Aaron Sorkin has always been an inconsistent genius. For every Sports Night or The West Wing, there’s a Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. He’ll write Moneyball or The Social Network, but also The Network. So it’s not surprising that he occasionally says the wrong thing. For instance, the Oscar-winning writer just went after the new crop of elected Democrats, with predictably grisly results.
Sorkin was speaking on CNN with Fareed Zakaria when he weighed in on the likes of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Rashida Tlaib. This particular stretch was caught by the progressive activist Jordan Uhl, who posted it to Twitter.
Aaron Sorkin: The new crop of Dems need to "stop acting like young people" pic.twitter.com/qGZqWDpXi8
— jordan (@JordanUhl) January 20, 2019
“They now need to stop acting like young people. It’s time to do that,” Sorkin said, adding that the Democrats have, he believes, “a great opportunity to be the non-stupid party.”
The Oscar-winner wasn’t done. He questioned the sincerity of some social battles Democrats have fought. “It’s not just about transgender bathrooms. That’s a Republican talking point they’re trying to distract you with.”
Sorkin’s words received worse reviews than The Newsroom. Ocasio-Cortez, one of the people he was likely subtweeting, tweeted out her disapproval:
News Flash: Medicare for All & equal rights aren’t trends.
When people complain about low turnout in some demos, it’s not because communities are apathetic, it’s bc they don’t see you fighting for them.
If we don’t show up for people, why should you feel entitled to their vote? https://t.co/oGRsG9NZV3
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) January 20, 2019
David Hogg, not (yet) a politician, also weighed in:
Stop acting like the world can’t change. https://t.co/FHB019YIjR
— David Hogg 🟧 (@davidhogg111) January 20, 2019
Soon the pile-on was on.
Aaron Sorkin: Young politicians need to start acting like fictional characters written by a much older white man… or else
— Mike Cobraman (@MKupperman) January 20, 2019
Innthis scene, Aaron Sorkin the political pundit (?!) could really have used Aaron Sorkin the screenwriter to bail him out. https://t.co/QgjfaED5h0
— Daniel W. Drezner (@dandrezner) January 20, 2019
gotta hand it to em, "Fareed Zakaria interviews Aaron Sorkin" is surefire trolling content https://t.co/vyqJBXbILS
— David Weigel (@daveweigel) January 20, 2019
https://twitter.com/1followernodad/status/1087066602850275328
LOVE 2 HEAR FROM AARON SORKIN pic.twitter.com/d5Ly9m52HE
— anne t donahue (@annetdonahue) January 20, 2019
Aaron Sorkin's conception of maturity has nothing to do with actual maturity and everything to do with his own stupid political fetishes.
— Angus Johnston (@studentactivism) January 20, 2019
https://twitter.com/danielleiat/status/1087081110134231041
nah. fuck this. i want a full-throated defense of trans people using bathrooms. i want dunks on every single republican patriarch. i want to impeach the motherfucker. aaron sorkin can sit down and shut the fuck up, we're driving this bus now. https://t.co/xoQXXQQQ2H
— Dick Warlock (@m_s_nelson) January 20, 2019
Remember, as you listen to this clown, this has been *the* voice of moral aspiration among mainstream Democrats for the last quarter-century. Some day, I will write that essay or that book on Aaron Sorkin as the most important hack of the age, but until then, listen to this. https://t.co/vfCPFPVoDv
— corey robin (@CoreyRobin) January 20, 2019
Failed Larry King replacement, Entourage movie cast member, and tireless internet troll Piers Morgan inevitably tried to get in on the fun, not to beat up Sorkin but to mansplain to Ocasio-Cortez.
News Flash: Aaron Sorkin knows a lot more about politics than you.
So I suggest you take his advice, young lady, & start acting like a grown-up not a juvenile smart-a**e. https://t.co/Tl6ya5TvkM— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 20, 2019
But that didn’t go well either.
Aaron Sorkin is a television writer, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a sitting congresswoman, and Piers Morgan is a failed Dancing With the Stars contestant. Decide for yourself who knows what about politics. https://t.co/3MZs2iqMP8
— Evan DeSimone (@Smorgasboredom) January 20, 2019
In addition to recently mounting a stage version of To Kill a Mockingbird, now on Broadway starring Jeff Daniels, Sorkin is toying with the idea of a sequel to The Social Network, which will surely show that the 2010 film was, if anything, too kind.
(Via Deadline)