Instead of covering the news of the day, CBS News Sunday Morning chose to lecture their viewers about why it was a bad thing to call someone a “snowflake.” “It's the political putdown of the moment: snowflake. And to its fans, Faith Salie has one word of advice: chill,” hyped host Jane Pauley as she led into the segment. A measured tone for a segment that freely smeared conservatives.
“Even though it's the middle of summer, there's an awful lot of talk about snowflakes. This is the "It" insult that's caused a blizzard on the political landscape,” quipped Faith Salie. According to her, “The dig in its current use stems from the 90s book and movie Fight Club, in which the narrator informs his listeners: ‘You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake.’”
When describing the early use of “snowflake,” Salie asserted that it was the fault of ‘anti-intellectual’ conservatives that it became a so-called “word weapon:”
And then "Snowflake" became a word-weapon to express a broad kind of anti-intellectualism aimed at campuses and communities where cultural sensitivity is a must. Cut to the 2016 election, when "Snowflake" emerges as the knee-jerk conservative gibe to shut down political opponents, especially during debates around tolerance.
Salie’s explanation was an absolute joke, especially since she insinuated conservatives were racist and intolerant.
The use of “snowflake” was not used to “shut down political opponents” of the right as she falsely claimed. It was used to describe those on the left who were so opposed to any opinion that didn’t fit into their narrow worldview that they would break down and become emotional wrecks who needed their “safe spaces.” Sometimes they would try to suppress opposing speech with physical violence.
It’s a definition that fits in with that of Merriam-Webster. “The meaning at first was a bit softer, referring mostly to millennials who were allegedly too convinced of their own status as special and unique people to be able (or bothered) to handle the normal trials and travails of regular adult life,” they say.
Going off of her flawed premise of the meaning of “snowflake,” she then declared that “now seems a good time to melt this trend by saying I'm a snowflake and so are you. Your children are snowflakes and so are mine.” As if her segment was a kid’s movie where she had to teach the viewers a lesson, she began to lecture about how “those who protest about not being snowflakes I can see your six-fold ice crystals from here. Because every person is empirically unique and special and flawed and we are all at times fragile.”
Her lecturing didn’t end there as she talked down to and mocked the users of the word:
Snowflakery is simply being human which makes it a pretty flaky insult … It's not a cool insult. "You're fragile and melty!" "No, you're fragile and melty!" Is really an iteration of "I know you are, but what am I?!" It's fitting that an insult largely aimed at youth has made children of those who use it. "Snowflake" reminds us how much we need climate change in politics.
This supposed call to end the use of a “pretty flaky insult” about “being human” was just a veiled smear against conservatives. Salie described “snowflake” a childish put down that’s used by the uncultured and meant to “shut down political opponents,” but she never addressed the tactics used by the left to shut down or restrict free speech on college campuses. That is a far greater threat to political discourse than a trending insult.
Transcript below:
CBS News Sunday Morning
July 9, 2017
10:08:50 AMJANE PAULEY: It's the political putdown of the moment: snowflake. And to its fans, Faith Salie has one word of advice: chill.
[Cuts to video]
FAITH SALIE: Even though it's the middle of summer, there's an awful lot of talk about snowflakes. This is the "It" insult that's caused a blizzard on the political landscape. If you somehow haven't heard it, here's a taste:
TOMI LAUREN: These protesters are typical snowflake millennials.
VAN JONES: Now, he's president snowflake. Ok. Everything he does and says, "Oh they are mean to me and they don't like me.”
JEANINE PIRRO: If you want to know how the President is doing in his first 100 days, don't ask a snowflake.
SALIE: The dig in its current use stems from the 90s book and movie Fight Club, in which the narrator informs his listeners:
NARRATOR: You are not special. You are not a beautiful or unique snowflake.
SALIE: Some started calling today's youth "Generation Snowflake," bemoaning their perceived hyper-sensitivity. And then "Snowflake" became a word-weapon to express a broad kind of anti-intellectualism aimed at campuses and communities where cultural sensitivity is a must. Cut to the 2016 election, when "Snowflake" emerges as the knee-jerk conservative gibe to shut down political opponents, especially during debates around tolerance.
More recently, some liberals have taken up the snowball fight by calling out the current president for being a thin-skinned, self-perceived victim.
JENNIFER GRANHOLM: His ego is so fragile, he's such a snowflake.
SALIE: Now seems a good time to melt this trend by saying I'm a snowflake and so are you. Your children are snowflakes and so are mine. And those who protest about not being snowflakes I can see your six fold ice crystals from here. Because every person is empirically unique and special and flawed and we are all at times fragile.
Snowflakery is simply being human which makes it a pretty flaky insult. Look, a bunch of snowflakes creates a storm. A white blanket that covers things so you can't get to what's underneath. So to those on the right and the left, enough with "Snowflake." It's not a cool insult.
"You're fragile and melty!" "No, you're fragile and melty!" Is really an iteration of "I know you are, but what am I?!" It's fitting that an insult largely aimed at youth has made children of those who use it. "Snowflake" reminds us how much we need climate change in politics.
