When government agencies try to be hip or cool it can end badly, as the State Department found this week with its Twitter hashtag #SpringBreakingBadly.

It began with a tweet by an official account of the State Department's Bureau of Consular affairs, which often sends out travel tips and advisories for Americans going abroad. The tweet, posted Wednesday as part of a campaign warning against bad vacation practices, read: "Not a '10' in the US? Then not a 10 overseas. Beware of being lured into buying expensive drinks or worse--being robbed. #springbreakingbadly"

Twitter / State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs

The reference to rating physical attractiveness drew immediate backlash for being sexist and "truly insulting," according to one Twitter user.

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Importantly, it also drew a host of hilariously mocking tweets:

Hot Or Not, State Department Edition https://t.co/AJv087Einf — Christopher Ingraham (@_cingraham) March 30, 2016

rude RT @TravelGov: You're too fat for that bikini. #springbreakingbadly — Caitlin Kelly (@caitlin__kelly) March 30, 2016

Always knew there must be some benefit to US/imperial measurement #springbreakingbadly https://t.co/2O0SJkHqh3 — Jon Williams (@WilliamsJon) March 31, 2016



The tweet even inspired an entire parody Twitter account, which attempted to clarify the department's 1-10 scale of attractiveness:

portable attractiveness scale if you are not near a trusted state department official but fear #springbreakingbadly pic.twitter.com/uVawUxmRVU — Travel Gov (@Travel_Gov) March 30, 2016

I only date 9s now

Literally the number 9 I don't date human women just numbers — Travel Gov (@Travel_Gov) March 31, 2016



The State Department even tried another attempt at humor with the #springbreakingbadly hashtag:

Somebody offered you a free trip abroad, but the free luggage they offered is lined with cocaine. Beware of these scams #springbreakingbadly — Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) March 29, 2016



Which itself drew more disparaging tweets:

Let he who has never been duped by a suitcase full of cocaine cast the first stone. #springbreakingbadly — Kelsey L. Hayes (@kelseylh) March 30, 2016

Heading to Antartica over break w your Miskatonic bros? Beware of ancient cities of the Old Ones where shoggoth dwell. #springbreakingbadly — Gabriel Rossman (@GabrielRossman) March 30, 2016



After their first infamous tweet gained steam on social media, the State Department later issued a two-part apology on Twitter, saying "we apologize that it came off negatively":

Some have been offended by our earlier tweet and we apologize that it came off negatively (1/2) — Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) March 30, 2016

We see many Americans fall victim to scams each year & want all to be careful while traveling 2/2 — Travel - State Dept (@TravelGov) March 30, 2016

The original State Department tweet has since been deleted.