Here’s a photo of Chrissy Teigen last night at the FGI Night of Stars event in NYC. She looked gorgeous in hot pink; she won’t be tweeting about the evening after the abuse she’s suffered on Twitter. Chrissy isn’t a stranger to controversy on Twitter. She loves to troll the trolls, and she’s very skilled at throwing shade back in their faces. Is that a skill? Sure it is. Some people find Chrissy abrasive, but she’s fun to follow. She’s definitely not the typical stuck-up, showbiz kind of tweeter. She engages with people and “follows back” a lot more than other celebrities. Plus she mostly tweets mundane things instead of simply pushing a PR agenda.
Chrissy’s tenure on Twitter took a turn for the worse when she made an innocuous comment on Wednesday after the Ottawa shootings. She wasn’t commenting upon the incident itself or on Canada. Chrissy’s comment, “active shooting in Canada, or as we call it in america, wednesday,” was a remark on US gun culture. The tweet was misinterpreted by many, and the fallout has been severe. For over 24 hours, Chrissy received death threats and other abuse. Here’s an abbreviated version of what happened:
(1) Active shooting in Canada, or as we call it in america, wednesday
(2) That’s not a joke. It is a fact.
(3) Sorry you don’t understand that is a knock at america and our issues with gun control. No one is minimizing the Ottawa shooting.
(4) I’m not apologizing. If you take it wrong, that is your fault.
(5) For some reason, Canadians think I am saying they have a lot of shootings. I am not saying that. Sigh.
(6) I’ve lost faith in this world. Sorry if it comes off as being unemotional. There is just so much bad.
(7) 90% of my mentions. RT “you should probably stick to having your picture taken for a living.”
(8) And this is where @twitter needs to step their game up. RT “You f—ing c—. You’ll get yours soon enough.” RT “Wish ISIS would give Chrissy a permanent haircut.”
(9) Yikes. RT “So, how much of an stupid bitch are you?”
(10) my timeline is a nice mix of toast talk and death threats
(11) I can’t see anything through the sea of hate and anger that is now my Twitter. Seriously I can’t sift through it all.
(12) It’s gotten to the point people don’t even see he simplicity of the original tweet and have just wanted to get shaking-mad over something
(13) Amazing this isn’t punishable. RT “@f—— I hope someone murders some you love, like your f—– husband”
(14) I feel sick. Bye Twitter. Taking my talents to instagram.
[From Chrissy Teigen on Twitter]
I don’t blame Chrissy for taking a step back from Twitter. Hopefully, she hasn’t quit for good. She needs a break, and Twitter needs to take these threats seriously. They allow abuse like this to happen all the time. I’ve had friends report similar threats, and Twitter acts like it isn’t their problem until enough people report a certain user. That’s a major issue. All it takes is one crazy person to carry out a threat.
Forbes says that Twitter generates over $1 billion in ad revenue per year. They should have no problem devoting the funds to investigate abusive tweets like this. If it takes celebrities quitting Twitter to spur them into action, so be it.
Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet & WENN
I love you chrissy. Don’t ever change
I don’t like her but she said nothing wrong here imo, really don’t get the outrage.
Me either. I am european, so can someone please explain what she said wrong?
I found it insensitive because it reads like “LOL active shooting in Canada – we deal with that all the time, suck it up”. But I can also see that maybe she was trying to bring attention to the fact that America has way too many situations like this – and that she might just be really shit at writing.
I think her wording was incredibly poor considering the situation – and how soon it followed it – especially when I had family locked down in Halifax NS yesterday because a dude was wandering around with a rifle.
Don’t take a goddamn tragedy and spin it into a piece about your own countries politics – ESPECIALLY directly following the incident. Do you think a Canadian could have made a ‘joke’ after the Boston tragedy? Or any other shootings? People are grieving. She has the right to her opinion, but don’t be insensitive to other peoples’ suffering and sadness.
I agree with the twitter comment ‘maybe stick to taking photos’. The threats and overwhelming hate was unacceptable – but if you’re putting your opinion out there like that for the world, you need to expect criticism – but never threats.
And yes – this post is ranty – but she’s just solidified my dislike for her.
Well I don’t know if it was a Canadian (I suppose it could have been) but a bunch of people made jokes about the Boston bombings after the Red Sox won the World Series and not that it’s a contest, but I found them FAR more offensive than Teigan’s tweet.
http://twitchy.com/2013/10/31/classless-losers-tweet-boston-bombing-wishes-and-jokes-after-red-sox-win-world-series/
My first instinct when I read her tweet was “well, is she wrong?” but then upon further rumination, I did feel like she was minimizing it a bit by insinuating that the US deals with stuff like this every day. I think her point was more to say that the US is f*cked up and Canada doesn’t have the gun issues that we do (which is a good thing) but she worded it poorly.
I am Canadian and not offended at what she said. It probably wasn’t the best time or wording but it was very clear she wasn’t taking a shot at Canadians. I was way more offended that whenever I put on American news coverage about it I many times heard “only an hour away from us” and “one hour from our border” making it about them and also trying to invoke such fear in Americans for something a canadian did on canadian soil.
And that’s my main issue – Kitten. It’s the wording. You can’t write something like that directly following a situation like this and expect someone not to get up in arms. And her ‘defense’ kind of just made it worse in some ways. I appreciate that she stands by her point, but the whole thing is just such a PR shit show. The “Sorry you don’t understand that is a knock at america and our issues with gun control. No one is minimizing the Ottawa shooting.” and the “I’ve lost faith in this world. Sorry if it comes off as being unemotional. There is just so much bad.” really just cements that she was downplaying it or that people who are upset are just too stupid to understand.
It’s the whole “Sorry you were offended by what I said but…” story all over again. Would it have KILLED her to have said something supportive for those affected instead of just using this tragedy to prove a point? I doubt it. Even through all of the rantings, the insults, and threats, it was like she was playing it all up for attention. Is she a victim because of peoples’ actions? Yes. But posting things like “*peeks* hi mentions are you safe yet?” – really? You know what your mentions are like. Clearly, it was a tweet begging her followers for sympathy and to prolong the situation. She could have just stopped. Not talked about it, left twitter, whatever she wanted to do. But instead she gets people riled up all over agin.
I honestly feel sick reading those tweets you posted. They were months later, but that doesn’t excuse a thing. This isn’t something that should be made into a joke – period. People are assholes.
@Chris — I can’t even watch those news reports. It’s so self-centered – which is really how I find Chrissy’s as well.
I will say though, that I had a few of our clients (I work for an American web company) giving us sympathy and support for what happened, and I thought that was really sweet. They made a point of bringing it up, even when they were in a rush to get work done.
I’m with Chris on this. As a Canadian I didn’t take it that way at all. And Chris, I totally agree, the US news coverage is both alarmist and offensive.
I completely understand, Erinn, I really do.
Using one country’s current trauma (for want of a better term) to make it about your country does rely on timing. The timing was bad.
Didn’t get mad at her as she is right. What I got eye-rolly about is CNN. Caught a little in a bar and between their hysteria, spelling Ottawa wrong (Ottowa), and accidently killing off half the population (we have 35 million, not 18), they continue to be ridiculous.
Haven’t watched CNN regularly since SARS when they pretty determined the four horsemen of the apocalypse was riding down Yonge street.
Disclosure: Canadian here.
I don’t think she was taking shots at all at the Canadian tragedy but pointing out how out-of-control gun violence is in the U.S. While it may have been insensitive to make the crack so soon, I’m clueless as to why she would receive death threats and name calling over this. A “too soon” tweet in response would’ve sufficed.
Betty – I can only assume because people are absolute nutters.
Another Canadian here, I understood EXACTLY what she meant… and took no offense.
I don’t think she said anything “wrong” per se, but what she did say wasn’t said right (or well). I don’t understand why most celebrities take to Twitter to comment on such important and sensitive incidents. You’ll need to make a statement that captures all of the emotions in 140 characters or less. It requires someone to be very skilled with words. Otherwise just offer your condolences and sit this one out.
Not only it is insenstive to say “Whatever you dead Canadian, nobody gives a f—, we Americans are the ones with the real problem”, especially saying it in a joke format. She also can’t differentiate between a teenager with a record of serious social problems, like it has been in some major American shootings, and a terrorist attack that reflects a current global struggle. She’s a cliché, the dumb pretty face, and trying to show us how smart she is she also proved she has no respect for the victims of terrorism.
If she’d wanted to raise awareness about the problem of shootings in America, she wouldn’t need to wait until a terrorist attack happened in a foreign country and she wouldn’t do it in a popular Twitter joke format. It is insensitive and I would have gotten really mad too. If my brother was killed, I wouldn’t like for a dumb pseudo celeb to piss on it.
It’s definitely not offensive on the scale of meriting death threats, but to me it does come off as somewhat insensitive and blase. As in, “oh, we’re sooo over that kind of news here in the States, it happens here aaall the time.”
HH
I agree with that statement so much. And while many celebs can take to twitter and be so gifted with what they say in 140 or less. Patton Oswalt stands out as 1 who can do this.
I don’t disagree with the message she later clarifies as trying to say. She just did it so poorly and shouldn’t have attempted at all.
There other side to this is she’s taking a break from twitter because she can’t take what she dishes out. She nit picks random tweets from anyone and trolls them relentlessly. Now the tables are turned and she signs off.
Although, the threats are uncalled for. They’re not far off from how people attack eachother and leave them feeling terrible from trolling or bullying.
I love her too. I love how she doesn’t take modelling too seriously
Nothing wrong with her tweet – and I’m a Canadian. People are fu**ing ridiculous….really.
Ditto. She’s my fave.
Around 30 people die per day in the USA through gun violence – more American citizens per year than all the soldiers killed in US military operations since 2001 COMBINED.
She’s not actually wrong.
Right.
And I’m not sure how people interpreted her comment to mean that “Canadians have a lot of shootings”. o_O
Because people like to find something or someone to rage at. They project a thousand different meanings onto an innocuous statement and it rolls from there. I took a peek at her Instagram yesterday and people were saying, “I can’t believe you laughed at that soldier dying!” or other things that were not at all what she said. They’re just making up stuff now. And it’s pretty scary the threats they’re sending her.
Its also come to the point where we are getting desensitized to hearing about shootings in my area and I live in what would be considered a very nice and safe area, not like a big city or anything.
It used to be such a rare occurrence that it would be major news but now it happens so often its..oh another shooting in town” and thats if its mentioned at all.
Wow. That is really high. I knew gun violence was a big problem USA but i didn’t recognize the extent of it.
I heard an American comedian a few years ago talking about the 5000 who die every year in Los Angeles due to flying particles in the air. He said they call those particles bullets.
I imagine the death rate has only gone up since then.
Here in the US, the solution to gun violence is more guns. People think that by simply owning a gun, they’ve solved the problem. And, if that is proven to be untrue, the solution is just a bigger gun. An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Or, in our case, dead. When my MIL, who has never been the victim of any sort of violence, announced that she would be getting a gun to defend herself and then proceeded to get one, my first thought was: Welp, I guess my chances of being shot have just skyrocketed.
I once saw statistics on gun violence in the US. Only a very, very small percentage of gun violence was the result of self-defense. The vast majority were suicides and homicides. The sad thing is, everyone thinks they’re smart and sane enough to own a gun. I mean, I don’t know a single person who got a gun and thought: You know, I bet I’m going to use this to shoot my spouse in a fit of jealous rage one day. No, they all think they’re getting it for some noble purpose, like defending their family when, in reality, they’ve just introduced the biggest threat.
And in a strange coincidence, the high school shooting today, that left 2 dead/5 injured, is the area she grew up in. Nearby town/same county.
gun violence is a horrific problem in our country, a true tragedy. and chrissy was right to point it out. i can’t believe people have sent her death threats. wth are they trying to achieve? if they thought she was insensitive to the ottawa shooting, calling for her to die is, what, “sensitive”? that’s the sad thing about the interwebs – a$$holes are given a virtually anonymous and consequence-free forum to spew their hate in.
and gun violence is not a “big city” issue, as people tend to think (i can’t even go into the socioeconomic, racial, and social justice issues in that “argument” without getting too upset).
on a shallow note, she looks absolutely stunning in the pink dress.
I wasn’t implying it was just a big city issue, I just meant you hear about stuff like that more often in bigger cities b/c there’s a bigger population vs in small towns.
no, sorry, i didn’t mean you, i didn’t read that into your post at all – it just made me think of what people say about the character of gun violence.
I think she is very wrong comparing a shooting in the parliament in Ottawa with a run of the mill Wednesday American shooting. How often does a guy enter Congress , the White House with a shotgun and starts shooting at people? This is no ordinary shooting. It is an attack on the Canadian people, it’s government, on democracy. She is an idiot and should just satisfy herself by showing her body and shutting her mouth.
This is exactly what I think Chris. I am a pretty liberal Canadian and often think people get up in arms about little things. However, this tweet really bothered me. You can’t compare this to a joe blow shooting a 7/11 clerk in a robbery. This was an actual terrorist who decided to willfully purchase a gun, go to OUR Nation’s Capital (equivalent of Washington DC to our US friends) and start killing soldiers. Thank goodness he didn’t do a good job. This guy got inside our parliament- where our government was getting ready to convene. (Like a senate in the US, I guess). This was not a typical Wednesday in the US. Terror attacks that kill people occur weekly in the US? Not quite. Yes, the US is more of a threat and I will never understand the gun culture there. But come on, show some support to your neighbours to the north. Even a tweet that said, “now Canadians know how it feels to be under a terrorist attack” would have been more acceptable than what she wrote.
P.S. Pittsburgh Penguins organization- total class act. That is how you show solidarity or sympathy. thank you very much for your thoughts.
She’s not wrong. I live in Chicago proper, which has a massive problem with gun violence, and we’ve just had another school shooting in the US. Our history in having a permissive attitude about guns is costing people their lives. Are threats warranted? Never. Did she exhibit unbelievably poor timing and taste? Absolutely. I don’t get why people love her on Twitter. She’s trolled Amanda Bynes, who is clearly very I’ll. she’s just not that smart or witty. It does seem like she can dish it out but cannot take it.
Agree. Her tweet was about the high level of gun violence in the USA.
What is wrong with people?!??!!!!! Ugh.
Twitter is honestly just the worst. Violence towards women on the internet recently has been so crazy (photo leaks, Gamergate, this). it’s really disturbing.
I wonder what these people are like in their daily lives. Would they hurl such vicious, violent language towards their neighbors, co-workers? Or are these people teens who are trying to one-up each other? Hard to believe that so many dark thoughts lie in so many hearts.
i always wonder about that too – how are these people in real life? can you tell interacting with them that they are vicious a$$holes on the internet? or is that a side of their personality they only express behind the veil of anonymity?
In the UK, the case of a twitter troll of parents whose child was abducted and is still missing, has been making the news.
This troll, who sent over 4000 vicious, vitriolic tweets, turned out to be a nice respectable 60something lady who was apparently lovely to her neighbours and friends.
On being outed, she committed suicide because apparently she couldn’t live with the shame of being outed, nevermind the abuse she sprouted to those distressed parents.
So in a nutshell, these people aren’t always crazies. If the veil of anonymity were removed, fewer trolls would exist.
She committed suicide because she was hounded and threatened by the general public after being ‘outed’ at her home by a news reporter waiting for her outside her house – its mob rule BOTH sides of that story and I find someone being hounded to death much worse than troll comments which are based on a very popular opinion that something is VERY fishy about the McCann disappearance…she never threatened them in any way ..
Mistee: She was shamed AND she was receiving a taste of her own medicine.
The McCanns have been receiving death threats aand public shaming for the disappearance of their daughter. You might think their story is fishy, but would you take to twitter to write nasty stuff about and to them.
As wiser people have said, never tweet/write anything that you can’t say to the recipient in person and this troll, for she was no lady, was pretty shamed in that respect.
And she couldn’t take what she’d been dishing out.
Harder to be cruel face to face. Or to be known.
To the topic..
Chrissy is only different because she’s just this way in person. Abrasive.
She can minimize an belittle criminal acts like assault and domestic violence on instagram. But hey, she’s cool and only joking. We shouldn’t be so serious.
She’s awful.
Photo leaks is not violence.
Thank you.
The theft and publication of personal photographs, with the deliberate intent to embarrass and humiliate the women involved was an assault and should be regarded as a sex crime.
It doesn’t have to be physical to still be considered violence. When you go out of your way to humiliate or harass someone by releasing private photos or videos it is still violence towards someone — WHO defines violence as the intentional use of physical force or power, threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or against a group or community, which either results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, maldevelopment, or deprivation. — sounds like violence to me.
@Tify nailed it!!! +1000
@Tify
Leaking photos involves physical force?
Qwerty
Right at the start Tify answers your question. It doesn’t have to be physical.
Many crimes are more defined by intent.
Twitter reactions are often way over the top and scary but (speaking as a Canadian), her initial Tweet was a bit…questionable. I mean, it was the day of the shooting and it can easily be misinterpreted. I totally get that she wasn’t trying to make light of the situation but sometimes it’s better to err on the side of caution.
That said, Twitter really should crack down on people who threaten / abuse others. It is bullying and harassment, after all.
ETA: I’m not saying that she in any way deserved what happened, I want to make that clear. I just think that – these days especially – people need to be careful about what they say on social media.
I agree. She didn’t deserve death threats over it though for sure. But I think this is a case of just because you’re right, that doesn’t mean you have to say (or in this case, tweet) it out loud. I know people say I have a right to an opinion, that’s the point of social media etc etx which is all true but that doesn’t change the fact some things will always be slightly callous and unnecessary in certain situations.
I can see how someone might find it in questionable taste, but she wasn’t making fun of the situation or Canada at all.
Maybe it wasn’t the absolute best time for her to tweet that, but we need someone to be saying these things. Gun violence in America is out of control.
Agree. Though questionable taste, I don’t think she meant any harm. I’m more miffed she used a lame and overused joke.
I don’t think she meant it as a joke, but it came off as dismissive of the tragedy in Canada. It was poorly worded. Of course she doesn’t deserve death threats, but I cringed when I read it. I thought it was insensitive and tactless. You could read it as “big deal, someone got shot in Canada, happens all the time here.” She could have made her point better than she did, but I’m not sure that was the time for it anyway. Tragedy in Canada, let’s talk about America. Again, no excuse for Twitter lunatics, but I think she could have been more sensitive.
THIS. I posted a ranty version of this up thread.
Completely insensitive, but also completely undeserving of any threats. It wasn’t the only situation this week either – we’ve had a few incidents across the country over the past few days. Yes – we’re lucky that we live in a relatively safe country – but that doesn’t make someone’s death any less upsetting. I found her tweet dismissive at best.
The scary thing is that gun violence is DOWN from late 80’s early 90’s. I think some of the difference now is that we have out internet, our wifi, our 3g, our twitter, our fb etc. We have information right at our finger tips. Where we didn’t hear about things globally as much 20 years ago as we do now, that it seems like it’s picked up.
That’s how I interpreted it as well-as in ‘oh mass shootings happen all the time here, you’re making something out of nothing’ (and her timing was not great, at that point they were still talking about multiple shooters, and people on Twitter were on edge).
My reaction though was to roll my eyes, shrug and go on with my day. It wasn’t hugely offensive, just kind of tacky. Which is par for the course for Teigen on twitter. ZERO excuse for twitter lunatics and death threats. That’s ridiculous.
OR she could have meant it as not so much dismissive of the tragedy but more highlighting the fact that this is just a ho-hum kind of occurrence in the US. That very same day, a person was shot in a hospital in Texas and it barely registered on news sites, but the entire situation in Canada quickly hit international news because it was so out of place and unexpected – which is a *good* thing. I saw it the way Chrissy did – it says a lot that this kind of thing was such a massive story (as it should have been) when in the US it’s just a blip in the news because it’s so commonplace. Perhaps it was a lamentation on how opposite the event and aftermath is treated in the 2 countries and that the reaction was exactly as it should have been – in Canada it completely overpowers everything else because it is so shocking but in the US many people can’t even be bothered to pay attention anymore. There was/is nothing to joke about and I have no clue where people (such as Erinn’s multiple rants) are getting this from. In no way was she indicating that a man’s death was dismissive or NOT upsetting. People are just looking to be offended.
Even if she was just highlighting that fact HoolooPie – maybe she shouldn’t have compared it to the shooting on the same day that it happened. Maybe she should take an active stance on those issues before and not capitalize on the attention surrounding this event.
Shootings happen all the time in Canada. It’s not like it was a case of “OH the first shooting in Canada in 4 years” or anything. It’s that it was following another incident targeted at Military personnel. This incident was targeted towards our capital. Is it just a blip in the news in the US when there is an attack on a government building, or when two soldiers get targeted to be run over? I don’t think so. It’s funny how in Canada we hear constantly about all the goings on in the US – but when it’s things happening here, a lot of the US has no idea what’s going on.
I understand what she’s trying to say – I’m not an idiot. But like I said – the way she came about it DID seem like she was brushing this event off like “oh whatever just another Wednesday”. Which isn’t fair to those who are going through this. I don’t look at a news report about a shooting in the US and think “eh, that happens all the time there, whatever”.
And the thing is – just because something doesn’t come off as offensive to one person doesn’t mean it won’t offend someone else. That doesn’t make their feelings of offense invalid.
Overall, she handled it poorly. Instead of just reporting the tweets, she had to go dragging the whole situation out – which is why I see it all as an attention grab.
I’ll make sure I’ll check with you next time though, about the number of posts I’m making.
HoolooPie,
I responded to you below, but I just have to say that I think Erinn is expressing her opinion, not ranting, and she has every right to do so. I often post more than once on the same topic if I feel strongly about it, and so do many, many posters here, including you, I might point out. I think that the fact that you’re not offended doesn’t give you the right to tell someone else how many times they are allowed to post or to belittle their opinion as a “rant.” I also happen to think you are the one missing the point, not Erinn. It’s called sensitivity to the feelings of other people who have just experienced a tragedy, not vomiting up your opinion whenever you feel like it just because it suits you as Chrissy did.
Yeah what GNAT said.
When the bombings happened here in Boston people expressed a myriad of reactions from indifference to bravado to sadness to sheer terror, and everywhere in between. On a personal level I took it pretty hard–it was frightening and it was a pretty tough time for our city.
Not to make it about me, but just to say that I 100% understand where Erinn is coming from. It’s a sensitive time for Canadians and just because something doesn’t offend you, doesn’t mean that you get to discard the feelings of those who are offended.
I think the reaction was due to her very bad taste of instantaneously turning the Canadian shooting into political opportunism. While everyone was worried about the welfare of the Canadian citizens caught in the crossfire,Christy was trying to score political points. I thought it was insensitive on her part.
But what exactly is political on commenting on how heartbreaking it is that so many in the US fall due to nonsensical gun violence, to the point it doesn’t even make front-page headlines anymore? It’s not a commentary either for or against gun ownership, gun restriction, etc. but simply a comment on how tragic it is that things are so out of control, without specifically addressing or criticizing WHY.
HoolooPie
I get what you’re saying, and I am very much horrified by our lack of effective gun control, and actually very anti-gun in general. So I agree with her sentiment. I just think it was poorly worded enough to come off as a little dismissive, like she was making a joke or sarcastic remark, and also, it just wasn’t the time or the place, as Steph said. The focus immediately after a tragedy should be “how can we help?” Not “enough about you, let’s talk about me.” I think, anyway.
Yeah, I totally understand what she was trying to say, but even as someone in the US, her tweet read quite insensitively. Sometimes it’s more important to practice empathy in the aftermath of a tragedy than it is to use it as some sort of platform for change.
” I’m not apologizing. If you take it wrong, that is your fault.”
great answer. im sick of people demanding those things. people either apologize themselves or its worthless anyway.
I agree. Why apologize because people chose to take offense. Sure what she said was tactless but harms NO ONE.
Stephen Fry said it best:
“It’s now very common to hear people say, ‘I’m rather offended by that.’ As if that gives them certain rights. It’s actually nothing more… than a whine. ‘I find that offensive.’ It has no meaning; it has no purpose; it has no reason to be respected as a phrase. ‘I am offended by that.’ Well, so f-ing what.”
Well, if Stephen FRY said it. Sorry, I don’t understand why people always carries out that quotation as if it’s the final word on people shouldn’t be allowed to have a personal response to anything. Maybe it also a whine that someone should say, ‘My supervisor stoicism demands that you shape your responses to suit my stuff upper lip.’ Why, Stephen? I generally like him but he talks so damn much that some bull is bound to shoot out. And I’ve always thought that statement was crap.
I agree, Pepsi. Why don’t we all just ignore one another’s feelings and say whatever we want to? Because if someone is telling you that your remarks hurt them, the humane, compassionate and reasonable thing to do is to at least try to understand why. Maybe they have a legitimate reason, maybe they’re just whining. But to say “so fing what?” is just stupid. It gets you nowhere.
I think a lot of people who complain about how tired they are of “PC” just want to continue on in their patterns of sexism, racism, insensitivity, cruelty or whatever without being challenged.
The problem with social media is that you are dealing with a vast number of idiots. Scary idiots, insulting idiots, creepy idiots.
I hope she doesn’t think all Canadians are this ignorant. I completely understood her first post and didn’t take offense to it. Emotions are very high here after the events of a few days ago but there was absolutely not justification for the level of hatred indicated in these posts. This person should be held accountable for them.
I don’t think only/mostly Canadians were offended. What about the Americans who’ve lost loved ones to gun violence? I can see them being offended that she referred to “Wednesday” so frivolously.
As a Canadian, I wasn’t offended by her tweet.
No, her mention of “Wednesday” was not frivolous at all. If anything it’s highlighting how much we’ve failed as a nation to reign in this type of crime and the feeling that it could happen to anyone at any time (school, the mall, walking down the street). I don’t see anything offensive in criticizing how commonplace gun violence is in this country and it does not minimize those who have fallen to it. I see it as more of a scary commentary on the state of life these days in the US.
That’s your interpretation…
As a Canadian, I wasn’t that offended by that.
I believe people who were acting all offended were just being obtuse. I think what she meant was pretty obvious, and certainly not a joke or intended to minimize Ottawa.
As a downtown Ottawan, nor was I.
Fellow Canadian here! I also took no offence to that as well.
Canadian as well, and nope, was not offended.
As a Canadian, I’m only offended that anyone would think we give a flying maple leaf about celebrity Twitter opinions…
Social Media = Every Idiot Has An Opinion
Particularly twitter, but this is true everywhere. I no longer post opinions or questions on scientific articles because of the ‘read a book, bimbo’ responses that come my way. Or being told that snopes is somehow the be all end all of information.
I hate that people turn to death threats when someone does something they do not like. I am not surprised people went after her though. Canada never really has to deal with this sort of thing, so people are very on edge and may have taken it the wrong way. Some people on my Facebook were in the area when it went down, plus my stepbrother works in the area, so my stepdad was freaking out. Add the shooting to the other incident where those officers were run down (the day before I beleive) and no one is in the mood for the incident to be used as a statement or a joke.
All that said, I really cannot stand Chrissy and some of her tweets that I have seen before, when people have called her out did not seem like trolling trolls, but her being bitchy.
Death threats and threats of rape do not help anything and people need to stop.
I am Canadian.. we have had our share of tragedies and crisis situations, perhaps not the label “terrorist threat”. I hope the gov’t was not hasty with labeling this as a terrorist attack. They hardly had enough time to even figure out what was happening and it was already being labeled as a terrorist attack. I am no fan of my PM, and I am not confident with him at the helm during this issue.
I do wish that the media would allow the police and gov’t the time to deal with this at their own pace, rather than forcing the issues with the constant barrage.
I am not sure I can accurately convey my thoughts in type. I find the constant updates and information being released about the shooter to be detrimental, not helpful, at this time. The media wants instant action, and the police need time to handle this, not have the media pushing for the next update. you know?
@Original Kay,
I understand what you are saying and completely agree with all of it 100%.
Just b/c you have an opinion doesn’t mean you ALWAYS have to post it on Twitter.
I like Teigen’s outspokenness, but I swear sometimes it can unfortunately be to her own detriment.
I can’t imagine being so angry at a comment by someone you’ve never even met that you would wish death on them or their loved ones. Get a grip already.
At some point these websites need to take responsibility for the content they are allowing to be published on their platforms.
You are so correct , I find that many people who threaten others lack the education to be able to verbally communicate properly with others so they have to turn to violence because they feel inadequate and want to prove to others and themselves they are oh so tough.
Yes, I believe in this comment fully. I think the Age of the Internet and anonymity also play a part, too. I knew a co-worker once who would deliberately troll people as “stress release”. He so would have been sending Chrissie Teigen threats for “fun” (ugh, vomit). The thing is, you never would have known: he was a great dad, husband and guy, seemingly. I thought really highly of him until I learned that he had sock-puppet Tumblr accounts and was an invested member of 4Chan and Reddit.
Totally agree. I’m not on Twitter, but it seems to me that they should instantly cut someone off if they threaten someone’s life.
I actually thought her tweet was spot on. She was calling attention to gun violence in America, not commenting on Canada.
What scares me is that the vicious comments and threats are leaking out of social media and into people’s real conversations and behavior. We used to say “oh people are just saying those things because they can be anonymously hateful online.” Well it has become increasingly “normal” to respond in an insanely rage-filled way in comments about anything online – and not just online but in life.
Yes. Road rage is an example.
“I actually thought her tweet was spot on. She was calling attention to gun violence in America, not commenting on Canada.”
Yeah I get that, but then maybe she shouldn’t have brought it up in the context of the Canadian parliament shooting, you know?
Exactly! It’s pretty sickening that people are comparing what happened here with everyday run of the mill gun violence in the USA.
As a Canadian I’m offended. But then I consider the source and shake my head at the ignorance.
Yeah, this was not the time for that tweet. Not only are emotions still high, but the Canadian government has declared it a terrorist attack. It goes a lot deeper than a random shooting. If she can’t get her mind around that she needs to shut up. I’m not saying there should be a discussion and change with guns in America, but using the Canadian attacks as a tie in was stupid. This is not about America. And no I’m not apologizing either.
+1
Well said.
I can’t speak for other Canadians’ or Ottawans’ levels of offence, just my own, but I’m all “shrug.” That Tweet wasn’t directed at us, and I don’t think it’s a “too soon” Tweet either. People react to extreme events many ways–some with humour, some with snark–and her snark wasn’t unsympathetic to Ottawa IMO.
To let you know where I’m coming from: the war memorial, where the soldier was killed, is at the top of my street. I also work 3 blocks from it–and could see it all from my office window. This is MY neighbourhood and I was directly affected–home and work. My office was in lockdown all day, as were many of my friends’ offices (I’m a hardcore downtowner so this is my circle). The spots where this went on are sidewalks and stairs I use every day, part of my daily lifelong landscape. I didn’t feel fear so much all day as anger (and my colleagues and I carried on with our proofing meeting that morning, toggling between CBC and the proofing doc onscreen, because we are very Keep Calm and Carry On in this city). One of my friends saw the shooting at the monument–he was 40 feet away–and had to give his statement to the cops. He’s still dealing with seeing a murder with his own eyes two days later. Another friend works in the Parliamentary library–the shooter was killed right outside the library doors where she was hiding, and then locked up for hours.
So, as someone who was in the thick of it–who saw the snipers on the rooftops around her and had to stay away from windows all day in a secure office tower, and some of whose friends were even more violated and in danger–I have zero issue with her Tweet. Mind you, I’m also not a “sky is falling–terrorists!111!!!!” type of person, I discovered on Wednesday, too (I was still more worried about being hit by a driver on my short walk home that night than another maniac with a gun on the loose–because odds). No shade on any local who *does* take offence at her Tweet. YMMV, and that’s fair and realistic.
There’s a lot about the situation and coverage and social media response that I find offensive, or at least eye-roll-inducing, but not this. I prefer the non-maudlin responses, personally, and again–YMMV. Different people cope in different ways.
Glad you and your loved ones are safe, Godwina.
Aw, thanks, Abbott.
i also work downtown ottawa and was in lockdown all day (live in the west end, though). while her tweet does generate mostly a big shrug from me, i do think it may have been poor timing. while the intention was to point out the gun problem in the states, the timing of it – so soon after the shooting happened – can make the tweet come off as minimizing what took place here.
and i absolutely agree about some of the coverage and social media being eye-roll inducing. sure, we don’t normally see this kind of violence happen here, but i saw people happily walking around outdoors, only 4 blocks from parliament hill, within an hour of the shooting. it was less “CAPITAL IN TERROR” and more “this is crazy, but we’re good. situation under control.”
Yep. Walking around, businesses open on Elgin that day, etc. Most people kept it in perspective.
Plus, the media made it sound like all of downtown was “Under Siege” (TM) and locked down, but it was just a fraction of it.
thank god you posted this. I agree with what you said.
The media needing to make this a huge major issue, when Canada just needed to deal with it in their own time and way. Perspective.
yes, I am Canadian 🙂
Godwina and yael–so glad that both of you are ok!
I’m so glad you’re safe, Godwina, and my thoughts are with your friend. How awful.
Thanks, Good and Frida. Here’s his account (we’re mutual friends with a Citizen editor so he had an opportunity to tell his story here). He had a much harder day than I did, for sure, but he’s resilient.
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/first-person-at-the-war-memorial
I’m glad you are okay Godwina. I went through a similar shooting incident when I worked at the courthouse in Las Vegas. We were on lock down for most of that day. It is such a scary situation and I’m glad you made it out. You are correct about worrying more about a traffic accident than a shooter but it does happen, even though I wish it didn’t. I know Chrissy was simply commenting on the frequency of gun incidents here in the States. I was so shocked to hear about this happening in Canada. One of the editors I work with lives in Canada so I was worried. It was just so awful. I hope your friend will be alright too.
Sorry you went through that in Vegas, Ginger–not fun! 🙁
I think it was well beyond obvious that she was referring to America. Her comment basically said “oh, in America, that’s a typical Wednesday”. I honestly don’t understand how there was any other way to take the comment. It was so obvious, it stuck out like the proverbial. But I guess some are a little slow on the uptake and need things explained to them.
That was my reaction too! What needs to be explained exactly?
i think people attacking her are pro-gun Americans. She’s clearly taking a jab at America’s gun culture.
That’s my suspicion, too.
Exactly.
How do people have the gall, even anonymously, to write death threats to someone. WTF?!
What happens is that The Gun Totting Redneckery populace, the God Bless ‘Murica and No Place Else crew and Americans at large tend to get in their fee fees when they get called out on the lack of Gun Control and the abundance of shooting incidents like DEEP.IN.THEIR.FEELS and Freedom and I Hope You Die for calling us out on our Gun Loving ways
QQ, have I told you lately that you are one of my favorites here on Celebitchy? Maybe it’s time that I brought the subject up again.
You are! I love your pithy, smart-alecky comments, I really do.
Have a lovely day, friend!
😀
Aw Frida and a kiss to the tippy top of your head, love!
“You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass.”
Isoroku Yamamoto
Fleet Admiral
Commander-in-Chief
Japanese Imperial Navy
Lol. This is not a funny topic but your comment made me laugh, sort like a sad laugh, though.
I live in Ottawa. I work one block from the shootings. Chrissy is a troll. She has been for years. She writes crass, ill-advised tweets all the time & acts shocked when people question her. A man with a son died Wednesday, and in the middle of a national scare for my country she writes something that while I understood, was at the same time insensitive! Period. Why can’t people express their sympathy when something bad happens across the border? This was the second terrorist attack in a week here in Canada. We expressed our condolences to you multiple times since 9/11. She doesn’t deserve threats. But she’s a troll. I hate trolls whatever their celebrity status. RIP Nathan Cirillo.
+1000
That’s the only logical explanation I can find. She feeds off this shit. Because her following sentiments were not better. It’s great if some of our fellow Canadian’s aren’t offended. But I was. I found it tacky as shit. But – I’m not sure what else I really expect from Chrissy. If she had just said something to the affect of “My sympathies with Canada. Gun violence is a terrible thing that needs to be looked at more” then that’d have been fine. Nobody would have gotten up in arms. But just as she has the right to tweet what she wants, I have the right to be offended by her tweets and criticize for them. I’d never wish anything ill on her – and don’t understand how so many people on twitter could.
Spot on, Sarah.
Thank you, this exactly.
To reduce this to a simple act of gun violence is ridiculous. If someone, after killing military personnel guarding the tomb of the unknown soldier, then stormed Capitol Hill with a loaded rifle and engaged in a gun fight I doubt very much anyone on this thread would be supporting a tweet calling it a typical a “wednesday. “
You know it.
It’s all we’d hear about for years to come.
However, America isn’t the only country this happens to but somehow it usually comes back to them no matter what country suffers from such an awful tragedy.
RIP CPL Cirillo RIP Patrice Vincent.
This is true and we do hear about the horrible things that happen on their soil for years after the fact. Whatever a person’s religious affiliation, I think the following is applicable: There Is a verse in the Bible that provides what I think is apt advice for situations such as this one. It says that people should rejoice when others rejoice and mourn when others mourn, not talk over the grief of others. Also, when Job was going through his trials, his friends went to help him and the first act of helpfulness was to cry with him, comfort him and let him grieve. The power of a sympathetic ear isn’t an insignificant thing.
Parliament was in lock down when she tweeted her crap. This is a unique situation for Canada; she should have mind her own business. The only victim here is the dead soldier not some model. She thought she could be rude as she was to Quvenzhane Wallis; got what she deserved.
She was rude to Quvenzhane Wallis?
Yeah,
It was around the time that she was nominated for an Oscar and the Onion posted that horrible tweet about her. Chrissy wrote something like, I for one don’t like Quvenzhane Wallis. Which is a pretty sh*tty thing to write about a kid.
I am a Canadian, and while I understood what she wrote, I think that it was insensitive for her to tweet what she did. The fact is that we don’t have the same level of gun violence in Canada so it really does shock and shake people when it happens. And I DO NOT condone threats of violence or abuse I think that it is interesting that she deems the treatment that she received to be unacceptable but that thinks that she doesn’t need to apologize for her cavalier attitude towards the fact that an entire country has been left reeling from such a callous and offensive premeditated act of violence.
She called her cocky. I wouldn’t call that rude.
She deserved death threats????
I don’t think so.
Look, I find her twitter antics to be immature & obnoxious but raging at her all like b*tch c*nt imma kill you is NOT ok. It’s never ok to threaten violence.
Her comment is spot on. However, it probably was too soon to mention it and so people got upset. There is no excuse for death threats and abuse. One thing I do not like is (like Bedhead mentioned) some sites do absolutely nothing about death threats and the like and the people posting are anonymous so they can say the worst, most foul things imaginable. This is the reason a number of people I know are not on social media much if at all. I don’t blame her for leaving Twitter. I do follow her on Instagram because she posts interesting things. Twitter’s loss.
I am a life long resident of Ottawa and I take no offence to her tweet whatsoever. I took it as a comment on the gun control debate in America. As Canadians we should be rallying together to make sure Cpl. NATHAN CIRILLO, and Sgt. In Arms KEVIN VICKERS, are the names that we remember from this shooting, not the name of the gunman, or some silly twitter fight with Chrissy.
All of this–and I hope we all rally together to keep our same level of openness, too, and the same tight gun-control laws (or even tighter), even after this. We’ve dealt with worse shootings before (the Montreal massacre, the OC Transpo shooting here in Ottawa, and some school shootings), and maintained our safety and sanity.
It is very tempting to tweet jokey things that can be easily misunderstood by followers. Ou always want to be the first to crack that joke. My internal filter sometimes fail to catch my stupidity which I cram in 140 characters. Next thing I knew, I have offended a bunch of people. Celebrities are prone to this because they are, well, famous. I believe Chrissy meant no harm but it’s to early to make jokes about the horrible shooting. That joke is OK among friends or relatives but not as a public joke, well not yet.
Anyway, please come back Chrissy.
I’m Canadian and I find her comment vacuous. It wasn’t a case of an “active shooting”, it was a maniac jihadist who’d had his passport revoked because he was considered a threat. He shot and killed a soldier on duty at the tomb of the unknown soldier, then rushed into the Parliament building where our Prime Minister and the leaders of the other two parties plus their entire caucus were meeting. He was carrying a semi-automatic long gun. The shoot-out was horrific. There were little children in the building.
That, Chrissy, was not just another shooting and trivializing it was in poor taste, even though you were poking fun at America.
And really – she could have just posted something in general about gun violence. She didn’t need to tie Canada in. Had she not capitalized on the tragedy, everything would be fine.
@Erinn-totally with you on all points. I understand she was talking about US gun culture but it completely minimizes what went on in Ottawa. She does not show a great deal of empathy at all.
Thanks, Sticks 🙂
Girl needs some empathy training.
While I completely agree with almost everything you’ve written here, I just wanted to say that I think we should be careful in labeling the shooter a Jihadist. From what we know, he was mentally unbalanced in general and had a long history of run-ins with law enforcement for a variety of reasons, none of which were at all related to terrorism or Islam. When an individual commits a horrific act after converting to or becoming further fundamentalist in their Christianity, we don’t automatically label it the same way as tends to happen when the religion of the assailant is Islam. I just think we should be careful about jumping to conclusions at this point.
To clarify, he was identified by his mother as “radicalized” and was intending to go to Syria before the government took his passport away. The beige Toyota he was driving was registered to a local Islamic centre and he also belonged to a number of online extremist organizations.
However he was mentally unhinged, a drug addict, and had a lengthy criminal background as well – so he was one messed up guy, and I agree we can’t blame this horrible act on his radicalization alone, it was more like the tipping point.
+1000000000000 @Lee
From what I have read, his passport was not revoked – he was attempting to apply for a passport and it was flagged due to his criminal record. His mother has described him as radicalized, and while she certainly seems to be right about that she also had only seen him once in the last 5 years. The car was purchased from a private citizen (as per this article: http://ottawacitizen.com/news/politics/gunman-asked-to-borrow-car-used-in-attack-for-one-day-before-paying-650-for-it ), not an Islamic centre. There is a lot of misinformation out there.
I’m also not saying that his radicalization had nothing to do with it. As you said, there were undoubtedly many factors. I just think we should be cautious. Where I live there is already a lot of Islamophobia and the comments I was hearing on the radio Wednesday night were pretty appalling.
I agree completely and posted something similar up thread. The act that some (like the blogger) are dismissing the individuals who found her tweet offensive by stating that we “misinterpreted” her tweet is particularly stupid. Of course we understood the point she was trying to make, but what moron fails to recognize that this situation was not a case of ‘commonplace’ gun violence. Had the assailant entered the building a little bit earlier (prior to session) the leader of our country and other high ranking politicians could have been assassinated. Storming parliament buildings with weapons blazing is a typical Wednesday? For who?
Chrissy is an ignorant, classless fool.
I have never liked her-she disgusts me.
One shooting incident took place at the Parliament Building.
It was noted that the gunman was hoping to kill our Prime Minster Steven Harper. A 24 year old soldier (father of a 5 year old son) was murdered in cold blood guarding a War Memorial nearby.
It’s not humorous, and is considered an act of terrorism. I am a proud Canadian.
Maybe that was the wrong platform for a quick tweet on such a serious topic.
There should be a study conducted. My hypothesis is that death threats=parental basement living, or bunkers, which might be the same thing.
Unless you say something bad about any boy bander, then the legions of tweens come out on fire… Hateful little critters.
Sadly, I think you are half right, and the rest, somehow entitled thinking things, with no awareness of actions.
Chrissy Teigen was just this week announced as part of a new panel talk-show fronted by Tyra Banks. Chrissy’s role on the panel: Social Media buff.
She’s patient to put up with that crap for as long as she did.
This is typical. Social media is a place for people to attack other people. A celebrity says something innocuous and we collectively have a meltdown.
Innocuous? Nope. It was actually pretty insensitive and offensive. So, quite the opposite of innocuous. But I do agree the things people said to her are absolutely out of line. Inexcusable. There are respectful ways to articulate to someone that they have offended. And that’s what they should have done.
I am from Canada and I found this tweet insensitive and inappropriate. A solider standing guard was shot and killed while others were wounded. The shooter then went into the House of Commons and fired several rounds trying to kill government members. It is not innocent people who are guarding their country that are killed every day in the US. She tried to make the killing of a 24 year old solider look like an everyday event in the US, and we all know that is not true. She should just stick to getting her picture taken. Death threats are not appropriate and should be stopped. However, celebrities need to remember as well that every stupid thought in their head does not need to be voiced and they will be called on it whether they are a celebrity or not.
Well said.
Proud Canadian, no offence was taken.
I think what everyone outside of Canada needs to know is that we have shootings everyday in our major cities. What sets this apart is the likelihood of this being a terrorist attack. That’s why we’re grieving.
I appreciate that she doesn’t censor herself but come on, this is not her first twitter incident. I can’t help but to feel she knew what was coming. People nowadays, especially on social media, are unhealthily sensitive and the most minimal joke can get you flamed.
As much as I like this site, I think we all know that this page and its commenters generally have no love for conservative folks (the Palins don’t help this either). That being said, why we as a culture would look to a woman who smiles at the camera for a living and expect her to be a model of intelligence is beyond me.
She shouldn’t have quit. She should double down and take a few weeks off.
I’m Canadian born and bred, and now an American citizen as well, and I found her tweet and the responses offensive. The Twitter trolls who are sending hateful messages and death threats should be permanently banned from Twitter (and should seriously consider therapy, but that’s on them, not on Twitter to take up).
As for Chrissy Teigen, she’s an a–hole. Sorry, but she just is. That tweet was ridiculous, and shows how out of touch she is with current events. Just ONE DAY EARLIER, two soldiers in Quebec were run over by a car driven by a jihadist – one of the soldiers died. The next day, this shooting. Anyone aware of this was already thinking there might be a connection, you’d have been crazy NOT to think it. At the very least, It was a shooting with at least one death and deserved better treatment than “just another Wednesday.” If Canadians referred to the shooting as “just another 9/11” on the basis of the fact that it now appears to be related to terrorist activity, would no one be offended? Yeah, that’s what I thought.
Teigen doesn’t even have the brains to shut up about it and just apologize for her insensitivity. Instead she just goes on defending her big mouth and poor choice of words. You know what? If she’s going to be that stupid on Twitter, she can stay off of it, along with all the trolls. I for one won’t miss her.
That run-over murder did not make our news in the US afaik. First I heard of it was later in the day during the Ottawa shooting. As for Chrissy, it seemed like she posted her tweet as the situation was unfolding and I don’t think it was known then the extent of it or that one soldier was killed. I understand people are upset, but her tweet really seems to be blown out of proportion and I for one got what she was saying. It feels like news of an active shooter on the loose is a weekly occurrence for us, and it’s a sad state of affairs. I really think she was just saying it’s sad how common these types of headlines are becoming. She does not deserve the treatment she’s getting.
Proud Canadian, and I live in the city that CPL Nathan Cirillo was from (Hamilton). Was the tweet in poor taste? Absolutely. Was it too soon? For those of us grieving, absolutely. Was the abuse that was returned on twitter appropriate? Absolutely not. Celebrities need to learn to keep their mouths shut during tragedies like this and stop using these situations as a springboard to bring attention to themselves. That is what I find vile.
Maybe it is the liberal places on the Internet where I hang out, but this is the typical response to another mass school shooting. It encapsulates the absolute frustration and grief that the world has gone crazy and apparently there will never be enough tragedy to change gun laws. Like “Oh, another 10 kids were gunned down at school. I guess it is Wednesday”. Very common “joke” and just emphasizing the tragedy of it all, and the exact opposite of minimizing what happened. Of course, it can be read wrong, and being a celebrity whose words are widely read and publicly tied to her, she should triple-check before posting. Since it is Canada, and possibly tied to terrorism, it isn’t necessary “just another mass shooting” we will debate and not solve, but the spirit of “what the h#ll is happening to this country” is still there.
I’m Canadian and I dont find her tweet insensitive at all. When is a good time to tweet about it? A month from now when the hysteria has died down and no one is talking about it? I’m thankful he didnt have a semi automatic. Think of the damage he could have done with that thing. So in that respect I’m glad she said what she did. I dont want US gun laws in Canada.
Well said, and co-signed big time.
She looks stunning with that plum lipstick.
chrissy’s face buffles me – she is at the same time stunningly gorgeous and plain ugly. Her personality thought is a solid A
There’s nothing wrong with what she wrote. I like how she doesn’t cave in to apologize for something that doesn’t need apologizing. Stupid people sending death threats need to get mental health help. She was making a comment on the US, anyways.
She’s insensitive? And it’s in no way insensitive to hope Isis to cut her head off? How about families and people suffering because of what isis has done? Wow… way too many ppl lack perspective.
Another Canadian here throwing their toque in the ring…
While I don’t disagree with her point, I do think it was a little too soon and maybe she thought it was OK because it wasn’t happening in the States and so she was emotionally removed from it. (Not to say all Americans are self-absorbed like that)
I mean, could you imagine the uproar if, for example after the Boston bombings, someone from Northern Ireland had said, before the dust had settled after the explosions: “bomb went off in downtown Boston, or as we call it in Belfast, a Tuesday in the 70s”? Not an inaccurate statement, but unnecessary while the situation is still unfolding. If she as an American would be offended by that, then maybe spare a moment to think about doing it to someone else.
It’s just… come on, a soldier was shot to death while standing guard at our National War Memorial. This man has a five year old son. It was callous and really distressing to Canadians. This had nothing to do with gun control in another country and scoring political points. Even if it wasn’t intentional, it comes off as minimizing what actually happened to Canadians by making it all about her/USA.
I love your response. I’m sorry this has happened in your country.
@gooner That is a perfect response and a very good analogy. Everything is not about scoring political points in the United States.
I live in Ottawa and although I’m sure (or hoping) she wasn’t trying to be malicious, it was too soon and insensitive. Even though I agree with the fact that it does happen more in the US, it was still a terrifying situation. Our whole downtown core was on a lockdown, w cell phones not working (couldn’t get ahold of fam/friends etc) and constant reports of shots being fired. The whole city was eerily still. To be honest, one of the worst parts was that you feel helpless to do anything. Having said that, our city and country is unbelievably strong and we will not back down. Want to say a huge thank you to everyone and anyone that has said any words of condolences, Canadian, American etc… and a HUGE thank you to our first responders and anyone reading this that helped that day… “#ottawastrong … Jenn xx
No, not our “whole downtown core.” Please don’t contribute to the media hyperbole (see my post above–I’m a downtowner and was in the thick of it on Wednesday, but much of downtown Ottawa was unaffected by the lockdown. It was just mainly the business district).
As for “eerily still”–it was definitely way quieter than usual on Wed evening/night, but I live just off Elgin and people were about, businesses were open. It felt more like a Sunday morning than anything. I noticed the contrast, but again–exaggeration isn’t healthy here.
but the Canadian shooting was most likely a terror act, so her “comparison” is tactless and frankly, idiotic. This wasn’t another of these all too frequent now, school shootings. Grow up chipmunk.
It was NOT a terrorist attack! Please do not give terrorists credibility. The shooter was a very mentally unstable Canadian. Perhaps Canada should be looking inward and be asking not how this happened but why.
We will need to see if what you say is true. This man was a recent convert to Islam, and his own father appears to have been a Jihadi (in Libya). He seems to have wanted to go to fight in Syria. He might be mentally unstable, but there may be something else as well. There is alas, a thing called “home-grown terrorism”. It will be up to the Canadians to investigate any connections he may have with terrorists. I have faith that the Canadians will do a good job in this sort of investigation, but it will take some time. We should not rush to judgement on either side.
Uh listen to the police report. He’s been in trouble with the law prior to this. He was assessed by mental health and let out without any treatment. The police have already said he acted alone. It’s guys like this that are attracted to ISIS which isnt ISLAM by the way. The bottom line is the guy was mentally unstable and has been in trouble with the law for years. I’m Canadian and I’m listening to the official reports by the RCMP not CNN.
ISIS is certainly not all of Islam by any manner of means. However it is Islamic (it stands for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) – and a guy who is interested in fighting for them in Syria would appear to have terrorist sympathies. He may also be an ordinary thug, but then a lot of thugs are in ISIS. He may have channeled his thuggish tendencies into terrorism. Attacking a National War Memorial and the Canadian Parliament again appears to have a political motive. Otherwise why not knock off a convenience store? Notice I am using the words “appears” and “may have” etc. I am not accusing him directly of being a terrorist, but you cannot dismiss it out of hand either.
Your Prime Minister had this to say: “Fellow Canadians, in the days to come we will learn more about the terrorist and any accomplices he may have had,” Harper said in a live televised statement.
“But this week’s events are a grim reminder that Canada is not immune to the types of terrorist attacks we have seen elsewhere around the world.”
If we are afraid to look our enemies in the eye it will only encourage them. (And believe me, I NEVER listen to CNN.)
justme, Harper said that before any confirmation. He was an idiot speaking before knowing any facts. Update your information and read the official report. We dont need hysteria!!! The shooter was acting alone and he was a homeless drug addict. I’ve said all I’m going to say. Have a nice day!
Ha–someone thinks what Harper says is “true.”
So a guy hangs out with terrorists, listens approvingly to terrorist rants, wants to go to Syria to fight with ISIS, shoots a soldier guarding a symbol of Canadian honor, tries to shoot up the seat of Canadian government and yet somehow it is not even remotely possible that he be considered a terrorist because you don’t like Harper? Not liking or agreeing with his policies is your prerogative, but that does not mean he is always wrong. I don’t like Obama, but I don’t think he is always wrong about everything.
You don’t need to be an official card-carrying member of an organization to be a terrorist. This guy was mixed up without a doubt, but he was channeling his anger against his country, and yes – spreading terror.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2807110/Revealed-Muslim-convert-brought-mayhem-Canada-listened-extremist-rants-terror-suspect-went-fight-Syria.html
Seriously. There IS such a thing as being so very open-minded that your brains are falling out.
http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/10/25/michael-zehaf-bibeau-mother-says-killing-was-last-desperate-act-of-a-mentally-ill-person/
justme, read what his mother said. This isnt about whether I approve of Harper and his political agenda. Harper by the way is being critisized for jumping to conclusions and saying what he did before any investigation. Lol at your news link. Seriously? Daily Mail? Do you think sane people join ISIS?
JustMe, BRAVO.
and the “read what his mother said”, ok Norman Bates
I don’t know if it is only sane people who join ISIS. However whether sane or insane, they are still a danger. And the Daily Mail is here quoting someone who actually had dealings with the perpetrator. Is his testimony to be dismissed because it does not come from a news organization of whose politics you approve? Some news organizations will not seek out the truth if it conflicts with the worldview they hold. Yes, we have NOTHING to fear from radicalized young men who listen to Islamic extremists. Their mothers say so. Believe that if you want.
So the Daily Mail interviews another drugged out crackhead and you’re going to believe that over his mother? The guy was self radicalized. This isn’t the first time nor will it be the last.
A coward shoot a soldier in the back: carjack a ride:enter Parliament in 46 seconds ; I minute and 23 seconds it was over. The RCMP started the investigation with the necessary precautions. Some unknown to many Canadians start to tweet snarky comments and is surprised that there is backlash. Now others dare state how they should behave in a time of crisis. No SOL is necessary. None.
Personally the tweets should have been met with silence, but it is a free country and some Canadians decided to respond. It is their prerogative and their country.
Social media is the Devil.
So many cowards hiding behind twitter and FB.
Also peoole really need to chill and not get their panties in a bunch over every little quote.
Then again, I’m commenting on CB which can be ground zero for pearl clutching sometimes
The thing is that this shooting was not just an ordinary one. It would be the equivalent of someone shooting one of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier then running into the Capitol Building and shooting in those marble halls. It was an attack on the heart of a free and open democracy. Why make a snippy politicized tweet out of that? Just express your sorrow that such a horrible thing happened to our good neighbors – and maybe an RIP for Cpl. Nathan Cirillo and admiration for Kevin Vickers (might take more than one tweet.)
well said and thank you…
Very well said JustMe, I agree whole heartedly.
IMO she didn’t say it with malicious intent; she’s right (unfortunately, proving her point, there’s a report of a shooting at a school near Seattle now). However, IMO it’s a bit insensitive as it’s far too soon after the shootings and she makes it all about the US. She certainly doesn’t deserve death or other threats, though.
Maybe she should have said “Friday” instead of Wednesday. Regardless, our regularly-scheduled school shooting has occurred.
Is anyone else watching the news right now? The point is she’s G-D right about how common these tragedies are in the U.S.
It was an insensitive tweet. Minimizing other peoples suffering is never cool. But no one deserves death threats.
Canadian here. Not offended. Got her point.
Very weirded out that someone thinks threatening her death is an effective conversational response. Because they are so outraged by the senseless violence?
So sad about the young man who had his life taken away.
I got what she meant, so I wasn’t offended. I don’t know why she thought her political commentary was more necessary than a condolence so close to the event, or why she thought she was busting the door wide open on a big secret, but whatever. We’re fine as a country.
Unfortunately, the most appropriate headline in the wake of all of this is something like, ‘Person on internet says something kind of lame, receives death threats, subsequently retreats from social media. Just another Wednesday.’
Hurt, I wasn’t, but I do roll my eyes a bit at how reflective her statement is of the self-centeredness of American media as it pertains to Canada. Two horrible incidents occurred in Canada this week, but it’s all about CNN’s pain, you know?
I just want to send my condolences to the family and friends of the brave soldier Cpl Nathan Cirillo who gave his life standing guard at the tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Thank You for your service.
Her comment is right.
The timing was wrong.
When this was pointed out, she double downed on stupid.
When it really got stinky in the kitchen, she reinvented herself as the victim of people who don’t get her genius.
Give me a break. We all have a responsibility for what we tweet. Her AND the douches who threatened her.
The world isn’t a bad place. It’s just that the media both mainstream and social like to focus on negativity. “If it bleeds, it leads!”
I do not like her and find her extremely annoying but I get the point of her tweet. However, I can understand the outrage. However, Canadians do not play. If you try to “come for” their country they will treat you like you are their opponent in the final round of The Olympics or Stanley Cup. They will come for your jugular over their country and shake your hand afterwards. 🙂
They reacted in a similar way that Americans do after anyone posts or says something viewed as insensitive after a gun shooting in the states, like Columbine, Sandy Hook and others.
I am a Canadian and a military wife (and even former reservist), and I fully understand what she was trying to say. I didn’t see her as dissing the situation in Ottawa. Or Canada at all.
However, I do belong to a military facebook group and some of the ladies there were in such a huff over Rosie O’Donnell mentioning this tweet and sort of agreeing with it.
People are ultra sensitive at a time like this that perhaps it is better if folks stop trying to make statements when it’s so fresh in everyone’s mind.
That said the beauty about a Democracy, the same one our soldiers fight and defend, is that we can get to be boneheads on twitter. Although death threats? You’re a weak ass individual if you have to resort to that. That’s so shameful.
I think Chrissy kind of missed the point re: the Ottawa shooting. A soldier was shot at the PARLIAMENT building… If the same thing happened at the White House, it would be a HUGE deal, not a regular “Wednesday.” A man hopping over the fence at the White House makes the news!
I also think taking a Canadian tragedy and turning it into a lesson for America is minimizing the tragedy, and what the tragedy means for Canadians. It has nothing to do with America, or gun control in America. Why make it about America?
The comment was flippant and tongue in cheek while there was so much uncertainty. It just reinforces the “me, me me” attitude that seems to flow from American celebrities these days. She didn’t deserve the harsh backlash. But she should realize trying to be cutsie about gun control is never a good idea.
@Godwina–
I read your friend’s account, and he sounds like he is dealing with it well. But if he is a close enough friend, please check in with him on occasion. Without going into too much detail, let me just say I’ve spent my time in a war zone. Events such as yesterday can leave you feeling like you are just fine, that you WILL be fine, and then a month later you might throw up every morning for a week. And that’s when you reaffirm those things he said in the article, and process them again. Anyway, he sounds like a good man and I wish him well.
Thank you so much for your comment. I’ll be sure to check in, though he’s not in my inner circle, so to speak. His wife is amazing, though, and he is in good hands and has many close friends. Thankfully he is someone who will get the support he needs, and he’s also very good at working through hard issues as a mature writer/philosopher. I hope everyone who witnessed the shootings the other day has the same network he does. 🙂
I hope you also had the support you needed in getting through (or continuing to manage) your own trauma. Hang in there.
What surprises me the most about this controversy is that so many people care what Chrissy Teigen says. I wouldn’t even know who she was if not for this website.
Me either. Social media has a lot to answer for, giving an immediate outlet for mass communication to people (some) who should think before they type or tweet. Not referring to anyone in this site of course.
And today we have yet another school shooting, followed by the fatal shooting of deputies. In one day. Another “Wednesday.” After 27 school shootings, NOTHING HAS CHANGED. She may be a dumb model, but she practically predicted the carnage in the USA today.
It’s true she doesn’t follow a PR agenda per se but she’s deliberately abrasive and sometime controversial (not in this case) to get attention. I don’t know why she’s famous but she looks incredible with the darker lipstick. That’s the best I’ve ever seen her look. Back to the twitter thing; she’s just too loud for no particular reason and personally I don’t find her witty. Nevertheless, death threats are never okay.