December 10, 2025
Serifs vs Sans: Choose your fighter
Rubio orders return to Times New Roman font over 'wasteful' Calibri
The internet splits: Fontgate pits tradition vs readability as memes fly
TLDR: Rubio told U.S. diplomats to use Times New Roman again, reversing Calibri, which was adopted for easier reading on screens. Comments turned it into “Fontgate,” with accessibility vs tradition debates, puns about Roman italics, and users sharing tools to override fonts—proof that tiny design choices spark big culture fights.
America just entered a font war. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered diplomats back to Times New Roman, calling Calibri a “wasteful” diversity move, while the State Department framed it as a push for a more “formal” voice. Calibri’s designer called it “sad and hilarious,” and the community promptly turned the drama into a meme buffet. Font purists flexed their favorites—one commenter declared, “I’m a Kings Caslon kinda guy,” praising old-school print like it’s a vintage wine. Others chimed in with dad-joke energy: “They did choose a Roman one—with proper Italics,” cue groans and giggles. Accessibility fans reminded everyone that sans serif fonts (letters without little tails) like Calibri are easier to read on screens, especially for people with visual impairments. Meanwhile, practical users shrugged and dropped hacks: “i change it with refont,” linking a Firefox add-on to rewrite pages on the fly refont. The thread even had meta drama—“[dupe]” link—because of course there’s a duplicate font fight. In short: serifs vs sans, tradition vs accessibility, politics vs pixels. The only winner? Jokes, pun battles, and anyone who truly believes your font says everything about you.
Key Points
- •U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered the State Department to return to Times New Roman for all documents, effective 10 December.
- •The move reverses Antony Blinken’s 2023 adoption of Calibri, which was intended to improve accessibility.
- •Rubio called the Calibri switch a “wasteful” diversity initiative; a State Department spokesperson said the change aligns with President Donald Trump’s communications goals.
- •Calibri’s designer, Lucas de Groot, said the decision was “sad and hilarious,” noting Calibri’s screen readability purpose.
- •The article notes broader Trump administration actions to roll back DEI initiatives, including removing MLK Day and Juneteenth as free national park admission days in favor of Trump’s birthday.