It is officially proper English to call compliant people — including Apple fans — “sheeple.”
The wordsmiths at Merriam-Webster revealed “sheeple” as the newest entry in the dictionary this morning. And according to the definition, Apple fans are a prime example of sheeple in the real world.
Merriam-Webster cites the definition of “sheeple” as “people who are docile, compliant, or easily influenced: people likened to sheep.”
The dictionary says the first known use of the word occurred in 1945. But the second example underneath the definition contains a dig at dedicated Apple users.
“Apple’s debuted a battery case for the juice-sucking iPhone — an ungainly lumpy case the sheeple will happily shell out $99 for.”
Ironically, Apple introduced the Mac to the world with an iconic “1984” ad that basically called IBM users sheeple. A year later, Cupertino made a commercial called “Lemmings” that showed PC users blindly walking off a cliff.
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
8 responses to “Merriam-Webster calls Apple fans ‘sheeple’”
The Media Narrative against Apple at full force.
Data proves again & again
1.3 billion Apple users are sheep.
What a joke.
What’s more shocking to me is that people still use Merriam-Webster. Oxford’s dictionaries, which have a far higher standard of scholarship (or, compared to MW in my opinion, *any* scholarship), are also freely available online.
I call Trumpfans Trumpanzees ….. add that one to dictionarys
Dictionaries.
And yes to “Trumpanzees.” Actually, it should be the new word that defines ignorance and gullibility.
The correct term is “iSheep” (to go along with “Fandroid”). “Sheeple” is used by foaming-mouthed conspiracy theorists, like the one who is now trying to convince a judge that it’s just performance art. :)
“Merriam-Webster calls Apple fans ‘steeple’”
I’m guessing this is either fake news, or a rogue staffer at Merriam-Webster—who is a devout Android user and Apple hater—slipped this past a committee who was nodding off. Otherwise, with all due respect to the staff of the venerable Merriam-Webster organization, on this particular definition… it can go ƒ¢k itself.
Merrian Webster is right: Cook’s Apple is a brand for sheeple. Instead Jobs made computers for “the rest of us”, but that Apple is over now. Nowadays Apple is just form over substance and marketing for sheeple.
So Merriam-Webster needs publicity along with their pathetic attempt to turn themselves into some kind of Urban Dictionary to stay relevant then media outlets such as this one oblige them…which ones are the sheeple again?