This isn’t what I would call a terribly important story but it is a telling one. An actor and director named Mark Duplass who has a career in independent film and television said something nice about Ben Shapiro and was immediately dragged for it so hard by the left that he deleted his tweet. Here’s the tweet in question which, ironically, was Duplass suggesting his liberal followers reach across the aisle a bit to someone he’d found to be “a genuine person”:

I should note here that Duplass has long expressed an interest and a willingness to cross the aisle a bit. He’s even appeared on Steven Crowder’s show a couple times. More on that in a moment. In any case, the outrage over his comment about Shapiro was immediate and intense. Here’s a sample:

He’s deleted it now but Mark Duplass attempted the world’s first Reverse Milkshake Duck on Ben Shapiro. It… did not go well pic.twitter.com/3skW8zRhih

— goodbye sky barbour (@puns_n_roses) July 18, 2018

Another person who weighed in was Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn. Gunn made it clear he’s not a fan of Shapiro but basically argued that in the scheme of Republican perfidy, Duplass transgression was a minor one:

Maybe you disagree with Mark Duplass, which is completely fair (personally I think even Ben Shapiro's mother should unfollow him). But that doesn't make Duplass' point-of-view evil. There are a lot of traitors & racists in the country today. Perhaps save the outrage for them. 1

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 18, 2018

https://twitter.com/JamesGunn/status/1019717607312699392

Mark Duplass tweeting how you should follow an asshole because he thinks it's the kind thing to do simply can't be the bar for moral outrage.

Have a good day. 4/END

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 18, 2018

I like James Gunn’s movies and I also really enjoy his often lengthy rants about movies, several of which I’ve read. He seems like an interesting guy that I could enjoy talking to about things other than politics. Of course, that assumes that you believe, as people on the right do, that there is more to life than politics. It’s not clear many on the left still believe that.

That said, I think Gunn falls short here. He has a good point about the left’s collective outrage meter being stuck on 11 at all times in a way that renders most of their outrage into a constant and not very interesting din. Unfortunately, Gunn doesn’t help his case much by adding to that din with his trashing of Shapiro.

I appreciate the sentiment @jamesgunn, even if you're as wrong about following me as you were in your directorial decisions in "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2" 😉 https://t.co/eTK1QeI6nr

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) July 18, 2018

I’ve made many mistakes both on film & off, @benshapiro. As for the asshole thing, I really don’t know who you are other than the guy who once made fun of a high-schooler for using incorrect grammar in a tweet where you yourself used incorrect grammar. So, you know, asshole. https://t.co/vlxDawhwh8

— James Gunn (@JamesGunn) July 18, 2018

I never said I wasn’t an a**hole. I said you were wrong about following me. For example, you’re an a**hole and I don’t mind if people follow you. https://t.co/Inys5QTYre

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) July 19, 2018

I don’t know Shapiro well but I did work with him for a time and he’s even done a small favor for one of my kids. So, his comments aside, I concur with Duplass’ assessment that he’s a genuinely decent person whether you agree with his politics or not. But you get the impression Gunn is worried the mob might turn on him as well if he doesn’t direct enough harsh language at Shapiro.

Rather than feeding the mob the Shapiro-bashing it obviously craved, it would have been better if Gunn had simply pointed out the mob was overreacting. And that last tweet really is obnoxious and unfair. Duplass didn’t tweet that liberals should follow Shapiro to be kind to him, he said it to try to foster some discussion across the aisle. What Gunn did is reinforce the existing wall between the two sides. Whatever happened to bridges not walls?

Again, I genuinely like James Gunn so I’m not looking to make the same mistake by trashing him the way he trashed Shapiro. The whole episode is not that important in and of itself but I think it’s one more dot to connect in the ongoing sense that the left had made intolerance into it’s chief virtue. This is the left trashing people on their own side to own the cons.

Today's Leftist lesson on Twitter: write a nice tweet about someone with whom you disagree politically, get labeled a racist sexist homophobe. Good stuff, guys. Really showing that tolerant streak.

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) July 18, 2018

Finally, as promised, here’s Duplass on Steven Crowder talking about the response he got to a previous appearance on the show from a few people on the left:

Update: This was predictable. Duplass has now issued an apology for ever saying a kind word about a Shapiro. He has been beaten into submission by the SJW mob and now he’s tapping out, like many others before him:

So in 24 hours I apparently went from being a person with good intentions to a racist sexist bigot. Twitter toxifies any attempt to cross the aisle. There's no conservative Mark could have recommended who wouldn’t receive the same blowback. https://t.co/JEizw69eFH

— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) July 19, 2018

Update: Some reactions to Duplass’ apology:

Another successful struggle session. The sin: humbly suggesting people read those they disagree with. https://t.co/iR44lGj520

— Bari Weiss (@bariweiss) July 19, 2018

As usual, Bret Weinstein nails it.

No, you had it right the first time. Listening to those you disagree with is key to enlightenment and progress.

Punishing people who show curiosity is part of a cynical agenda that requires us to remain divided and cartoonish to each other.

The backlash was for breaking ranks. https://t.co/6sxvjk9CBP

— Bret Weinstein (@BretWeinstein) July 19, 2018