How to Offend in 140 Characters or Less

The latest out of Alberta...

A Tory MLA is under fire for online comments in which he advises girls to smile to attract men, scolds them for seeking equality and alerts his Twitter followers to a bikini car wash where "girls look cold."

Edmonton-Calder MLA Doug Elniski conceded Monday that his comments, posted June 13 on his blog and through Twitter, were "inappropriate" and "over the line."

In an entry that began with reflections on junior high school graduations, Elniski posted this advice to girls: "Men are attracted to smiles, so smile and don't give me that 'treated equal' stuff, if you want Equal it comes in little packages at Starbucks." [ed note: Worst. Commencement Speech. Ever.]

He also wrote: "There is nothing a man wants less than a woman scowling because he thinks he is going to get sh--for something and has no idea what."

On the same day, Elniski posted the following Twitter comment: "bikini car wash 82 129 ave girls look cold (...)"

[...]

Tom Olsen, a spokesman for Premier Ed Stelmach, said the premier isn't considering disciplinary action against the rookie backbencher, whose previous careers were in several fields, including safety management, forestry work and consulting.

Some gay-rights advocates have also taken issue with Elniski's Twitter posts from the June 13 Edmonton gay pride parade. The MLA noted he was "surrounded by bumping and grinding lesbians." He also apologized for that comment, adding that he thought the parade was a great event.

Furor over Elniski's online writings comes less than a week after Finance Minister Iris Evans garnered national attention for suggesting that two-income parents weren't caring for their children properly.