Following a few high-profile failures, SpaceX made history yesterday after it successfully launched a rocket into space and managed to bring the booster safely back down to earth.
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In the wake of SpaceX’s tremendous achievement, the praise heaped upon the Elon Musk-led company was rightfully effusive. Most notably, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, who owns his own commercial space company named Blue Origin, sent out a tweet congratulating SpaceX on their accomplishment.
“Welcome to the club,” the tweet partially read.
Now you would think that Bezos congratulating SpaceX would be a complete non-story, nothing more than an innocuous tweet amidst a sea of deserved praise. But this is the Internet, folks, where people are seemingly programmed to express righteous indignation with remarkable ease and enthusiasm.
The point of contention? People found it out of place for Bezos to suggest that he’s in the same club as SpaceX. Recall that Bezos’ company not too long ago sent a rocket up to the edge of space and brought it back down to earth. For a number of reasons, SpaceX’s mission was far more complex, technologically challenging, and impressive. As a result, many found Bezos’ implication more than a little bit off-putting. Further, some found Bezos’ categorization of the launch as ‘suborbital’ to be needlessly dismissive.
So yeah, Bezos was arguably trolling here, and when the Twitterverse got wind of it, they let the Amazon CEO have it with full force.
Some of the tweets sent Bezos’ way include the following jabs.
@JeffBezos this is a joke right? I know you’re smarter than this. We all do. Your launch was great but not like this. Good job though
— Matt Anglero (@MattAnglero) December 22, 2015
@JeffBezos @SpaceX haha that’s funny you actually think you’re on the same level as @elonmusk
— Mike Sudyk (@sudyk) December 22, 2015
@JeffBezos bruh I’m happy for you but y’all went straight up and then straight down.
— Alex Berish (@AlexBerish) December 22, 2015
@JeffBezos @SpaceX Cheap shot. Apples and oranges here, saying otherwise cheapens your own achievement.
— Ted Everett (@ZedsTed) December 22, 2015
@JeffBezos You’re in the space tourism business, dude. Settle down.
— Daniel Lewis (@danrlewis) December 22, 2015
@JeffBezos @SpaceX wow that was a hard core backhanded compliment @elonmusk
— Parker Kennedy (@progresstinator) December 22, 2015
@JeffBezos @SpaceX To be fair they landed a real rocket
— Alaa Murad (@alaamurad) December 22, 2015
@JeffBezos this is a joke right? I know you’re smarter than this. We all do. Your launch was great but not like this. Good job though
— Matt Anglero (@MattAnglero) December 22, 2015
.@JeffBezos shouldn’t you be busy underpaying overworked warehouse workers?
— Rainbow Stalin (@RBStalin) December 22, 2015
@hoffmang Except very sadly obviously he’s not! @JeffBezos just managed to cheapen one of the most historic days for space travel @SpaceX
— Wiz Bang (@wizbangistaken) December 22, 2015
@JeffBezos A real man would congratulate Elon on his victory, give credit where due, and not pretend to be on the same plane.
— Adam Blackstone (@Celt_Englishman) December 22, 2015
@JeffBezos Think before your tweet next time?
— Mike Joyce (@B9Creations) December 22, 2015
@JeffBezos you’re kidding right..?
— Daniel Box (@dnlkbox) December 22, 2015
@JeffBezos @SpaceX @BcnFox Sorry Jeff, the new club delivers payloads! #SpaceX
— Lee Grindinger (@LeeGrins) December 22, 2015
@JeffBezos you’re going to work for Elon one day
— Jeff Goldenberg (@jeff_goldenberg) December 22, 2015
@JeffBezos @SpaceX what club ? This was a million times more difficult than what u did
— Avionica (@avionicamusica) December 22, 2015
@JeffBezos @SpaceX very lame. SpaceX is a real, operating, launch company. Blue Origins is still testing a circus ride.
— Jim De Arras (@jmdearras) December 22, 2015
@JeffBezos @SpaceX enough said… pic.twitter.com/DbRGxcVyCv
— Bryan Meister (@MeisterBryan) December 22, 2015
