The tweet and photoshopped picture of the crest garnered over 20,000 likes and a range of responses from that spanned from total incredulity to complete earnestness. The website itself is a pastiche of Twitter's verification process: those vying for a"blue check home" are asked about their status as"thought leader[s]" or other public figures.
Some of the responses were clearly satirical with fake names, she told SFGate, but others were ostensibly interested in the"service" and didn't seem to mind paying the listed fee of $2,999.99. The joke originated after Baskin posted a photo of ornamental shields on several Victorian Bay Area houses. Twitter user Adam Scheuring"this was the blue check before Twitter." Baskin, whose website describes her work as making"viral art, companies, and delightfully weird events," took the joke a step further and created the website.
Soon after, Baskin found herself having to disclaim that the project was somewhere"between real and fake"—the website existed, but the service was a joke. If you're eager to verify which houses are owned by celebrities or other public figures, Zillow does offer users the ability to search for"