Twitter is the worst place on earth. Mostly because it’s the social media network of choice for people who type (*!–in 140 characters or less-!*) the equivalent of steamy hot outrage diarrhea. Yet, as a news junkie, I can’t control my addiction to it. It’s the place where things become *things* in 2015, even though you have to deal with nauseating opinions and grandstanding from the masses.
Last night, according to Fusion, Twitter’s revenue team hosted a “frat party-themed party” in the Twitter offices. They had all the things you’d expect at a party of tech people trying to relive their college glory days: A keg, beer pong on a Twitter-branded pong table, solo cups. I’m sure there were snacks, too. Word about the party, however, quickly got out to advocates against “brogrammer” culture in Silicon Valley tech companies. Fusion reports that Twitter is in the middle of a gender discrimination lawsuit brought “a female software engineer who claims that the company’s promotion process unfairly favors men and is seeking a class action certification.”
That’s messed up if true. BUT, not sure what this has to do with hating a fun evening of team building via beer pong.
This caused the Twitter outrage machine to shift into overdrive:
Silicon Valley US: @Twitter is having a #Frat party for employees. #Lovewhereyouwork #diversitymatters #brogrammers. pic.twitter.com/WkX4aHHl6g
— Global Tech Women (@GlobalTechWomen) July 22, 2015
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seriously, twitter, who thought it was a good idea to throw a frat-themed party — ally palanzi (@mylifeasalllly) July 22, 2015
Yikes. Twitter hosted a frat-themed party yesterday, and is apologizing for its employees’ “poor taste.” http://t.co/hxQew4JsFY
— Kevin Roose (@kevinroose) July 22, 2015
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“Twitter hosts ‘frat party’ while fighting gender discrimination lawsuit.” It’s easy to live up to low expectations: http://t.co/7iXZzsIAwh — LibrarianShipwreck (@libshipwreck) July 22, 2015
Because of the outrage, Twitter’s spokesperson, Jim Prosser, issued an apology to Fusion:
“This social event organized by one team was in poor taste at best, and not reflective of the culture we are building here at Twitter,” Prosser said. “We’ve had discussions internally with the organizing team, and they recognize that this theme was ill-chosen.”
Look — I’m a GDI. I like doing my own thing. I never had interest in joining a frat. They are a very whatever thing to me. I genuinely don’t care about them. I had a blast in college without them.
BUT, what pisses me off is people who get angry when the word “frat” is mentioned. The outrage over this is ridiculous. If Twitter’s revenue team just called this event a “College Keg Party,” everyone would have been totally in the cool. Or even an Animal House-themed party. The term “frat party” or really anything relation to fraternities is a trigger for social justice warriors to get mad about their very existence. I’m sure both male and female co-workers had their fun mingling with their co-workers over beer pong.
We’re slowly becoming a culture that just hates the very idea of fun. Or the idea of other people having fun. And when other people are having fun, social justice warriors use it as an excuse to get mad about said group of people having fun. The place all this fun-hating outrage lives? Twitter, ironically.
This is easily the best tweet of the entire stupid ordeal:
@GlobalTechWomen @MichelleGlauser @twitter lol real bros would never get a keg of lagunitas.
— Ken Wheeler (@ken_wheeler) July 22, 2015
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He’s right — No one is trying to play beer pong with Lagunitas. Keystone, Natty, Busch Light, or GTFO.
Chill the fuck out and enjoy your damn life, people.