New York Times’ David Brooks Gets Roasted on Twitter For Critical Column on Women’s March
New York Times columnist David Brooks tossed out a piece this morning in which he roundly criticized the Women’s Marches across the world for focusing on the wrong priorities and issues. In the writer’s opinion, the demonstrations that attracted millions over the weekend were too reliant on identity politics and should have tried to be more about patriotism.
Finally, identity politics is too small for this moment. On Friday, Trump offered a version of unabashed populist nationalism. On Saturday, the anti-Trump forces could have offered a red, white and blue alternative patriotism, a modern, forward-looking patriotism based on pluralism, dynamism, growth, racial and gender equality and global engagement.
Instead, the marches offered the pink hats, an anti-Trump movement built, oddly, around Planned Parenthood, and lots of signs with the word “pussy” in them. The definition of America is up for grabs. Our fundamental institutions have been exposed as shockingly hollow. But the marches couldn’t escape the language and tropes of identity politics.
He would then end the piece by saying the march didn’t come close to offering a coherent vision for people to rally around and then offered up the musical Hamilton as a better example to look to.
Well, as you’d expect, Brooks’ column wasn’t seen all that positively by many folks, especially since it was a man essentially telling women how to better improve their political activism. There was quite a bit of reaction on Twitter over the piece.
First off, there was ample use of the term ‘mansplain.’
David Brooks reprises his starring role in
The Ultimate
Mansplainhttps://t.co/SjFqKWN5E5 pic.twitter.com/bTWmO5MUDo— Christopher Mims™ (@mims) January 24, 2017
Oh good, David Brooks is here to mansplain the Women's Marches to us silly ladies *stabs own eyes* (via @jmseabrook) https://t.co/dIhRkcnB5O
— Hadley Freeman (@HadleyFreeman) January 24, 2017
@nytdavidbrooks @nytimes Why does the idea of women standing up for themselves scare you? Your mansplaining game is so weak #WhyIMarch #DavidBrooks #resist
— Tara Obama Dublin❄️ (@taradublinrocks) January 24, 2017
David Brooks mansplains the problem with the women's march https://t.co/wZx6LWus5q pic.twitter.com/NipVPND92t
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) January 24, 2017
I'm so thankful we have David Brooks to mansplain about the ineffectiveness of the Women's March. /sarcasm
— Kira Schlesinger (@kmays) January 24, 2017
Others just wanted to make it known how silly Brooks’ column was:
David Brooks literally wrote a column telling women to stop focusing on patriarchy. If you wanted a case-study in patriarchy, there it is.
— Clint Smith (@ClintSmithIII) January 24, 2017
Stop reading David Brooks.
— roxane gay (@rgay) January 24, 2017
Shorter #DavidBrooks: "the word 'pussy' makes me feel uncomfortable and its less important than flags"
— Talia Lavin (@chick_in_kiev) January 24, 2017
*sadly drops rose petal into the grand canyon* another day i have to spend responding to david brooks
— Alexandra Petri (@petridishes) January 24, 2017
If David Brooks wants to organize a march in favor of civilizational norms and the definition of America or whatever, he should go for it.
— John Hodgman (@hodgman) January 24, 2017
Just read the David Brooks column on the women's march. Should have come with a head pat and an ass pinch at the end.
— Jessica Valenti (@JessicaValenti) January 24, 2017
I will pay David Brooks no less than $7 or $8 if he organizes a march for "the dynamism of capitalism with biblical morality" & gets 10 ppl
— Julia Carrie Wong (@juliacarriew) January 24, 2017
Shorter David Brooks:
You gals need to smile more. There, see? You could light up a room with that smile. Now go make me a sandwich. Scoot.
— TBogg (@tbogg) January 24, 2017
I suppose we're just going to have to let David Brooks and Jonathan Chait organize protests from now on.
— Jeet Heer (@HeerJeet) January 24, 2017
Funniest line of day is David Brooks complaining that so many marchers put "pussy" in their signs–as if POTUS did not inspire it.
— Greg Mitchell (@GregMitch) January 24, 2017
[image via screengrab]
–
