At a House Democrats conference this week, model Chrissy Teigen and musician John Legend shared their political ideas with an adoring crowd.
The celebrity couple, who addressed how to deal with internet trolls, could certainly contribute a unique perspective on civility.
But they failed. When moderator Melissa Harris-Perry asked Teigen and co-panelist House Speaker Nancy Pelosi what women should say more, Pelosi suggested “no.” Teigen, without missing a beat, recommended “fuck you.”
Because when our political discourse is in the mud, what we need is more dirt.
Teigen clarified on Twitter that what she meant was that women should express the expletive, if not in words, at least with their eyes and their vote.
Yes, I said if not in those words, at least with your eyes and your vote! https://t.co/TilmFneVfj
— christine teigen (@chrissyteigen) April 11, 2019
It’s unclear what it means to say that phrase with your eyes. Maybe it means staring aggressively at politicians on the other side of the aisle? So the purest expression of feminism is now the angry glare?
Whether women actually go around saying “fuck you” to those they disagree with, which is not advisable as a path to success, or whether they express their fury with their votes, there’s the same underlying problem: rage.
Feminists and members of the #Resistance like to capitalize on anger to drive activism. But fury against the other side doesn’t help anyone accomplish anything. Same goes for Republicans. When women and men are confronted with the opportunity to pick incivility over rational discourse, they should take a cue from Pelosi and say “no.”
