So I have been slacking on substantial entries lately and am recommitting myself to at least one entry a week again.
So, here are a few topics you have to look forward to.
Sea Sponges, yes, exactly.
The Cider House Rules according to the "anti-choice."
What do you get the Feminist in your life for Christmas? (I'm offended by everything!)
This and much more to come. I promise.
Update: I haven't had electricity since Sunday am. I have been starting fires for days and am severally under caffeinated, not able to work and losing my optimism quickly. More to come when the power comes back.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Commenting on (Feminists) Blogs
Whilst checking on the site feministe.us.blog I came across a blog entry from yesterday that was called "Steven Greenstreet proves he's definitely not a mysogynist by making rape jokes" found here.
In short, Greenstreet created a video-Hot Chicks of Occupy Wall Street. Perhaps you can see where this is going? My point isn't to deliberate on the rights and wrongs of the video or why and how something like this even comes to fruition, I'd like to point out the comments made on the blog entry and subsequent posts from the author and the public.
I have learned a few times over that online forums are not a great place to get your views across or change peoples mind with witty unheard of arguments. I remember engaging in a heated debate on Facebook 3 or 4 years ago around the holiday times. The current big Facebook thing was themed message boards about all sorts of controversial subjects like the death penalty, women's rights and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I'm not positive which one I was arguing at the time but after spending two days and I don't know how many hours going back and forth with a particular user before it was revealed that the person was a seventh grade boy from Texas. I got off my message board kick pretty quickly.
If you look through the comments on the blog about Steven Greenstreet, it's pretty apparent that there is no sense of healthy dialogue or meaningful exchange. What is also apparent is the use of any and all means necessary to negate any legitimacy in what people write.
"You said that misogyny was wrong but you spelled misogyny wrong so you suck and should die in a ditch."
"Women are so uptight, they wouldn't be so angry if they were getting laid. Sexism is fake"
"This is why I hate feminism, I'm a women but I laugh at rape jokes so they should calm the fuck down"
No these are not actual comments, but they are really close and I could go on forever. Even when someone makes an attempt at a reasonable, well thought out and accurate statement the audience cannot see it for what it is. If you disagree with someone in this type of virtual setting you are opening yourself up to all sorts of irrelevant personal attacks on your character. How can anything be achieved by commenting on something and having a dozen strangers tell you you're an idiot and should be struck by a car? You can't engage in conversation, just the back and forth type of exchange where you repeat yourself and spend hours trying to come up with an argument that your fellow virtual commenter may allow for some valuable exchanges.
I don't think it's possible to curtail this sort of ridiculousness because the internet provides you with a forum where you don't really have to take any responsibility for what you say to people. Even to point this very fact out is fruitless because by pointing this out to people you would have to participate in this type of communication. If you were to point out to those commenting that they aren't accomplishing anything or being heard through this form of interaction someone would inevitably challenge that with questioning why you are participating in the venue that you are discrediting. And when you think about it you might realize that they may actually be on to something with that...
In short, Greenstreet created a video-Hot Chicks of Occupy Wall Street. Perhaps you can see where this is going? My point isn't to deliberate on the rights and wrongs of the video or why and how something like this even comes to fruition, I'd like to point out the comments made on the blog entry and subsequent posts from the author and the public.
I have learned a few times over that online forums are not a great place to get your views across or change peoples mind with witty unheard of arguments. I remember engaging in a heated debate on Facebook 3 or 4 years ago around the holiday times. The current big Facebook thing was themed message boards about all sorts of controversial subjects like the death penalty, women's rights and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. I'm not positive which one I was arguing at the time but after spending two days and I don't know how many hours going back and forth with a particular user before it was revealed that the person was a seventh grade boy from Texas. I got off my message board kick pretty quickly.
If you look through the comments on the blog about Steven Greenstreet, it's pretty apparent that there is no sense of healthy dialogue or meaningful exchange. What is also apparent is the use of any and all means necessary to negate any legitimacy in what people write.
"You said that misogyny was wrong but you spelled misogyny wrong so you suck and should die in a ditch."
"Women are so uptight, they wouldn't be so angry if they were getting laid. Sexism is fake"
"This is why I hate feminism, I'm a women but I laugh at rape jokes so they should calm the fuck down"
No these are not actual comments, but they are really close and I could go on forever. Even when someone makes an attempt at a reasonable, well thought out and accurate statement the audience cannot see it for what it is. If you disagree with someone in this type of virtual setting you are opening yourself up to all sorts of irrelevant personal attacks on your character. How can anything be achieved by commenting on something and having a dozen strangers tell you you're an idiot and should be struck by a car? You can't engage in conversation, just the back and forth type of exchange where you repeat yourself and spend hours trying to come up with an argument that your fellow virtual commenter may allow for some valuable exchanges.
I don't think it's possible to curtail this sort of ridiculousness because the internet provides you with a forum where you don't really have to take any responsibility for what you say to people. Even to point this very fact out is fruitless because by pointing this out to people you would have to participate in this type of communication. If you were to point out to those commenting that they aren't accomplishing anything or being heard through this form of interaction someone would inevitably challenge that with questioning why you are participating in the venue that you are discrediting. And when you think about it you might realize that they may actually be on to something with that...
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