Murdoch, Hall engagement sparks mockery on social media

The news of Rupert Murdoch's engagement to Jerry Hall sent social media into a sometimes snarky whirl on Tuesday, as Twitter users mocked the former supermodel for her plans to marry the elderly media mogul.

Murdoch, 84, and Hall, the 59-year-old former longtime romantic partner of Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, announced their plans to wed in a classified advertisement in the Times, a British newspaper owned by Murdoch. It will be Murdoch’s fourth marriage.

“Rupert Murdoch” was trending on Twitter in the United States on Tuesday morning, while “Jerry Hall” trended in Britain after the news broke. The news also appeared on Google Trends’ list of the top 10 stories in the United States.

Many Twitter users expressed astonishment over the pairing.

“Rupert Murdoch getting married to Jerry Hall. Sometimes life is stranger than fiction!” wrote Pink Corinthian (@PinkCorinthian) Tuesday.

Sports and politics commentator Keith Olbermann (@KeithOlbermann) offered, simply, "I'm hallucinating, right?" while retweeting the news from his account.

Much of the surprise was expressed less than charitably, with many Twitter users assuming money was a motivating factor for the union.

“So, Jerry Hall, what first attracted you to billionaire … No, actually, I still don’t understand it," tweeted actor David Schneider (@davidschneider).

"Jerry Hall runs out of money at 59 & seeks reliable old style ATM," wrote The Monkey Pod Mafia (@FlatEarthGang).

"Jerry Hall, eh? Starts with a rolling stone, ends up with a fossil," joked Northern Monkey (@FootballEars).

Some Twitter users remarked on the timing of the announcement, nearly overlapping with the news of the death on Sunday of rock superstar David Bowie, a friend and one-time collaborator with Jagger.

“Sorry … we’ve fallen through a wormhole,” tweeted Coalition Tea Lady (@ItsBouquet), “Bowie is dead – and Jerry Hall is going to marry Rupert Murdoch.”