The White House 'Rickrolls' Its Twitter Followers (TWEET)

It's not every day that the White House responds to one of your tweets--but it's even rarer that it "rickrolls" you.

Twitter user David Wiggs (@wiggsd) decided to share his thoughts on the latest White House correspondence briefing, which he described as "[not] nearly as entertaining as yesterday's," in a tweet that incorporated the #WHChat and #TCOT hashtags.

Moments later, he received a response from the official @WhiteHouse Twitter account. Not only did the White House tweet back, it also pulled a prank on Wiggs and the account's over 2.3 million followers.

"Sorry to hear that. Fiscal policy is important, but can be dry sometimes. Here's something more fun," wrote @WhiteHouse, with a link to a music video of Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up."

In other words, Wiggs--and anyone else who clicked the link--got rickrolled, a term for an Internet meme that essentially consists of directing someone unknowingly to Rick Astley's 80s hit song. Short links (like "huff.to") on Twitter are great for this type of tomfoolery because they mask they actual URL of a page. (The White House used "tinyurl.com/y8ufsnp.")

You can scroll down to see the tweets for yourself.

While this rickroll may be the first from Pennsylvania Avenue, it's not the first time its been used by a political force. Apparently, when Nancy Pelosi rolled out Congress' official YouTube channel (www.YouTube.com/HouseHub) in early 2009, visitors were treated to the same surprise.

David Wiggs' original tweet:

This WH correspondence briefing isn't nearly as entertaining as yesterday's. #TCOT #WHchatless than a minute ago via web Favorite Retweet ReplyDavid Wiggs
wiggsd

The White House's 'rickroll' response:

@wiggsd Sorry to hear that. Fiscal policy is important, but can be dry sometimes. Here's something more fun: http://t.co/ca31My7 #WHChatless than a minute ago via web Favorite Retweet ReplyThe White House
whitehouse

A screenshot (In case you REALLY don't want to get rickrolled):

Comments

[Ayla McIntosh]

04:04 PM on 07/31/2011

Never gonna give, never gonna give

[2crudedudes]

01:58 PM on 07/29/2011

Rickrolling is so last decade

[ValdaDeDieu]

12:47 PM on 07/29/2011

Since a sense of humor is closely related to intellect--we're in good hands...LOVE IT!

[KarlaElisa]

11:38 AM on 07/29/2011

it'd have been funnier if they'd linked to Public Enemy's 'Harder Than You Think' off their How You Sell Soul to a Soulless People Who Sold Their Soul? album
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_kM3ZVm_6M

or better yet...'Propaganda' by Dead Prez http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psdgRH_p3XI

[MMSpooner]

02:28 AM on 07/29/2011

You'd never see the Bush administration play along ....

...of course George is still too busy to try an understand "the Twitter..."

[gramma61]

01:09 AM on 07/29/2011

That is just too too funny...good for them...and to the grumps from the right...get over yourselves.

[msstrick40]

12:35 AM on 07/29/2011

It's funny to see how the wingers flocked to articles like this tonight...because they know, they would be brought down to size in a mass hurry if they'd go over to the ones saying that the repugs have blown it....LMAO

[henrypapillon]

09:34 PM on 07/28/2011

Sounds almost as bad as getting uckfayouyayed.

[paganmist]

09:18 PM on 07/28/2011

I love how Obama is personally responsible for anything that anyone does anywhere near him or in his name anywhere in the world. Republicans keep saying us libs think Obama's the Messiah, but they're the ones expecting him to have fixed 8 years of their crap in 2 and apparently believe that he has the mind control abilities to make Congress, Wall Street, and Foreign Countries do his bidding. Obama ate my baby. There. I might was well get in on the fun.

[SierraNevadaOnTap]

06:04 PM on 07/28/2011

Wow, they are just like us. Shadow elite run the world anyway -- our gov't are pawns.

[NonCon]

04:50 PM on 07/28/2011

Awesome! Keep em rollin'. Glad to know you can still dance and laugh!

[Benjamin Rosenfeld]

04:43 PM on 07/28/2011

Staffers have boring jobs. Just like a paralegal can't practice law, they can't legislate. It's no wonder why they would amuse themselves like this every once in a while. I would.

[msstrick40]

12:29 AM on 07/29/2011

True!!

[taterted81]

04:16 PM on 07/28/2011

I wonder if the teabags realize everyone is laughing at them when they overreact to things like this and start shouting for impeachment?
They actually have the mental insanity to think it's the president sending this tweet and not some young staff/intern. But please keep crying teabags. It just makes me smile.

[Enzo Ferrari]

04:04 PM on 07/28/2011

Why is this in the TECH section ?

[Super Lib]

03:39 PM on 07/28/2011

Its just more of the same crap slowly eating away at the dignity of our highest office, late night shows, i-pods given to the Queen of England, This is our PRESIDENT, come on.