James O'Brien: The REAL Snowflakes Are The People Who Complain Over Every Small Thing
26 October 2018, 12:12
James O'Brien has often been called a snowflake by his critics. But as he discussed the latest controversy over a comment made by a student union president, he pointed out that surely the biggest snowflakes are the people who complain over the slightest thing.
Emily Dawes, the Student Union President at the University of Southampton, sparked outrage by saying a mural dedicated to war heroes should be painted over.
She called the painting "the mural of white men" and said she would paint over it herself if it wasn't removed.
Ms Dawes subsequently apologised for any offence caused, but the story made national news and a petition for her to resign has over 7,000 signatures.
James O'Brien was asking why it was in the newspapers - and pointed out that surely the professionally outraged are more snowflakey than the people usually given the moniker.
He said: "What's caused this bizarre scattergun approach to offence. And as ever, the headline in the Mail says 'What a silly snowflake'.
"A snowflake is someone who takes offence too easily. And here it is in a headline about 25 words that a student in Southampton tweeted and the apologised for.
"So who's the snowflake here exactly?
"Who's the person with the excessively thin skin? Who's the person who is taking offence on a hair trigger? Who is the person who is furious and absolutely disgusted by behaviour?
"The woman who tweeted 25 words and ended up being a national news story and then apologised? Or is it everybody who is cross with her?"
