Clementine Ford apologises after tweeting ‘coronavirus isn’t killing men fast enough’

Feminist writer Clementine Ford sparked outrage over the weekend after she fired off a “flippant” tweet about men being killed by coronavirus.

High-profile feminist writer Clementine Ford has apologised after a tweet she posted over the weekend sparked a furious backlash online.

“Honestly, the corona virus isn’t killing men fast enough,” Ford wrote on Twitter on Saturday, quickly sparking outrage and condemnation from media personalities and the Lord Mayor of Melbourne, who called the comments “distasteful”.

Ford posted the comments in response to an article from thelily.com, about women taking on extra work during the coronavirus pandemic, as they manage childcare, their households, and their own work. She has since deleted the posts.

Ford’s now deleted tweet sparked outrage over the weekend.

The comments caused anger online, with male commentators taking exception to the comment and Ford’s name trending on Twitter throughout the weekend.

Ford was recently awarded an arts grant through the City of Melbourne as part of a program to support artists through the pandemic, and many began calling for her to have her funding rescinded.

Among those who criticised Ford were former senator Derryn Hinch, and media personality Peter Ford.

Take this on board: A woman who tweeted ‘Honestly, the Corona virus is not killing men fast enough’ has recently been given a ratepayer- funded literary grant by the Melbourne City Council. It must be rescinded.

— Derryn Hinch (@HumanHeadline) May 23, 2020

#clementineford@cityofmelbourne pic.twitter.com/wUXiVvk8A4

— Adam McLean (@AdamMcL52219660) May 23, 2020

Ford stood firm on her comments on Saturday, responding to some of the backlash on Saturday afternoon.

Christ alfkn Mighty, men love to screech about snowflakes and triggered feminists and women not being able to take a joke and they crumble at the first sign of a hyperbolic tweet that doesn’t place them as gods at the centre of the universe. Ding dongs, all of them.

— Clementine Ford 🧟‍♀️ (@clementine_ford) May 23, 2020

On Saturday night the Herald Sun reported the Melbourne City Council arts grant awarded to Ms Ford would be put under review. Lord Mayor Sally Capp criticised Ford’s comments, calling them “deliberately divisive” at a time when she was trying to keep the community together through the COVID-19 crisis.

“I found these comments offensive and distasteful and I agree with the sentiment of outrage expressed by many members of our community,” Ms Capp said. She said she’d asked the council’s chief executive officer to review the independent process that awarded Ford the grant.

On Sunday morning Ford apologised for the tweet in a lengthy thread, saying her comments had been “poorly judged”.

between jokes that punch up and down is the reality of harm. Eg joking about firing men into the sun has no basis in reality and therefore no potential to further harm, while “jokes” about domestic abuse are very much reflective of an extensive harm already in place.

— Clementine Ford 🧟‍♀️ (@clementine_ford) May 24, 2020

fury at that, and it’s disappointing more men aren’t outraged by this reality. But based on my own metric outlined up thread, I have to accept fault for the corona tweet because it made a flippant joke about something that IS actually a harmful reality, and one that affects

— Clementine Ford 🧟‍♀️ (@clementine_ford) May 24, 2020

But I also think it’s fair to be angry at the lack of interest in this crisis’ impact on women. To be astonished at how women are expected to perform the essential tasks that allow men to thrive, at the expense of women’s stability, while being denied recognition for that work.

— Clementine Ford 🧟‍♀️ (@clementine_ford) May 24, 2020

Anyway, this acknowledgement isn’t for the men who are looking for any reason to ignore patriarchal impact but for the people genuinely hurt by my words. I’m sincerely sorry, and I wish I had framed my argument in better terms and in a way that didn’t compound harm. Be well 🤝

— Clementine Ford 🧟‍♀️ (@clementine_ford) May 24, 2020

Originally published as Clementine Ford apologises after tweeting ‘coronavirus isn’t killing men fast enough’