PR pro accused of racism after tweeting AIDS joke

[Note: Please read the note from Twitchy’s managing editors at the end of this post.]

For a gal who works in PR, Justine Sacco seems pretty darn clueless. Sacco, who works in corporate communications at InterActiveCorp (IAC), sent this tweet earlier today:

https://twitter.com/JustineSacco/status/414052561248075776

Uh, what?

A real tweet from a public relations professional https://t.co/W0ATN8hY14 pic.twitter.com/VE3cPPrvcW

— Mike Hayes (@michaelhayes) December 20, 2013

IAC is kind of a big deal:

@NathanWurtzel They own http://t.co/tKTyMaNQFz, http://t.co/9RWsV6R4Xq, http://t.co/U5tzCQbm9F, http://t.co/3mafnMtLyb…. @sarahbellumd

— RBe (@RBPundit) December 20, 2013

Yeah, it’s a pretty long list.

https://twitter.com/Cameron_Gray/status/414107616647057408

We’re guessing this won’t be good for public relations.

WTF “@Lisa1660: Is she fired yet? RT @michaelhayes: A real tweet from a public relations pro https://t.co/vwN2ZgbPXN pic.twitter.com/lNiHZoBYeA”

— a gentleman ghost. (@SuperbadLarry) December 20, 2013

aaand she's fired RT @Jay_DBN: nahhh RT @michaelhayes: A real tweet from a PR professional https://t.co/xvhAKUaMgz pic.twitter.com/76spph9rLq

— Ben (@Nebkreb) December 20, 2013

https://twitter.com/OHCONSERVATISM/status/414105522007465984

https://twitter.com/NathanWurtzel/status/414103346278977536

@JustineSacco Nice. Have a resignation paper ready when you get back.

— Alex Yudelson (@AlexYudelson) December 20, 2013

.@JustineSacco Enjoy your job search.

— Hot & Bothered (@ladymisskate) December 20, 2013

https://twitter.com/Andrea_Fleshman/status/414106405025509377

How is this person employed at a PR firm? RT @JustineSacco: Going to Africa. Hope I don't get AIDS. Just kidding. I'm white!

— Mike Pompeo's Dog Walker (@TheScudStud) December 20, 2013

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I fail to see any humor in this, what a dumbass https://t.co/XcZN1Kq2ra

— Je suis Anchor Baby (@AbbieLicious07) December 20, 2013

The whole Duck Dynasty staff is terrible huh?. MT @michaelhayes: A real tweet from a PR pro https://t.co/1EEufEwSby pic.twitter.com/UfgdH4b4Ru

— Tom Mantzouranis (@themantz) December 20, 2013

https://twitter.com/rachelveronica/status/414107099363168256

Oh, and just in case any lefties immediately assume that she’s a coldhearted conservative like that awful Phil Robertson:

Follow up: She's… drum roll… a liberal. https://t.co/EOmRzUrttk

— RBe (@RBPundit) December 20, 2013

Ahem:

https://twitter.com/JustineSacco/status/342836439320498177

Just putting that out there.

https://twitter.com/hboulware/status/414110164988342272

Editor’s note: This post has been updated with additional tweets.

Note from Twitchy’s managing editors:

From time to time, we step away from our desks and a post is published which does not reflect our views. This is one of those times. While we are not big fans of tasteless AIDS jokes, we feel Ms. Sacco’s ironic joke was widely misunderstood.

Her tweet was public and public statements are fair game for criticism. However, the reaction to her tweet was ridiculously overblown and we strongly disagree with the P.C. mob feeding frenzy that followed. On behalf of Twitchy, we apologize that this post contributed to that frenzy.

The original title of this post, “‘Worst tweet ever’? PR ‘pro’ manages to sound ‘racist,’ mock AIDS in a single tweet,” has been changed.

For balance, please read this post from Ace:

http://ace.mu.nu/archives/345892.php

[Update]

Sacco has been fired and has apologized for her AIDS joke:

“Words cannot express how sorry I am, and how necessary it is for me to apologize to the people of South Africa, who I have offended due to a needless and careless tweet,” Sacco said in the statement. “There is an AIDS crisis taking place in this country, that we read about in America, but do not live with or face on a continuous basis. Unfortunately, it is terribly easy to be cavalier about an epidemic that one has never witnessed firsthand.

“For being insensitive to this crisis — which does not discriminate by race, gender or sexual orientation, but which terrifies us all uniformly — and to the millions of people living with the virus, I am ashamed.

“This is my father’s country, and I was born here. I cherish my ties to South Africa and my frequent visits, but I am in anguish knowing that my remarks have caused pain to so many people here; my family, friends and fellow South Africans. I am very sorry for the pain I caused.”