The Washington Post came under fire over the weekend for a tweet linking to a review of Debbie Harry’s new memoir, with many readers accusing the newspaper of patronizing the New Wave pioneer.

On Friday, the Post tweeted a link to a review of Harry’s Face It with the text “In her memoir, Debbie Harry proves she’s more than just a pretty blonde in tight pants.”

 

 The tweet appears to have been inspired by the review itself, by music writer Sibbie O’Sullivan.

“Readers, both familiar and unfamiliar with Harry’s career, will enjoy this memoir because on nearly every page she proves she’s more than just a pretty blonde in a pair of tight pants,” O’Sullivan wrote in the review’s last paragraph.

Many Twitter users weren’t amused by the description of the Blondie frontwoman.

“In her memoir, Marie Curie proves she’s more than just a slut with some beakers,” snarked journalist Louis Virtel.

Author Sady Doyle tweeted, “I mean, she’s 74 years old, but I guess any woman can hope to live long enough to outshine her pants.”

Even the Twitter account for Dictionary.com got in on the act, retweeting the Post’s tweet with the comment, “Icon. A person or thing that is revered or idolized. See also: Debbie Harry.”

On Saturday, the Post, realizing the tide of outrage was high, tweeted a mea culpa, writing, “We’ve changed the headline. We got this one wrong and we appreciate the feedback.”

Michael Schaub is an Austin, Texas-based journalist and regular contributor to NPR.