The United States dropped a 22,000-pound bomb on Islamic State forces in Afghanistan Thursday, reportedly killing 36 ISIS fighters. The bomb was the largest non-nuclear bomb ever used in combat.
The bomb, a Massive Ordinance Air Blast weapon, is often referred to as "MOAB." The acronym led to its nickname "mother of all bombs.”
Liberals were quick tohash out their thoughts on social media, but one criticism of the day’s incident was particularly puzzling.
“MOAB is the epitome of lethal patriarchy,” one Twitter user said:
Others even singled out BBC News and asked them to stop using the term on their broadcast because it was offensive:
@BBCBreakfast Please would you stop using the term `mother of all bombs` on your programme? It is sexist and offensive.— Diana Gibson (@Diana Gibson) 1492152423.0
BBC, 'mother of all bombs' is sexist language. Why is sex/gender relevant to size of a bomb? Ask BBC why is some sexism gone but other not?— VincentBarnett (@VincentBarnett) 1492143986.0
Liberal Twitter users were offended at the term for various reasons, one even asking the question, “Why isn’t it called the ‘father of all bombs?’”
@ABC7 why isn't it called father of all bombs, just a little tired of media using mother on everything, getting old. #sexist #Afganistan— Make America Great (@Make America Great) 1492124785.0
The "mother" of all bombs a sexist way to equate womanhood with massive destruction. Don't like it at all #resist… https://t.co/MESGNpAdKJ— 🎶gotta play🌏 gotta stay home🎶 (@🎶gotta play🌏 gotta stay home🎶) 1492112344.0
Others on social media were quick to mock the outrage, pointing out flaws in the baffling argument:
Tomahawk missiles were offensive and now mother of all bombs is sexist. If we go to war I hope your PC skills help you in the field— James (@James) 1492138753.0
The term “mother of all” has commonly been used for quite some time to indicate something is the biggest or the best, as pointed out by the Washington Post.
In fact, all the way back in 1991, New Zealand lawmakers nicknamed their budget “the mother of all budgets” because it drastically reduced spending and social welfare programs.
Restaurants in cities all across the nation have dubbed their biggest hamburgers “mother of all burgers,” and some even have food challenges to go along with it.