Writers from two of America's top newspapers got into a Twitter spat on Wednesday after one made fun of the other's appearance.
When New York Times columnist and MSNBC contributor Anand Giridharadas made an appearance on "All In with Chris Hayes," the Washington Post's Dave Weigel cracked wise about Giridharadas' unique hairstyle.
Chris Hayes getting insights from an extra on The Fifth Element pic.twitter.com/g3PgGBSGdN
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) April 12, 2017
The Fifth Element is a 1997 science fiction film depicting a future in which loud and outrageous hairdos are common. Several main characters including Gary Oldman's Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg and Chris Tucker's Ruby Rhod sport unusual haircuts.
But Giridharadas accused Weigel of making fun of him because of his Indian ethnicity, even complaining to Weigel's boss.
@daveweigel Dear @daveweigel, I'm not an alien. I'm just brown & look different from you. Sad that an appearance troll covers politics @washingtonpost. pic.twitter.com/BDMAVEtGig
— Anand Giridharadas (@AnandWrites) April 12, 2017
@daveweigel @washingtonpost Dear @PostBaron: America is tense enough right now without white @washingtonpost reporters going around calling writers of color aliens.
— Anand Giridharadas (@AnandWrites) April 12, 2017
Weigel insisted that he was only mocking Giridharadas' hair. In a tweet he later deleted, he accused Giridharadas of bordering on libel.
It was a joke about your hair; I was thinking of the (human) Gary Oldman character. Dumb tweet at end of long day. https://t.co/XjGuzJHHsb
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) April 12, 2017
Giridharadas responded by accusing Weigel of not checking his white privilege.
White privilege is a fast-acting drug. Pop one pill, and you go from admitting a dumb tweet to demanding an apology for a complaint over it. https://t.co/0akej3sqmA
— Anand Giridharadas (@AnandWrites) April 12, 2017