Between House debate on the Equality Act and the Senate confirmation hearing of Dr. Rachel Levine, Republican lawmakers have spent much of this week spewing wild falsehoods and fearsome rhetoric regarding transgender and nonbinary people.
The absurd notion that trans people are a new phenomenon or product of political correctness run amok is a common sentiment among Republican circles.
That discourse only worsened on Thursday when news outlets initially reported that the beloved Mr. Potato Head toy would be dropping the "Mr." from his name.
Conservatives across the Twittersphere erupted.
Potato Head manufacturer Hasbro Inc. clarified the development on Twitter, noting that the character's name wasn't changing, but the name of the overall brand.
The conservative hysteria was all for nothing, but it did generate a wealth of mockery online.
One viral tweet came from legendary comedian Jon Stewart, who's generated over a million followers since joining Twitter last month.
For those unfamiliar, Stewart was alluding to a famous quote from German pastor Martin Niemöller describing the Nazis' horrific rise to power:
"First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a socialist.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me."
Stewart, a descendent of Jewish immigrants, was highlighting the ridiculous outcry over the name of Mr. Potato Head.
People on Twitter related to the quip.
Stewart wasn't the only one to mock the outcry.
Hasbro is presumably enjoying the boost in publicity.
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Comedy Central
Comedy Central
