That virtue-signaling paragon of writing excellence, the AP Stylebook, recently tweeted: “We recommend avoiding general and often dehumanizing ‘the’ labels such as the poor, the mentally ill, the French, the disabled, the college-educated. Instead, use wording such as people with mental illnesses. And use these descriptions only when clearly relevant.” (But never write or say, “the people with mental illnesses,” as that would be offensive!)

You know you’ve gone too far down a road that ought not have been traveled when the word “the” is verboten. The AP Stylebook is now to language as Michael Moore is to NASCAR racing.

The AP Stylebook’s advice is mindful of a comment Winston Churchill supposedly made when a young Foreign Office secretary-- who had the job of “vetting” the then Prime Minister’s peerless speeches-- decried the P.M.’s habit of ending sentences with prepositions. Churchill, tiring of the functionary’s didactic assaults on his magnificent writing and oratory, allegedly sent a “correction” back to the Foreign Office with a notation in red ink stating: “This is the kind of pedantic nonsense up with which I shall not put!” (The job of “vetting” Churchill’s writings/speeches would be akin to one requiring the “vetting” of Beethoven’s composing.)

As for the French, their embassy response made the AP look like idiots:

I guess this is us now... https://t.co/YFybgfI2AB pic.twitter.com/LrKvgjiw1X

— French Embassy U.S. (@franceintheus) January 26, 2023

After that, the AP got ratioed on Twitter by thousands of users, making fun of their wokester ethic and delicate political sensibilities. They put their tails between their legs and put this tweet out to clarify:

The use of “the French” in this tweet by @AP was inappropriate and has caused unintended offense. An updated tweet is upcoming.

— The Associated Press (@AP) January 27, 2023

Notice that it isn't a full surrender in their war on the word 'the.' They remain wedded to that political correctness instinct. 

The woke abuse of the English language has gone too far. The word “the” is “dehumanizing?”

What the hell? How dumb are the folks at the AP Stylebook? This is the last straw!

 And the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of.

Update: The AP has apologized for its idiocy:

The Twitter account for the Associated Press apologized for a recent tweet suggesting that "the French" was a "dehumanizing" term, acknowledging that it "caused unintended offense."

The AP official account tweeted Friday morning, "The use of ‘the French’ in this tweet by @AP was inappropriate and has caused unintended offense.  An updated tweet is upcoming." (snip)

The intense mockery prompted the news agency to delete its tweet in addition to providing the apology. It then subsequently posted a revised version of its controversial post that omitted any reference to French people.

Image: Screen shot from Google Fonts / public domain

Editor's note: This post has been updated.