As Twitchy told you earlier, Neil deGrasse Tyson further cemented his status as one of America’s premier Tiresome Asses with this New Year’s tweet:
Not that anybody’s asked, but New Years Day on the Gregorian Calendar is a cosmically arbitrary event, carrying no Astronomical significance at all.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) January 1, 2018
He was soundly kicked around for that take, including by several of National Review’s finest:
I resolve not to put my faith in promises based on some random calendar no better than other calendars. Also, science doesn’t need resolutions it has facts. #HappyNeilDeGrasseTysonNewYears
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahNRO) January 1, 2018
Significance assigned to astronomical events is socially constructed, just like the Gregorian calendar, or your reputation as the nincompoop’s pedant. https://t.co/AeBNtdsWbA
— Michael Brendan Dougherty (@michaelbd) January 1, 2018
It doesn’t have any nutritional significance either, according to my restaurateur friend, but somehow he still manages to grasp that it’s an important cultural event that doesn’t need filtering through his professional lens and explaining as if everyone were a moron.
— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) January 1, 2018
Points off for capitalization, but a bigger question: Isn’t the entire idea of “astronomical significance” a kind of anthrocentric fallacy? Things are significant to human beings, not to astronomical objects. That an eclipse is “significant” is a belief, not a fact. https://t.co/80MkeD4HmQ
— Kevin D. Williamson (@KevinNR) January 1, 2018
Excellent points by all. But according to “Daily Show” producer David Paul Meyer, those tweets were evidence of “triggering.” No, really:
Hahahaha yo the @NRO bros get so triggered by @neiltyson ??? pic.twitter.com/xB1x4ufiqU
— David Paul Meyer (@dpmeyer) January 2, 2018
Hahahaha yo you’re not very bright, are you, David?
I have questions:
1. How old are you?
2. Do you know what "triggered" means?
3. For a Daily Show writer, you seem extraordinarily puzzled by snark. Are you sure you're in the right job? https://t.co/CUVAawzwy7
— Mo Mo (@molratty) January 2, 2018
Oh, my bad, I mean Daily Show producer.
— Mo Mo (@molratty) January 2, 2018
Eh, the distinction isn’t really important in this case. All that matters is that Meyer’s attempt to make National Review look stupid only highlighted his own toolishness.
I don't think quite understand what "triggered" means. They aren't running for their safe spaces, they're spending about 10 seconds mocking Tyson for his silly and predictable tweets.
— Steve Gracin (@stephengracin) January 2, 2018
Tyson deserves to be mocked. How nice that David has that in common with him!
the whole internet was shitting on him, not just them.
— Unwoke Duffy (@TheIllegit) January 2, 2018
Pretty sure everyone dunks on him bro
— Ed K (@edkrayewski) January 2, 2018
And now everyone can dunk on David, too.
