Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

JK Rowling Called Out After Sarcastically Claiming She Identifies As A 'Reclining Sofa'

JK Rowling
Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images

The 'Harry Potter' author seemed to deliberately misunderstand a post asking anti-trans activists to 'define a chair' as metaphor for how difficult it can be to accurately define things.



JK Rowling is at it again, and this time she's ranting about... furniture.

Rowling spent the better part of the weekend raging on X, aka Twitter, after misunderstanding an old internet joke about chairs, which is used to criticize transphobes' constant demands that people "define what a woman is."

As a thought exercise, internet user Avery Edison asked Irish anti-trans activist Graham Linehan to "define a chair" in a way that "includes all things which are chairs and excludes all things which aren’t.”

Screenshot of internet discussion about the definition of a chair

Reddit

Linehan responded that a chair is "a separate seat for one person, typically with a back and four legs," and another internet user immediately responded with a picture of a horse labeled "chair" to illustrate what a fool's errand this line of thought really is, whether applied to furniture or gender.

That is, if a horse can fit the definition of a chair, trans people can fit the definition of a man or woman. Case closed.

Suffice to say, JK Rowling has never heard of this discussion, let alone understood the point. Because when it was referenced on Twitter this weekend, she took it literally and soon went into full meltdown mode.

In response to someone who reference the "define a chair" argument, Rowling tweeted:

"You might think you’re progressive, but have you ever unironically compared women to chairs?"

Rowling very clearly thought this joke of hers was hilarious, because she made it multiple times in multiple ways.

To one fellow online TERF, she "joked":

"I identify as a faux-leather reclineable sofa with cup holders in the arms. Yesterday I was mistaken for a chaise longue."

In another, she "joked" about being "misfurnitured," presumably a reference to being misgendered, after saying she "identifies as a reclining sofa."

Hilarious, perhaps, but only if the chair metaphor flew over your head in the first place, as it clearly seemed to for Rowling, who as a reminder is a writer of such preeminence it has made her a literal billionaire.

Rowling immediately became an object of mockery on Twitter for somehow not understanding how metaphors work.

Others referenced Rowling's past Twitter controversies, like the time she insisted that transgender people were not targeted during the Holocaust, which is absolutely, categorically false.

Nothing like one of the greatest writers of a generation being unable to understand a basic analogy. Never change, Joanne. Never change.

More from News/lgbtq

Teachers Share The Questions Students Asked In Class That Broke Their Hearts

Being a teacher is a calling.

It is not for the meek or weak of heart.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Emily Compagno
Fox News

Fox Host Slams Dem For Dropping An F-Bomb After Praising Trump For The Same Thing Just Minutes Earlier

Fox News host Emily Compagno was criticized after she praised Donald Trump's use of the "f-bomb" earlier this week before condemning Texas Democratic Representative Jasmine Crockett's use of the same word—on the same episode of her show, no less.

Trump made headlines this week after admonishing Israel and Iran for violating a ceasefire agreement he'd announced on Truth Social. Although he claimed the ceasefire had been "agreed upon," Iran fired at least six missile barrages at Israel after it was supposed to take effect.

Keep ReadingShow less
Ken Jennings; Emily Croke
@Jeopardy/Instagram

Champ's Wild Final Jeopardy Connection

In a dramatic conclusion on last Monday’s Jeopardy!, a contestant revealed a surprising relationship to the final clue's answer. Hailing from Denver, Emily Croke made it to the final write-in portion of the game show with $12,200 in earnings.

In the category of “Collections,” host Ken Jennings read the clue:

Keep ReadingShow less
State Department logo illustration
Thomas Fuller/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

State Department Slammed After Requiring Visa Applicants To Make All Social Media Posts Public For Vetting

The State Department is facing harsh criticism after it announced that anyone applying for an F, M, or J nonimmigrant visa will need to disclose all social media profiles from the last five years, requiring that all applicants set their posts to public so they can be properly vetted by its agents.

The agency said the new rules are part of a new screening process aimed at identifying individuals who may pose a threat to U.S. national security. According to the department, failure to comply could result in a denial, and consular officers have been instructed to flag signs of “hostility” toward the U.S.—though the criteria for such determinations remain vague.

Keep ReadingShow less
The Tiny Chef Show being canceled
@thetinychefshow/TikTok

Heartbreaking Animated Video Announcing Emmy-Winning Show's Cancellation Has The Internet Sobbing

Whether or not you've heard of the show, Nickelodeon's The Tiny Chef Show has been turning heads. Not only is it a show that children love, but it's an Emmy Award winner.

Despite all of this adorable, pea-sized chef's success, and a Minion-like voice to boot, the show appears to be canceled.

Keep ReadingShow less