NASCAR driver Kasey Kahne has apologized for a Tweet wherein he called the sight of a woman breastfeeding her child “nasty,” and a follow up Tweet wherein he called a woman who criticized his calling the woman nasty a “bitch.” Someone who makes obscene amounts of money as a professional athlete/amusement has a sub-enlightened attitude about something? Hold me; we’ll get through this together.
The Twit fit began when Kahne saw a woman breastfeeding in the produce section of his local grocery store. “Just walking through supermarket. See a mom breast feeding little kid. Took second look because I was obviously seeing things. I wasn’t!” he Tweeted. Fair enough. It’s possible that Kasey Kahne, his life dominated by the siren’s call of driving really fast in a circle, doesn’t get out much and has never witnessed a woman breastfeeding in public. But rather than stop there, he continued, “I don’t feel like shopping anymore or eating.” He added, “One boob put away and one boob hanging! #nasty”
Several of his more than 100,000 Twitter followers disagreed that the sight of a woman daring nourish her baby in public was nasty or icky poo or whatever other yuckword Kahne may have thought to use. One follower in particular was upset by the sentiment, Tweeting, “I hope someday you have a kid and someone tells your wife that feeding your child looks nasty. Stay classy, asshole.”
Kahne thoughtfully mulled over the woman’s sentiments before responding, “And your dumb bitch. (sic)”
Devastating.
Kahne’s since deleted the most offensive Tweets, including the one where he called his follower a name, but that hasn’t stopped people from getting perturbed at his shitty attitude. He has wisely chosen to apologize to his followers, via Facebook, writing,
I understand that my comments regarding breastfeeding posted on Twitter were offensive to some people. For that, I apologize. It was in no way my intention to offend any mother who chooses to breastfeed her child, or, for that matter, anyone who supports breastfeeding children. I want to make that clear.
He also wrote,
My comments were not directed at the mother’s right to breastfeed. They were just a reaction to the location of that choice, and the fashion in which it was executed on that occasion. I respect the mother’s right to feed her child whenever and wherever she pleases.
Although it seems a little dubious that someone who less than 24 hours before had confused the spellings of “you’re” and “your” would exhibit such mastery of subject/verb agreement without the aid of a publicist, he’s successfully avoided the typical pratfalls of the “I’m sorry you were mad” celebrity apology. He also sent a Tweet in the direction of the woman he insulted, and she’s apologized for calling him an asshole. And everyone hugged.
Stories like this make me think of my grandpa who was in the Navy during World War II, or my other grandpa who fought in Korea. Never in their wildest dreams would either of them have imagined that someday technology would exist that would allow regular folks like you and me to get into embarrassing public arguments about breastfeeding with celebrities who pursued racing careers in lieu of college. It’s truly a magical time.