The public is once again taking interest in Chrissy Teigen’s Twitter activity, which sparked a debate this week about whether or not the term “oriental” is offensive.
It all started when the 30-year-old model tweeted about the “oriental dressing” option on her flight.
https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/775508133561176064?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/775508413602230272?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Teigen, who herself is half Thai, dug a little hole for herself when a user asked her if she thought the term “oriental” was offensive.
https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/775510409927352320?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/775511894815801344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
But that hole got deeper and deeper as she tried to clarify her comments, adding she wasn’t personally offended by the term but that she does recognize that the ignorant term is outdated.
https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/775536699946532869?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/775537164788563969?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/775537823722143745?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
But when someone tweeted that “oriental” was an adjective for merchandise but was offensive when describing people, Teigen responded, “So many people writing me this but no, it is not. Lol. This is a new, made up definition I guess.”
I agree, it might not be offensive to her but it's considered offensive to many. It perpetuates cultural ignorance
— Trillhouse VanHouten (@trillhauz) September 13, 2016
https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/775538973519282176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
And come Tuesday morning, Teigen was still defending herself against trolls. While Teigen was saying the term wouldn’t offend her, many Twitter users shot back that she wasn’t realizing that it might be considered offensive to many others.
Teigen shot back to Twitter haters by writing, “I think our miscommunication here is the fact we have different definitions of the word ‘offensive.’”
Many also rushed to the model’s defense, writing, “THIS is what everyone’s falling over themselves over?! Ok children.”
https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/775548390801309696?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/775595836290072576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/775663012292206592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/775678951222042625
https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/775574804103593984
https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/775571787962875904
https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/775546645375225856
https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/775665135654502400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
https://twitter.com/chrissyteigen/status/775669852514181120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Teigen is known to be extremely vocal on social media. In March, she raged at VH1 for calling her a “hypocrite.”
Before that, she made headlines for calling Donald Trump a “twat” on Twitter, teamed up with John Legend to troll Piers Morgan on Twitter after he commented about Muhammad Ali’s death, and also engaged in a full-scale Twitter feud with one particular user after expressing her support for Planned Parenthood following a deadly shooting in Colorado.