Sometimes, the only way to go viral is to say something absurd.
Such is the case for Twitter user RAMZPAUL, who Monday penned a heavily criticized tweet. “Shaking hands with a woman is like shaking hands with a child,” the DIY YouTuber wrote. “The handshake was designed as a greeting between men to show that your sword hand was empty. Almost all women now greet with a quick hug in informal situations.”
Oh, honey.
Almost all women now greet with a quick hug in informal situations.
— RAMZPAUL (@ramzpaul) April 1, 2019
People have been discussing hugging women versus shaking hands with women this week in light of the misconduct allegations against Joe Biden, accused on Friday of inappropriately touching a female colleague, and RAMZPAUL seems to have offered a baffling defense of the former vice president’s alleged actions. RAMZPAUL does not explain why it is OK in his book to shake hands with a man if the gesture is so antiquated.
As of this writing, RAMZPAUL, who offers frequent racist tweets about immigration, sexist tweets, and retweets conspiracy theorists, remains “verified” on Twitter.
In no time, the tweet was getting roasted by people from every corner of the internet. Many of them made jokes about women handling swords.
That's because women are often ambidextrous sword-users and need to show that both hands are free.
— Joshua Libling (@JJLibling) April 2, 2019
my sword hand is occupied and ready, Paul pic.twitter.com/JzN0Xsl6GQ
— Zarude Sandstorm (10 hour mix) (@stumblebee) April 3, 2019
Or my boot Deringer.
— Fred Douglass Lives! (@FDouglassLives) April 2, 2019
That's why in Europe there is still the tradition of symbolically kissing a woman's hand as a greeting – to beg for mercy and one's life as European women's sword hand is never empty.
— EspressoCupcake (@EspressoCupcake) April 2, 2019
We're always armed.
A lot of people, mostly women, explained exactly what would happen if a stranger tried to give them a “quick hug.”
That's not true with the women in my company. We greet each other with handshakes before discussing how we're going to fire guys who say things like you do.
— Kt loves the Iditarod (@rowdy_katie) April 2, 2019
If you, a stranger, walks up and hugs me, you better have checked to make sure my sword hand was empty first.
— Ally (@OhMyItsAlly) April 2, 2019
https://twitter.com/the_rbf/status/1113186980198846472
Hug me before verifying that my sword hand is empty. I dare you.
— What’sYourDamageHeather? (@HelloooKittyH3) April 2, 2019
There were quite a few people who were concerned.
I don't think that he thinks women can read.
— Michael Kenny (@MichaelJKenny) April 2, 2019
https://twitter.com/BoniPrinceFacio/status/1113236683070296064
https://twitter.com/greggc1000/status/1113183352717238272
Other people just took the opportunity to soundly roast RAMZPAUL and his injudicious tweet.
Patty-cake was originally a greeting between girls to show that neither was carrying a crossbow https://t.co/1eIZS7xfMk
— Scott Barolo (@sbarolo) April 3, 2019
Why the fist bump is so strategic – could be a tiny sword hidden in there, who knows
— ethan edward (@evosketches) April 2, 2019
Spoken like a man looking to get stabbed by a woman with a sword
— Jimmy Wholebody, MPH (@GumbyAnne) April 2, 2019
Did you just mansplain handshakes? For real?
— Jordan Strater (@jordanstrater) April 2, 2019
If you prefer, we can all just punch you in the face from now on.
— Exhausted Potato (@TiredTater) April 2, 2019
A few people theorized that the original tweet was an April Fools’ joke, but based on his past tweets it seems unlikely. A quick perusal through his Twitter page shows that RAMZPAUL is no stranger to fringe behavioral theories.
Yes, it is proper that men should explain things to women ("mansplain") just as women should explain things to children. That is the natural hierarchy.
— RAMZPAUL (@ramzpaul) April 2, 2019
I am glad I was able to help you! https://t.co/vl2U6RWusW
White people are not allowed to have ethnic solidarity. Hell, we are not even allowed to exist. https://t.co/t8vDOVMuXv
— RAMZPAUL (@ramzpaul) March 31, 2019
Yes, sweetie. Read and learn. https://t.co/o37wYXgodh
— RAMZPAUL (@ramzpaul) April 2, 2019
As of press time, RAMZPAUL had taken to criticizing a woman for being romantically involved with an “immigrant.”
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