less.”) it seems like these tweets were written in the past week.
