Chase, America’s largest bank, deleted an innocuous tweet and apologized Monday after a Twitter outrage mob deemed it “insensitive.”
What triggered the mob was the bank’s lighthearted “Monday Motivation” tweet, which attempted to offer tips on how to save money.
Chase posted a hypothetical conversation between the bank and a customer, suggesting that the customer cut unnecessary expenses.
#Chase deleted its "Monday Motivation" tweet following backlash and pledged to be more sensitive on social media in the future. https://t.co/j73ISwbcPx
— ABC7 News (@abc7newsbayarea) April 30, 2019
Seems pretty harmless, right? Wrong. What most sane people would consider sound advice came across as “poor shaming” to thousands of NPCs on Twitter, triggering a backlash, and PR nightmare for Chase. Naturally, Democrat politicians jumped into the fray to soak up as much political capital as they could from their natural constituency — the perpetual outrage mob.
Hey @Chase, try paying your workers more. Families aren’t spending frivolously; they’re trying to pay rent. pic.twitter.com/XwQi2GisU5
— Rep. Katie Porter (@RepKatiePorter) April 29, 2019
.@Chase, this isn’t #MondayMotivation. Unless this condescension reflects Mr. Dimon’s view of his customers, I’d suggest an apology. We can call it #ToneDeafTuesday.
— Rep. Katie Porter (@RepKatiePorter) April 29, 2019
.@Chase: why aren’t customers saving money?
Taxpayers: we lost our jobs/homes/savings but gave you a $25b bailout
Workers: employers don’t pay living wages
Economists: rising costs + stagnant wages = 0 savings
Chase: guess we’ll never know
Everyone: seriously?
#MoneyMotivation pic.twitter.com/WcboMr5MCE— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) April 29, 2019
It wasn’t really #MondayMotivation to mock working Americans who are just trying to get by, @Chase – particularly when your CEO pockets $28 million while some of your tellers can’t make ends meet. pic.twitter.com/SPs7hJn6zV
— Sherrod Brown (@SenSherrodBrown) April 30, 2019
Hey @Chase why’d you delete this tweet shaming people for drinking coffee?
Is it b/c it’s shameless enough you steal $2B a year in ATM & overdraft fees from lower income earners?
Or is it b/c you don’t pay a living wage to your tellers while your CEO makes $31M/year?
Do tell???? pic.twitter.com/D7NOYY0SAc
— Qasim Rashid, Esq. (@QasimRashid) April 29, 2019
You: Why is my balance so low?
Economists: Bc working Americans haven’t gotten a raise in 30 years despite unprecedented growth; & living costs have exploded.
Chase: Maybe if you skipped that Dunkin on April 22nd you‘d be able to afford your RX meds. That’s how that works right pic.twitter.com/i8bGowwomU
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) April 30, 2019
It should be noted that compared to the Jacobin mob in their Tweet timelines, the Democrat politicians were models of self-restraint and moderation.
I’m not a fan of “too big to fail” banks or bailouts, either, but it should be remembered that the banks ran into trouble because Democrats forced them to hand out loans to people who couldn’t afford to pay them back.
I’ve experienced what it feels like to be on the lower end of the economic spectrum, and it would never have occurred to me to be offended by a bank’s advice on how to save money. I would already have been heeding that advice, for one thing, and I’d know that economic hard times are only a temporary condition for people who work hard and are willing to make sacrifices.
The spineless wusses at Chase of course quickly deleted the offending tweet and pledged to do better next time. “Our #MondayMotivation is to get better at #MondayMotivation tweets. Thanks for the feedback Twitter world,” the chastened bank groveled.
Our #MondayMotivation is to get better at #MondayMotivation tweets. Thanks for the feedback Twitter world.
— Chase (@Chase) April 29, 2019
Asked if she was “gratified” that Chase took its tweet down, Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.) explained on CNN why she felt the tweet was so offensive.
“I was glad they took the tweet down. I think it was insulting to the hard-working American people, many of whom are earning minimum wage or just above that and struggling to pay rent, insurance and other costs. So I think it was important they took the tweet down,” Porter said. She went on to suggest that Chase had not yet bowed and scraped before the mob sufficiently, however. “I think they should apologize to their customers. That’s obviously their business decision,” she added.
.@RepKatiePorter sparred with Chase after the company put out a tweet on spending that attempted to drum up #MondayMotivation but was deleted after being criticized as tone-deaf.
“I think it’s insulting,” she says. https://t.co/STr7zEg1fo pic.twitter.com/DFSCw8BBDC
— New Day (@NewDay) April 30, 2019
Once the dust settled, normal people wondered what all the fuss was about.
How is this insensitive?
— Patti jones (@shspjones) April 30, 2019
I don't get it . What's offensive
— Dani (@__ellacupcake) April 30, 2019
Seriously people were offended by that. Wow!!!!
— Nicole Corvello (@Tikionmywall) April 30, 2019