Internet Abuzz Over Cartoon Usage Of “TWILF”

By Akela Talamasca on November 16th, 2009

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It’s hilarious what the Internet does to people. In a recent cartoon called “The Stupid Virus” on Current TV, Sarah Palin is depicted talking about President Obama’s debated citizenship. At one point, she’s shown using Twitter with the name “GUN-HO”. Immediately afterward, Brian Williams is shown reporting on her tweet with the inset image onscreen labeled “twilf“.

Now, we’re all adults here, presumably. I think we can puzzle out what the acronym TWILF stands for. But the speculation has led people to seek an actual definition, with the result seeming to be something involving farting in the bathtub. That seems pretty unlikely, but even if we assume that to be true, the usage of “twilf” in conjunction with Twitter makes the meaning obvious.

What’s even funnier is that a great many sites are calling Al Gore out for this attack on Palin, even though I doubt very much that he had anything to do with the cartoon. Just because it’s partly his company doesn’t mean that he oversees every aspect of its day-to-day functions. What’s more, “GUN-HO” is an even more egregious attack than “twilf”, don’t you think? While it’s clearly a play on the term “gung ho”, usage of the word “ho” will probably be taken as a slur referring to loose sexual practice instead.

But above all else, this is satire and parody. All this kind of talk is allowable. I think everyone needs to calm down a bit and go back to whatever it was they were doing before they ever decided to become outraged by proxy on Palin’s behalf. She’s a big girl; she can defend herself. With a gun, apparently.