Smash Mouth have well and truly proven themselves to be purveyors of all that is good and right in this world.
This weekend saw American experience two separate mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton Ohio over the course of 48 hours. Instead of responding to the incident with empathy and mourning, astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson decided to take the opportunity to tweet completely unrelated statistics.
Tyson, for some reason, believed it was an appropriate time to tweet about the average number of people that die during a 48 hour period from various other causes.
In the past 48hrs, the USA horrifically lost 34 people to mass shootings,” he wrote. “On average, across any 48hrs, we also lose… 500 to Medical errors, 300 to the Flu, 250 to Suicide, 200 to Car Accidents, 40 to Homicide via Handgun. Often our emotions respond more to spectacle than to data.”
In the past 48hrs, the USA horrifically lost 34 people to mass shootings.
On average, across any 48hrs, we also lose…
500 to Medical errors
300 to the Flu
250 to Suicide
200 to Car Accidents
40 to Homicide via HandgunOften our emotions respond more to spectacle than to data.
— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) August 4, 2019
Congratulations on being able to recite statistics Neil, but you’ve missed the point entirely.
Our kings in Smash Mouth were not having a bar of Tyson’s nonsense and were quick to call him out on this ice-cold take. The band executed the most perfectly succinct tweet we’ve ever witnessed, single-handedly destroying the legacy of Tyson with five short words: “FUCK OFF!!!! There’s your data!!!!”
FUCK OFF!!!! There's your data!!!!
— Smash Mouth (@smashmouth) August 4, 2019
Hundreds of Twitter users have banded together to point out the flaws in Tyson’s statement. Arguing that there have been a multitude of safety measures put in place to aim the prevention of the deaths Tyson decided to relay, whilst no productive action has been taken about gun control.
“We’re working to prevent medical errors. We’re working to prevent the flu. We’re working to prevent suicide. We’re working to prevent car accident. We’re doing fuck all about mass shootings. Spot the difference, Neil,” Twitter user @rekalty wrote.
Meanwhile, even Rihanna was involved in a public response to these recent shootings, hitting back at US President Donald Trump for a rather muted response to the incidents on Twitter.
This isn’t the first incident where Smash Mouth has kindly invited someone to fuck off for the greater good. Back in June, the band shared their thoughts on the news that a group of men were planning to partake in a “straight pride parade” during pride month. A concept to which the band responded, “Straight Pride Parade????? FUCK OFF!!!!!!!!”.
We don’t deserve you Smash Mouth.