Like many forms of social media, Twitter is a forum where everyday people can speak their mind, air their grievances or express their glee -- especially when it comes to politics.
But it's not every day that elected officials read the unflattering comments said about them, calling out the authors -- on camera -- for thousands to watch. And yet, that's exactly what a handful of high profile members of Congress did this week for a "mean tweets" segment for the Radio Television Correspondent Association Dinner.
House Speaker John Boehner, Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders got lots of laughs for reading the not-so-flattering comments about themselves.
And the people on the other side of the keyboard noticed too, with some apologizing and others basking in the glory of getting the attention of a famous American lawmaker.
One user who poked fun at Pelosi called it "oddly satisfying" to watch the funny clip.
But others were a little more reserved and apologetic.
There was this:
And this:
The tweeter who suggested that Pelosi looks like "orange sherbet" followed up too, saying he actually loves the flavor and offering an olive branch by wishing the Democratic Leader a happy birthday.
- NBC's Frank Thorp contributed
