As if there weren’t enough reasons for the internet to come for an alt-right white supremacist, one in particular decided to make it even easier this week.
Scott Greer is the former deputy editor of the Daily Caller, the right-wing website founded by Fox News’ Tucker Carlson as a "conservative answer to The Huffington Post". The publication is known for its pro-Trump content, and regularly publishes alt-right views, including those of climate change deniers and white nationalists.
After Greer left the Caller, it was revealed that he had also been publishing articles under a pseudonym in white supremacist publication Radix Journal, where he expressed “racist antiblack views and antisemitism”, according to The Atlantic.
Safe to say, he’s not especially liked by a lot of people.
But this week, people suddenly realised that Greer’s Twitter display name included two very specific factoids, which we can only assume are meant to refer to his height (6ft 2in, apparently), and his IQ (the now-infamous 187).
After people spotted this, “IQ 187" began to trend on Twitter, something Greer appears to be quite proud of, given he has a screenshot of the trend as his cover picture:
While he may be proud of his viral moment, the fact remains that people were pretty unimpressed with his bizarre bragging.
Many were sceptical about the claim, pointing out that this would give him a higher IQ than some of human history’s most celebrated thinkers.
"People who boast about their IQ's are losers." -Stephen Hawking Stephen Hawking's IQ was 160. According to The A… https://t.co/49CEBQNVG4— Shari Lynn (@Shari Lynn) 1610642522
Albert Einstein and Steven Hawking are both “thought” to have an IQ of 160. I don’t believe Scott Greer’s claim of… https://t.co/bkLKw0mtuT— Mooniac (@Mooniac) 1610638316
Wait wait wait. I just looked at why 187 IQ is trending. I need this comedy rn. There’s really a maga on here who t… https://t.co/xORcagpc3g— Miss Laurie Lehner 🥂 🍾 (@Miss Laurie Lehner 🥂 🍾) 1610638953
Others pointed out that even if his claim is true, IQs don’t really hold much meaning as an isolated measurement of intelligence.
I see 187 IQ is trending so I'ma just say IQ tests don't actually mean anything. They can't accurately measure inte… https://t.co/e0nBe76qgd— Vishawnda (@Vishawnda) 1610641536
I really don't give a fuck that Scott Greer says his 187 IQ, what I do care about is that he spews racist propagand… https://t.co/Is2hZ1ZsIf— Amy Lynn👣❤ (@Amy Lynn👣❤) 1610641907
@MatterofLarry @TheMagnifera IQ tests are a eugenic inventions it was created to discriminate. They aren’t being misused that way.— world’s greatest Archer (@world’s greatest Archer) 1610644192
Scientists have disputed the reliability and validity of IQ tests for decades, with it being compared to the practice of determining intelligence via craniometry by evolutionary biologist Stephen Jay Gould in 1981.
The IQ trending moment also seemed like a perfect time to remind people of Greer’s disturbing past.
Reminder that Mr. 187 IQ Scott Greer is literally a nazi who got caught publishing in a white supremacist journal u… https://t.co/8Qozv4BsWY— TheMeeksOfProduction (@TheMeeksOfProduction) 1610636464
I am beginning to question his 187 IQ or perhaps it's just the white supremacy getting in the way. https://t.co/7fAHqmyLzv— Kevin M. Levin (@Kevin M. Levin) 1610630515
But lots of people just took the opportunity to ridicule the whole debacle and speculate as to where the score might have come from.
@veryheathmiller @ferretthimself @casskhaw He claimed 6'2", 187 IQ. I wondered if he was maybe confused, and actually meant 62 IQ and 187cm.— Susan Frank (she/her) (@Susan Frank (she/her)) 1610756507
@CandidlyLericka @ScottMGreer The Mensa requirement is 132. An IQ of 160 corresponds to the 99.997th percentile and… https://t.co/LZYJVV4uRS— Elizabeth MacKenzie (@Elizabeth MacKenzie) 1610646492
For what it’s worth, the average IQ score is 90 to 110, while the minimum required score for Mensa membership is 132 to 148, depending on the test.
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