The Associated Press Stylebook embarrassed itself on Thursday when it declared that using “the” labels in reference to people can be “dehumanizing.”
Citing some inarguably ridiculous examples of “The” being used to label people, the AP Stylebook even went as far to say that a common term like “The French” could be potentially offensive.
“We recommend avoiding general and often dehumanizing ‘the’ labels such as the poor, the mentally ill, the French, the disabled, the college-educated. Instead, use wording such as people with mental illnesses. And use these descriptions only when clearly relevant,” it states.
We recommend avoiding general and often dehumanizing “the” labels such as the poor, the mentally ill, the French, the disabled, the college-educated. Instead, use wording such as people with mental illnesses. And use these descriptions only when clearly relevant.
— APStylebook (@APStylebook) January 26, 2023
The ratios came swiftly as the post instantly became a lightning rod for mockery and derision, including from prominent French people such as political candidate Eric Zemmour as well as the U.S. French Embassy. Hours later, the post had over 13,000 retweets and thousands more comments.
I guess this is us now… https://t.co/YFybgfI2AB pic.twitter.com/LrKvgjiw1X
— French Embassy U.S. (@franceintheus) January 26, 2023
We are the French.
— Eric Zemmour (@ZemmourEric) January 26, 2023
Uh, I think you mean THE drunk?
— Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) January 26, 2023
People experiencing Frenchness.
— Ben Collins (@oneunderscore__) January 26, 2023
I’m just in awe
— Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry (@pegobry) January 26, 2023
Two things I can’t stand in this world: People who dehumanize others and THE French https://t.co/7PREK2VaR1
— Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) January 26, 2023
By the way, AP people sitting around thinking “Let’s stop saying ‘The French'” is anecdotal support for my theory that wokeness has burned out to the edges of our culture: boring old people who don’t really get the point.https://t.co/7ffRYvyv2V https://t.co/HNvsuetH2e
— Noah Smith 🐇🇺 (@Noahpinion) January 26, 2023
People with Frenchness https://t.co/uxJYOp1QER
— Justin Whang 🐙 (@JustinWhang) January 26, 2023
Also, try to avoid using exclusive terms like “THE Associated Press,” and instead say “An organization of journalists who associate freely but within an anarcho-syndicalist commune led by each us taking turns as executive but whose decisions must be ratified by the group” https://t.co/xdCD2xWTjd
— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) January 26, 2023
Disabled and mentally ill are not “dehumanizing” terms unless you don’t look at disabled people as human to begin with. #DisabilityTwitter https://t.co/bBYVedEasM
— Ola Ojewumi (@Olas_Truth) January 26, 2023
❌👎 “Freedom of the press”
✅👍 “Freedom of people and organizations who report news and stuff”❌👎 “The Associated Press”
✅👍 “Organization of Associated Persons Who Report News and Stuff” https://t.co/keltcCeVmu— George Conway🌻 (@gtconway3d) January 27, 2023
“The” has been canceled, y’all. https://t.co/s0OKQxLqEf
— Jon Gabriel (@exjon) January 26, 2023
“the” @APStylebook is ridiculous and entirely captured by Marxist ideologues. I recommend not listening to a darn thing they say or recommend. https://t.co/QUqZk6qqpH
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) January 26, 2023
AP Stylebook has been increasingly embarrassing itself over the past few years by playing the language police on entirely common, wholely non-offensive terms. In 2021, for instance, the organization argued that the term “mistress” engenders misogyny and therefore should be replaced with a more acceptable word like “lover.”
“Don’t use the term mistress for a woman who is in a long-term sexual relationship with, and is financially supported by, a man who is married to someone else,” the stylebook tweeted.
“We understand it’s problematic that the alternative terms fall short. But we felt that was better than having one word for a woman and none for the man, and implying that the woman was solely responsible for the affair,” it explained in a subsequent tweet.
We added this guidance last year; it’s not new.
We understand it’s problematic that the alternative terms fall short. But we felt that was better than having one word for a woman and none for the man, and implying that the woman was solely responsible for the affair.— APStylebook (@APStylebook) April 14, 2021
The 2020 stylebook guidance also described the term “mistress” as “archaic and sexist,” which followed its 2013 stylebook that deemed “illegal immigrant” or “illegal” offensive when describing a person.
The AP Stylebook also advocates for referring to transgender individuals by their preferred pronouns, which many outlets have adopted.
