I agree.
The Twitter tick had some cool when it was a mark of authenticity. Now it's a bit cringe.
The embarrassment factor might work better for Twitter if they offer an option similar to what LinkedIn does for paying users: Give the user the option to disable the blue tick on their account so other people don't know they are paying, while still having access to useful paid account features.
Like you I'd be more willing to pay a small amount for API access and useful features if I can do so quietly, without broadcasting the fact.
