Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is in the international news (and many people's target sights) once again for his over-zealous political correctness.
The "proud feminist" Trudeau had the temerity to correct a questioner, a self-described feminist member of a Korean Christian church(!), over her use of the word "mankind" with the howler: "We like to say 'peoplekind', not necessarily 'mankind'. It's more inclusive".
No, we don't. No-one says "peoplekind". Not even Trudeau says "peoplekind". "Peoplekind" is not even a word.
Predictably enough, the clip has gone viral and has led to ridicule and allegations of mansplaining and virtue-signalling. A whole #Peoplekind Twitter meme has grown up overnight. And quite right too. I am, generally speaking, a supporter of the guy, but even I can see that this is excessive, and that he was just setting himself up from criticism and ridicule. Sometimes, he comes across as a rather-too-exuberant puppy, galumphing around all over the place, vaguely cute, but embarrassing and annoying in almost equal measure. He sometimes tries just that bit too hard.
Mind you, this was in response to the almost equally cringe-worthy comment from the audience member: "Maternal love is the love that's going to change the future of mankind". Now, what does that even MEAN?
UPDATE
Since then, Trudeau has downplayed the event as a failed attempt at a joke. Commenting that it "played well in the room and in context", Trudeau admits that, "it's a little reminder that I shouldn't be making jokes, even if I think they're funny".
Thing is, it didn't really seem like a joke at the time, and did not really seem to be received as such. And, if it was a joke, then it was a joke that took the piss out of the very earnest feminists he claims to be be supporting.
I guess we should give Trudeau the benefit of the doubt and accept it as a dumb joke, but, either way, it was incredibly ill-advised, and has done his brand (and that of the country) substantial damage.
UPDATE
Since then, Trudeau has downplayed the event as a failed attempt at a joke. Commenting that it "played well in the room and in context", Trudeau admits that, "it's a little reminder that I shouldn't be making jokes, even if I think they're funny".
Thing is, it didn't really seem like a joke at the time, and did not really seem to be received as such. And, if it was a joke, then it was a joke that took the piss out of the very earnest feminists he claims to be be supporting.
I guess we should give Trudeau the benefit of the doubt and accept it as a dumb joke, but, either way, it was incredibly ill-advised, and has done his brand (and that of the country) substantial damage.
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