Selective Outrage On Full Display Over DC Metro Exec's "Manspreading" Tweet

Ah, the internet – a vast expanse where people can share their thoughts, opinions, and occasionally, a harmless joke. But in today's overly sensitive society, it seems that even the most innocent of jests can result in public outrage. Case in point: the recent backlash against a DC Metro executive who dared to poke fun at a fellow passenger's, shall we say, unique seating arrangement.

For those not in the know, the executive in question posted a picture of a man's crotch on Twitter as part of their unofficial "manspreading campaign." Now, before you clutch your pearls, let's get one thing straight – this joke could have easily made it into any PG movie. In fact, I'd argue that it's downright tame.

It's a case of selective outrage, as discussed in Chris Rock's latest comedy special. It seems that people are more than willing to express their disdain for relatively trivial and harmless content while turning a blind eye to issues that actually matter.

Now, when it comes to manspreading, researchers and journalists have written about it in the past, and I don't recall mass outrage and hysteria over their work. They found that there's no evidence to support the idea that men need to sit with their legs spread wide for biological reasons. In that context, the woman who's been under fire by an angry internet mob had a valid complaint at the root of her joke.

But instead of joining in on the laughter, our humorless society decided to bully the executive into issuing an apology. Because, you know, making people chuckle is a criminal offense these days. In fact, to many, it's worse.

I mean, seriously, people – can we not take a joke anymore? The dude in question was clearly unapologetic about his crotchal region, or else he wouldn't have been sitting in what can only be described as a freaky yoga pose. I'd rip something if I tried to sit like that.

Newsflash, folks: The internet is the perfect place for posting photos of people doing weird and funny stuff in public. If you can't handle it, I'd suggest retreating to your safe space and avoiding sites like Twitter altogether.

Instead of directing our energy towards the myriad of injustices happening in our world, we've become a society that's more concerned with policing humor and ensuring everyone's feelings are protected.

So, to the sensitive souls who can't handle a harmless crotch shot, I say: Lighten up. Life's too short to take everything so seriously. Let's get back to a place where we can laugh at ourselves and others, without fear of retribution.

The DC Metro executive's tweet was nothing more than a lighthearted attempt to bring some laughter into our lives. It's beyond time we stopped being so soft and remembered how to take a joke.

Brian Hart is founder and president of Flackable, an award-winning public relations agency representing financial and professional services brands nationwide.