I think this would do the complete opposite. Create two tiers of of users: Lords with the money to spend $8/month on getting a blue tick next to their name, and the peasants who don't cough up.
I can't wait to be disregarded just as a spam bot because I thought it's an embarrassing waste of money.
Can't it actually be the opposite? Like, sure I could pay $8/no (a coffee plus croissant) but it signals that I care so much about being heard on twitter that I'm willing to PAY for it... Only losers do so, so blue checkmarks a are that.
I can't wait to be disregarded just as a spam bot because I thought it's an embarrassing waste of money.