FP StaffApr 19, 2022 11:36:41 IST
Whenever brands try to get into virtue signalling or try to be “woke” things backfire spectacularly on them, especially when they try to be woke just for the sake of it. Apple finds itself in a similar situation, thanks to its recent addition of a few gender-neutral emojis.
While the inclusion of most gender-neutral emojis is a welcome move, one particular emoji, of that of a “Pregnant Man” has riled up Twitter users. But why exactly?
Apple released a number of new emoticons as part of the iOS 15.4 update. Apple had released the ‘pregnant man’ and ‘pregnant person’ emoji in January this year which was part of an optional update.
Ironically, Apple seemed to ignore a few basic things about biology that people on Twitter pointed out in a rather savage way. Men cannot get pregnant unless we are talking about a very unlikely medical anomaly.
Several people took to Twitter and shared a few hot-takes upon this recent development with iOS and emoticons.
Nice to see @Apple adding the pregnant man emoji. It will go perfect with the unicorn emoji since you know, both are just fantasy and don’t really exist. #mondaythoughts
— USMCIrish (@AR15Marine) April 18, 2022
WTF? Pregnant man emoji Apple iOS 15.4 (Emojipedia blog)
The world is on and this is what needed to be fixed right now? #Apple #Woke-ass bullshit pic.twitter.com/b3wYG0zV3R
— Buck (@BuckFullerton) April 17, 2022
Anyone noticed this emoji in the new iOS update? It’s called the Pregnant Man ♂️ I have so many questions but while we are at it how about a flat Earth emoji? @Apple — Ataf Ahmed (@Ataf__ahmed) April 17, 2022
Apple rolled out a pregnant man emoji. News flash … no man has ever had a baby and never will. Just plain nonsense. — tom_stephenson (@tom_stephenson) April 18, 2022
A few people took this development on a lighter note, and jokingly said that Apple wasn’t showing a “Pregnant Man,” but someone who just ate a whole pizza by themselves, has a beer belly, jokingly accusing Apple of fat-shaming.
Apple rolled out a pregnant man emoji. News flash … no man has ever had a baby and never will. Just plain nonsense.
— tom_stephenson (@tom_stephenson) April 18, 2022
Hey @Apple what’s this emoji?
A ‘pregnant man’ or are you ‘fat shaming’?You bunch of goofballs.
— Thomas Rossini (@TommyRo) April 18, 2022
While the inclusion of certain emoticons is indeed applaud-worthy, Apple surely must have known that the inclusion of the “Pregnant Man” is simply nonsensical, and the move would definitely backfire.