Pippa Middleton has reportedly taken legal action to shut down a parody Twitter account that uses her name after the account holders published a novelty book doling out inane parenting advice.
Publication of Pippa’s widely panned party-planning book, “Celebrate: A Year of Festivities for Families and Friends,” apparently gave rise to the account @pippatips.
Said to be run by Mat Morrisroe and Suzanne Azzopardi, it dispenses simplistic tips and observations for followers based on the tone of the younger Middleton sister’s predictable tome.
Here are a few choice tweets:
#PippaTip: headache tablets can be a great in helping deal with a headache
#PippaTip: for the fashion conscious amongst you, stylish new clothes can often be acquired at shops by going shopping
#PippaTip: finish typing before pressing send on a tweet
#PippaTip: learning can be a fulfilling experience, you can learn by finding out things you didn’t know before
#PippaTip: avoid getting lost by consulting with a map
#PippaTip: hair of the dog is not the actual hair of a dog, it just means having a drink in order to stave off the effects of a hangover
#PippaTip: when writing a book your publisher will send you proofs, a passport or other photo ID like a driving license should suffice
#PippaTip: A nice walk. Have a fun time by leaving the house & placing one foot in front of the other whilst looking at things with your eyes
You get the idea.
The mock account appears to have sprouted in October 2012, and soon after it amassed 50,000 followers, the writers reached a book deal, according to Britain’s Independent.
In June, the authors published the tongue-in-cheek baby manual “What to Expect When One is Expecting: A Posh Person’s Guide to Pregnancy and Parenting.” The satirical manual answers questions like: “Does ‘nesting’ mean I have to live in a tree?” and “Is caviar suitable for weaning?” Relevant questions for those expecting a little monarch or lord, no?
The book jacket simply says the authors are the “Creators of @pippatips,” not Middleton, Morrisroe or Azzopardi.
But it seems with sister Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, about to give birth to the third in line to the British throne, a book dispensing such tips — even as a satire — is in questionable taste. Middleton, 29, had her legal team from the London-based firm of Harbottle & Lewis send a letter to Morrisroe and Azzopardi’s publisher, Icon Books, demanding that they delete the @Pippatips account. If not, further legal action will take place.
The fate of the book itself is unclear.
