Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez explained the stumbling blocks of being “privileged” and sparked social media mockery for owning her part in the problem.
The Democratic socialist from New York argued that privileges have to be acknowledged by people in order to right past wrongs during an interview on The Intercept’s “Deconstructed” podcast on Monday.
“If you haven’t had a transition in your life where, you know, you were maybe born poor or born without certain privileges and then especially as you transition into having certain privileges in your life, you actually see and feel and sense and taste and smell all of the differences,” she said, addressing those who were born with a “silver spoon.”
“If you’ve never experienced different treatment in your life, you wouldn’t know what different treatment feels like or looks like. And it’s really, really hard,” she added.
“We can all, almost every single person in this country can acknowledge some privilege of some of some type, you know,” Ocasio-Cortez continued before confessing her own sin of privilege in her over-dramatized monologue.
“I’m a cisgendered woman,” she announced.
“I will never know the trauma of feeling like I’m not born in the right body. And that is a privilege that I have, no matter how poor my family was when I was born. But it’s really hard for some people to admit that they — you know, it’s part of this weird American Dream mythology that we have, that for a lot of — in a lot of circumstances isn’t as true or isn’t as clearly communicated as we’d like for it, or we wish it was,” she offered by way of an explanation of sorts.
Reaction to her remarks came swiftly but did not seem to take up the cause the freshman lawmaker encouraged. Twitter users missed the message urging them to confront their “privilege” as they were too distracted by the “foolishness” of her terminology.
Not going to lie – had to Google cisgender. Didn’t know there was a name for…. Um… Being a female with female parts outside of just “Female.” #themoreyouknow #ish
— Sarah Lindsey (@sarahl0329) January 31, 2019
Another word for it is “normal.” What a weird world we are living in.
— The Gabaghoul (@ediblesandwich) January 31, 2019
Agreed. Googling silly words does not mean I’ll be adding them to my lexicon. It means that the word’s foolishness exceeded my previous knowledge of foolishness. Not pleased I had to expand it for ‘cisgender’… Though it does make for good fodder.
— Sarah Lindsey (@sarahl0329) January 31, 2019
I am forever dumber for having listened to that (and I say this making strange hand motions that in no way coordinate with what I said)
— Jeff (@Jeff_mortensen) January 31, 2019
So, it’s a privilege to not have a mental disorder? I’ve got news for you, you have a mental disorder.
— Chris Ingram (@IrreverentView) January 31, 2019
Others slammed Ocasio-Cortez for the premise and her socialistic rhetoric.
The scariest thing about it is, she thinks she is smarter than you, her policies are trash and none of her supporters see it or they don’t care to see it.
— Elliott Wess (@darkkent85) January 31, 2019
I too am Puerto Rican. I grew up in hardship but we did the best with what we had. I’ve had friends that were much more well off than me. I didn’t care. We were friends. If I wanted something bad enough, I went out and earned it. Its very weak to believe that if you had more than
— Checker (@jamcorjeff2) January 31, 2019
I’m still earning all I have and have never wanted anything without earning it.
— Domingo Ruiz (@RealDomingoRuiz) January 31, 2019
But most who viewed the “painful” interview were amazed by the ludicrous “word salad” coming from the 29-year-old lawmaker.
It’s cute because she’s both tiny AND insane.
— King Osiris (@KingOsiris47) January 31, 2019
Like… REALLY insane.
— King Osiris (@KingOsiris47) January 31, 2019
— steven b. (@stevenbruce5355) January 31, 2019
Yes! It is actually painful to watch!!
— Marjorie Morgan (@Marjmorgan) January 31, 2019
Pretty soon any phenotypically normal person will be “privileged.” We’ll all be guilty of some -ism soon enough.
— Dr. Texconsin (@ellen_frigo) January 31, 2019
This has to have it’s own code in the mental disease classification. It’s beyond nuts, it’s bonkers intersected with madness with a large dose of class rhetoric sprinkled with nonsense
— ???? ???? ????????? ?. (@jjmiphoto) January 31, 2019
Does she just stream words together??
— CatJO (@catjo55) January 31, 2019
I’ve never heard anyone talk so much, but say so little #wordvomit
— KRhea (@KERMPA) January 31, 2019
At this point I’m convinced that people only interview her for the idiocy that comes out of her and then burst out laughing the minute she leaves.
— Tim Dooley (@Dooley417) January 31, 2019
Hang in there she’ll have more
— John Carpenter (@1969rpmalerba) January 31, 2019
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