Dehumanizing Rhetoric Went Viral on Christmas. Here’s the Brand Safety Briefing
On Christmas, Donald Trump used his social accounts to label political opponents “scum” and “sleazebags.” Set aside partisanship: the platform story is that dehumanizing language, especially from high-reach figures, gets instant distribution as coverage, quotes, and reaction posts re-amplify it. This also forces platforms into visibility vs. enforcement trade-offs-newsworthiness exceptions, evolving rules on dehumanization, and uneven policy application across X and Meta’s apps all shape how far such content travels. The key takeaway here: outrage still fuels algorithmic lift, and adjacency risk rises for anyone posting into the same timelines, topics, or trending terms.
Worth noting for brands: tighten content suitability settings and keyword exclusions immediately when toxic language trends; avoid “dunk” quote-posts that reprint slurs; and be cautious with contextual targeting around political spikes where controls are weaker. Refresh blocklists, implement stricter comment filters, and give moderators clear thresholds for hiding replies or limiting comments. What this means for creators is similar: don’t amplify verbatim language via screenshots; paraphrase if coverage is necessary, anchor posts in analysis over reaction, and protect your community with pinned civility reminders and prompt moderation. Expect short-term increases in harassment and brigading; prepare escalation routes and staff safety protocols. If you’re running paid, consider inventory filters and pausing placements on surfaces where brand adjacency controls are thin.
The bigger picture: normalization flows through repetition. When leaders model dehumanization and platforms recirculate it at scale, the baseline for acceptable discourse shifts-and that eventually shows up in your replies, your DMs, and your brand mentions. This isn’t about avoiding hard topics; it’s about refusing to reward language that strips people of dignity. The practical move is to operationalize civility: codify tone standards, train teams on de-escalation, and set a clear “no-amplification” rule for slurs and dehumanizing frames. What this means for creators and brands is simple: model the community you want to attract, because the algorithm will hand you more of whatever you engage. The key strategic choice is not whether to respond, but how to respond without becoming a vector for the very content you want less of.