After that report of bedbugs infesting the New York Times HQ, George Washington University professor Dave Karpf tweeted this mild joke about NYT columnist Bret Stephens:
The bedbugs are a metaphor. The bedbugs are Bret Stephens. https://t.co/k4qo6QzIBW
— davekarpf (@davekarpf) August 26, 2019
That joke, however, earned an email complaint from Stephens that also copied Dr. Karpf’s boss at GWU:
This afternoon, I tweeted a brief joke about a well-known NYT op-Ed columnist.
It got 9 likes and 0 retweets. I did not @ him. He does not follow me.
He just emailed me, cc’ing my university provost. He is deeply offended that I called him a metaphorical bedbug.
— davekarpf (@davekarpf) August 27, 2019
Dr. Karfpf then posted the email to show everyone what a complete doorknob Stephens was about all this:
Alright fine… here is the email: pic.twitter.com/A4E5I6CoB6
— davekarpf (@davekarpf) August 27, 2019
Text:
Someone just pointed out a tweet you wrote about me, calling me a ‘bedbug.’ I’m often amazed about the things supposedly decent people are prepared to say about other people—people they’ve never met—on Twitter. I think you’ve set a new standard.
I would welcome the opportunity for you to come to my home, meet my wife and kids, talk to us for a few minutes, and then call me a ‘bedbug’ to my face. That would take some genuine courage and intellectual integrity on your part. I promise to be courteous no matter what you have to say.
Maybe it will make you feel better about yourself.
Please consider this a standing invitation. You are more than welcome to bring your significant other.
The Washington Post confirmed the authenticity of the exchange:
“He not only thinks I should be ashamed of what I wrote, he thinks that I should also get in trouble for it,” Karpf told The Washington Post. “That’s an abuse of his power.”
In an email, Stephens told The Post that his email to Karpf “speaks for itself.” A spokesperson for the Times didn’t immediately respond to a message about the exchange.
Stephens has since deactivated his Twitter account this morning after getting called out for trying to get this guy fired over being called a bedbug:
Some News pic.twitter.com/fyvP01Ns2e
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) August 27, 2019
Good lord this is next-level pathetic. Proving once again that the people who whine the most about “snowflakes” and “triggered” and “free speech” are actually just projecting their own immense fragility.
— Rob Sheridan (@rob_sheridan) August 27, 2019
But seriously, all @BretStephensNYT managed to accomplish in this remarkable display of weakness is that he became the actual internet bully that he was complaining about. If the @nytimes sanctioned Jonathan Weisman for how he behaved, they have to consider being consistent here.
— Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) August 27, 2019
I've gotten literal death threats from people and I haven't taken the time to track down and email their bosses.
Threats emailed to me directly – not even a tweet!
— Yashar Ali ? (@yashar) August 27, 2019
sometimes i think of the deluge of cruelty folks like jemele hill and jamelle bouie and other folks get and they basically have to sit on their hands. meanwhile bret stephens got called a third-grade insult and tattled to the dude’s boss. he would never make it if he was us.
— Joel D. Anderson (@byjoelanderson) August 27, 2019
911 OPERATOR: what’s your emergency?
BRET STEPHENS:
911 OPERATOR: Bret I swear to Christ this better not be about twitter…
BRET STEPHENS: *hangs up the phone*
— Michael Tannenbaum (@iamTannenbaum) August 27, 2019
In the past, Stephens has said “the right to offend is the most precious right.” Except if it’s him:
I mean come on, @nytimes. pic.twitter.com/KVN9ZReeUI
— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) August 27, 2019
Good riddance.
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