The New York Post’s Seth Mandel called it a few weeks back when he predicted that someone would be triggered not just by the dropping of the MOAB on an ISIS compound in Afghanistan but by the nickname itself.
"MOAB is both sexist and normative/exclusionary. Time to call it something else."
–take we will probably hear at some point today
— Seth Mandel (@SethAMandel) April 13, 2017
By that time, someone had already lodged a complaint against referring to “the epitome of lethal patriarchy” by such a grotesque nickname as the Mother of All Bombs.
He was a little late, but Pope Francis got in on the discussion Saturday, managing to complicate the issue exponentially. What does an enlightened progressive do when the head of the Catholic Church appears to take a shot at the patriarchy by praising life-giving motherhood?
'Mother' should not be used to describe a bomb, "ashamed" Pope says. "A mother gives life not death". https://t.co/f2hTjTrRf7 via @Reuters pic.twitter.com/fjh8FxsiSX
— Philip Pullella (@PhilipPullella) May 6, 2017
“I was ashamed when I heard the name,” Pope Francis told a group of students. “A mother gives life and this one gives death, and we call this device a mother. What is happening?”
It’s an American thing … like when we call private detective John Shaft a bad mother …
'Mother' should not be used to describe a bomb, Pope says https://t.co/dltoWGZ0fZ pic.twitter.com/p08MWyKvKX
— Reuters Top News (@Reuters) May 6, 2017
@Reuters when females (like me) say this, no one listens….. will anyone listen when a male says it? pic.twitter.com/uDE82WweOs
— Sahila ChangeBringer (@Kiwigirl58) May 6, 2017
Just to clarify: the caption on the photo above was not excerpted from the pope’s speech.
@Kiwigirl58 @Reuters Is it worth mentioning MOAB stands for Massive Ordnance Air Blast… The airmen nicknamed it Mother of all.. oh never mind…
— Ed H-B (@Moledozer) May 6, 2017
@Reuters MOAB: Massive Ordinance Air Blast
— Eric Cartman (@eric1cartmann1) May 6, 2017
@Reuters Amazing, it may take the Pope for Americans to recognize the impact/importance of language, and how it's used/abused as political rhetoric
— Andrea De Costa (@kbaygirl) May 6, 2017
That will prove to be a fascinating conversation. Wouldn’t it be ironic if that’s what the Islamic State militants were discussing when the MOAB hit?
@Reuters Pretty sure they aren't referring to the sweet lady who raises her kids. Lol.
— D G Hodges (@pinkhouse60) May 6, 2017
@Reuters It's a figure of speech.
— DONOTBUILDTHEWALL (@HearnBob) May 6, 2017
@Reuters Does it really matter that much what it's called?
— Tim Yorty (@TYorty) May 6, 2017
@Reuters When this bomb is used to kill terrorists then it's the greatest mother of all, father!
— Ahmad (@anammari) May 6, 2017
Keeping in mind that USA TODAY’s estimate of its power was off by a factor of 1,000, the mother of all bombs doesn’t even come close to these guys:
@Reuters What about fat man and little boy?
— Hélène Frenette (@frenette_h) May 6, 2017
Would it be OK to drop a few more on ISIS if we change the nickname to “Nasty Woman”?
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Related:
‘Lethal patriarchy’? Here it is, everybody: The Mother of All MOAB Takes https://t.co/bGIGWBe8Cy
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) April 13, 2017
