(PresidentialHill.com)- The AP Stylebook tweeted on Thursday morning, warning journalists who work for the organization against using “dehumanizing” collective phrases for individuals, such as “the French.”
“The French” quickly weighed in.
The French Embassy in the United States was one of several that openly criticized the tweet. The AP later took their Friday tweet down, but that did not improve the situation.
The tweet was up long enough for it to receive savage mockery for its “super-woke” admonition of its writers.
The AP’s tweet directed its writers (and anyone happening to read their tweet) to avoid using generic and often degrading terms, such as the poor, mentally ill, French, the handicapped, and the college-educated. Use language like “those with mental disorders” instead. And only use these descriptions when they are obviously relevant.
The message was ridiculed brutally and almost instantly by Twitter users from all angles. Daily Wire Editor Shapiro said, “I agree, these days we probably should label ‘the college-educated’ people with mental illnesses instead,” He said.
He followed up his quip by writing, “We should also stop calling them ‘the French’ and start calling them cheese-eating surrender monkeys.
The comedian Jon Stewart commented, “I believe the correct AP label is ‘the/those f***ing French.”
Twitter CEO Elon Musk even got in on the dogpile. “So then why do call yourself ‘The’ Associated Press 😂,” Musk tweeted.
When none other than the French themselves joined in ridiculing the AP’s tweet, the jesting reached peak-ridiculousness.
The French Embassy in the US tweeted, “I guess this is us now,” along with a screenshot showing its account being changed to “Embassy of Frenchness in the US.”
The AP walk-back said, “We removed a previous tweet because it included an offensive insult to French people.” “We had no malicious intent.”
However, that walk-back drew even more online jeering.
According to journalist David Gardner, “This must be the first time in history that someone has surrendered to the French.”
Oui-oui.
