Clara Jeffery has been the editor of the left-wing rag Mother Jones for 18 years. In between her slew of recent tweets about the death of actress Maggie Smith, Jeffery tweeted out a personal complaint about something said by an Alaska airlines flight attendant.
Creeping Christian nationalism alert: @AlaskaAir flight attendant just wished us a “blessed” night as we landed in SFO (!) to groans. Other adjectives that would have sufficed: great, awesome, fabulous, amazing, fantastic…
— Clara Jeffery (@ClaraJeffery) September 28, 2024
As my rowmate said, “this ain’t Montgomery, sweetie.”
The idea that there is creeping Christian nationalism in San Francisco is pretty amusing except she clearly didn't mean this as a joke. On the contrary, her comment and that of the stranger in her row betrays more than a whiff of secular intolerance and suggests who really sees themselves as in charge of SF. It ain't Christian nationalists, sweetie. That I can tell you.
On top of that, the decision to tag the airlines is creepy. Is this something that really needs to be called to anyone's attention? Maybe she could just get over it without trying to potentially create a workplace problem for someone else. I mean, if they lost your luggage or kept you stuck sitting on a plane that wasn't moving for hours, sure. I could see tagging the company to let them know you weren't pleased about that. But is the word "blessed" really a situation where we need to alert this person's employer?
Not surprisingly, this arrogant, ill-considered tweet hasn't gone over very well with a lot of people. Quite a few pointed out that the flight attendant was probably just being nice.
This is a bizarre and pretty indefensible overreaction, imo.
— Jonah Goldberg (@JonahDispatch) September 28, 2024
seems like she was just being polite
— Andy Kaczynski (@KFILE) September 28, 2024
She sounds like a nice person tbh
— David Weigel (@daveweigel) September 28, 2024
But Jeffery could only see this one way, as an affront to her secular sensibilities by a thoughtless member of the "dominant culture."
Eh. It’s a matter of respect for the audience before you. Respecting their space and norms and wishes. Dominant cultures always feel they have a right to enforce their norms and intents. And…way off @AlaskaAir’s brand.
— Clara Jeffery (@ClaraJeffery) September 28, 2024
A successful editor complaining that her flight attendant didn't show her enough respect and trashing this person to her 134k followers might be the cringiest thing I've seen on X this year. The left have become experts at taking offense from even the tiniest conceivable slight. And notice she tagged the airline again. She's really determined to make "blessed" an issue at this person's next performance review.
Obviously a lot of other people felt the way I do because Jeffery is getting a ratio for the ages.
I’m glad you found time in your day to shit on a working class person taking care of you.
— EducatëdHillbilly™ (@RobProvince) September 28, 2024
I’m glad you found time in your day to shit on a working class person taking care of you.
— EducatëdHillbilly™ (@RobProvince) September 28, 2024
I’m glad you found time in your day to shit on a working class person taking care of you.
— EducatëdHillbilly™ (@RobProvince) September 28, 2024
Bless your heart
— Kyle Mann (@The_Kyle_Mann) September 28, 2024
You’re a deeply unpleasant weirdo. Hope that suffices.
— Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) September 28, 2024
You’re a deeply unpleasant weirdo. Hope that suffices.
— Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) September 28, 2024
And somehow this gets even weirder because it turns out Clara Jeffery herself has a habit of using the forbidden word.
Are you really blessed? pic.twitter.com/YIqKUrJUmU
— Ryan B (@Network_Guy8) September 28, 2024
This you? pic.twitter.com/wEXVgNeDqa
— Laura Powell (@LauraPowellEsq) September 28, 2024
I already thought Clara Jeffery seemed pretty un-self-aware but this takes it to a new level. How do you get offended by someone using a word that you use all the time?
This you? pic.twitter.com/wEXVgNeDqa
— Laura Powell (@LauraPowellEsq) September 28, 2024
I think this sums it up the whole incident.
What a frigging Karen.
— JustNancy (@nancy_incognito) September 28, 2024
But Clara Jeffery remains unbowed. She will not delete the tweet and she will not have second thoughts. She will just insult a broader swath of people.
The thing about being dragged by rw “alphas” is that they are all so so so dumb.
— Clara Jeffery (@ClaraJeffery) September 28, 2024
Ah, yes, everyone but me is dumb. Always a sign of real genius.
If I had revealed myself to be a cartoon version of a stereotype I'd try and tweet my way through it too.
— Foster (@foster_type) September 28, 2024
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