Twitter is a great platform for anonymously slinging insults, especially at the rich, famous, and powerful. So it’s hardly a wonder that members of the perpetually unpopular Congress find themselves at the blunt end of 140-character jabs.
But the barbs can turn to comedy gold when the recipients of insulting tweets read them aloud. Inspired by the recurring Jimmy Kimmel Live gag “Mean Tweets,” the crew from Now This News got several members of Congress to read some of the nastiest things ever tweeted about them.
Some of the readings are quite good, such as Senator Chuck Schumer, New York Democrat, reciting a tweet that compares him to an “old pair of shoes,” or Representative Sean Duffy, Wisconsin Republican, responding to one that compares his stints on The Real World and in Congress to a hygiene product. The best, though, is Senator Claire McCaskill, Missouri Democrat, fearlessly reading back a tweet compelling her to “suck a pig’s ass.”
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Watch Members of Congress Read Insulting Tweets About Themselves (Video)
Insult comedy comes to Capitol Hill.
Twitter is a great platform for anonymously slinging insults, especially at the rich, famous, and powerful. So it’s hardly a wonder that members of the perpetually unpopular Congress find themselves at the blunt end of 140-character jabs.
But the barbs can turn to comedy gold when the recipients of insulting tweets read them aloud. Inspired by the recurring Jimmy Kimmel Live gag “Mean Tweets,” the crew from Now This News got several members of Congress to read some of the nastiest things ever tweeted about them.
Some of the readings are quite good, such as Senator Chuck Schumer, New York Democrat, reciting a tweet that compares him to an “old pair of shoes,” or Representative Sean Duffy, Wisconsin Republican, responding to one that compares his stints on The Real World and in Congress to a hygiene product. The best, though, is Senator Claire McCaskill, Missouri Democrat, fearlessly reading back a tweet compelling her to “suck a pig’s ass.”
Benjamin Freed joined Washingtonian in August 2013 and covers politics, business, and media. He was previously the editor of DCist and has also written for Washington City Paper, the New York Times, the New Republic, Slate, and BuzzFeed. He lives in Adams Morgan.
Most Popular in News & Politics
Best of Washington 2023: Things to Eat, Drink, Do, and Know Right Now
“Shattered Glass”: An Oral History of the Media-Movie Cult Classic
Washingtonian Magazine
December 2023: Ways to Relax and Feel Better Now
View IssueSubscribe
Follow Us on Social
Follow Us on Social
Related
29 of the Best Things to Eat and Drink Around DC in 2023
29 of the Best Things to Do Around DC in 2023
16 of the Best Things to Know Around DC in 2023
Reader Picks: 26 Local Favorites Around DC in 2023
More from News & Politics
“We Have Nothing in the Cupboard”: Washington Post Manager Begs for Content Ahead of Strike
Washington Post Staffers Will Go on Strike Thursday
We Baked All of the 2023 NYT Holiday Cookies
How a Local Doctor Is Using Tech to Try to Save Lives
GOP Lawmakers Willing to Admit Trump Lost in 2020—as Long as They Have Nothing to Lose Themselves
George Santos on Cameo: “Live Life, Laugh, and Let the Haters Hate”
This 2024 Calendar Celebrates Stumpy, DC’s Favorite Little Cherry Tree
DC’s New “Genius” Ian Bassin on His Efforts to Preserve Democracy