Good Saturday people. Hope this finds all of you well. When I first started writing here, I was told I could do just about anything I wanted with the posts. One of the suggestions was perhaps a YouTube video or something like that. Whatever struck my fancy. Now, I watch a lot of YT videos and read though the comments, if there aren’t too many of them. Sometimes, I’ll even look at the channels of those who are commenting to try and figure out what they are all about. Usually that ends in failure but not always. There is a channel I’ve subscribed to where the guy calls his rant (political) The Shot Of The Day. His ‘Shot’ is usually aimed at our current white house occupant or something to do with what he’s recently said or done. I know I’ve just opened this up for a heated political debate but that isn’t my aim here. I’m on record as saying I can’t stand the current occupant and in fact, have had a few choice words for him.
These videos are conservative leaning as he is very anti current occupant (CO). A lot of what he says makes sense to me and there of course are many who disagree. Fine. What gets me wondering though, not only on YouTube but other social media (Twitter, FB, etc) where these people come from who write these comments. I’m the first to admit, I’m not always kind or even respectful in my commenting on certain subjects. Further, I’ve regrettably hurt some feelings. I can’t change that, only apologize for it and move on. However, these are typically people I would deal with online on nearly a daily basis so there are discussions I purposely stay away from.
Some of you may be thinking pot kettle black in what I’m about to say but hear me out. On what planet do people who use name calling, bigotry, and other general disregard, believe they can be taken seriously? If you all want to see some real moronic hate, go read some of the comments on these political based posts. I’m not going to link any here, no point in it, they’re all about the same. I really don’t know what would scare me more. The fact that these people are out there or that they may actually vote. Admittedly, I’m biased so half of it, I kind of chuckle at but I still wonder if they believe they can be taken seriously. I’m certain to a 99% degree that if standing face to face, none of these people would have the nuts to repeat anything they’ve written.
I’ve picked one very small segment of this ‘issue’ but it expands far beyond YT and the Whitehouse CO. Pick a topic and a place where it can be discussed. There are people very passionate about their view of that topic and by any means necessary, they will attempt to verbally stomp out any opposition. I’ve even seen people make threats against someone because they were PO’d about the person’s take on an American Idol contestant. I know of people who have been told their kids should be killed and left in a ditch somewhere. Really? We have THE most powerful connection tool in the history of the world literally at our fingertips, and this is what we do with it. I know some of you have been involved in twitter fights, and that is the specific reason I stay away from it. For some I guess it’s fun and to an extent, I might agree. I’m not interested in participating however. I can’t speak of a specific incident but I know there are those, both adult and kids, who are completely trashed and ruined with this ‘social media’.
So since we can’t actually see most of these people, who are they, Really? Here’s the picture I have. 28ish years old. Never graduated college because they couldn’t pick a major. Living in parent’s basement because he can’t find a job and last girlfriend kicked him out. Half eaten bag of funions laying next to the computer and a bunch of empty beer cans strewn about. Chances are pretty good that they spend most of their time playing video games because if you look at their channels, they are full of clips of other people’s video games or clips they’ve uploaded themselves. Each in itself isn’t necessarily a bad thing but combine them all and you have the person who has nothing better to do than scour the internet looking for people to pick fights with. Once they find someone, they will subscribe to that person’s YT channel for a daily dose of their fun. They make their half baked arguments, never yield that they may in fact, be wrong. When their point can’t be made in a normal tone, the resort to cyber screaming POSTING IN ALL CAPS as if it’s going to make them more convincing. Someone once said to me, amplify your point rather than your voice if you want to win a debate. Good advice for those who like to argue on the internet or anywhere else. When they can’t do that, out comes the name calling. I’m not going to repeat any of them here, too offensive to many and yes, I think I’m above it.
What I fail to completely understand, is why all the hate? It’s a fine line but when I am ‘trashing’ someone on the internet (usually one or more of the HWs), I try to attack what they do or have done rather than the person. I will defend that by saying, these are people I can See. I can see what they do and have done. I look at the garbage these people write and I ask myself, could I be the same way? The answer, sadly, is yes. If I let myself do it. Most times, I don’t. Why? I don’t want to be seen as that frustrated dude in someone’s basement with nothing better to do than trash someone I’ll never meet.
There really isn’t a point to this, more of a reflection as titled. A rambling of thoughts that go through my mind when I see these comment / twitter wars perpetuated by people who will never meet one another. The anonymity of cyberspace removes the barrier of thought, one may get punched in the mouth for the things they say (and rightfully so, I say) makes people a lot more brave than they would otherwise be. This isn’t really one of my normal type Saturday Specials.. For now, I’ve run out of stories to tell you that I think would be even remotely interesting. I’ll try to continue this feature as long as you’re interested in reading it. I’ll leave you with, since I started this based on a YouTube video, a video I thought pretty amazing.
This, is the kind of stuff I like to see on YouTube. Enjoy.
See you all around…
MTH
realhousewifeofaiken 
I enjoyed your rant MTH. I wouldn’t enter a political blog site for anything. Why would I? Why would I want to listen to someones viewpoint I don’t know, care for or respect? Why would I think they are any more informed than myself, or trust their information when their sources are sketchy nonexistent or driven by fanatical madness?
My checklist is factcheck and I stay away from FOX and MSNBC. Best to get your information from an unbiased source and then use your brain to decipher what stance you want to take, what’s right for you.
As far as the housewives are concerned, we just choose to believe what we want to. I believe the advantage for me when watching these shows is that I can see myself in a few of these women, and don’t like what I see, in certain circumstances. I have learned not only from their mistakes but from their reactions as well.
When I first entered a blog, it was a few years ago and Lynn was the blog mistress. I used the initials in my name which made me a bit more responsible for what I write. If people aren’t held responsible for their remarks, you get the crap that’s written on blogs. Proof positive.
I wasn’t necessarily talking about political blog sites but everything I’ve said could certainly be extrapolated into that arena. I stay away from them too for what that’s worth.
I’m on Facebook a lot and hate election years with all the political posts. I try never to make political or religious posts because I’m not in the business of trying to convince people in cyberspace of anything. I enjoy diversity and try to accept everyone for who and what they are,
That’s cool Dickens.. My taste for discussing politics online anywhere with anyone, is pretty well known.
What’s wrong with Funions?
Honey POO POO…dang..now i want a bag of funions and BUGLES….yums.!!!
DD, Please don’t encourage her. She leaves crumbs in her bed and empty bags of snacks all over her room. 😉
Nothing I guess … The snack foods are too expensive for me these days so I don’t buy them 😉
Coupons!!!! Just don’t be an “annoying” couponer
Autonomy coupled with anonymity gives people power and the moxy to travel down roads that I do not believe that they would have the courage to do so otherwise. I’ve also noticed that folks use the internet to project their stuff on others. The web is a sick and dangerous place full of wackadoos. If you really want to travel to another galaxy, take a look at the Yahoo stock message boards. Grown men (primarily) acting like loonies. It’s a world full of multiple aliases. I’ve even seen CEO’s posting under made up monikers who try and influence the direction of a stock. It gives crazy a whole new meaning.
You hit the nail on the head when you mentioned that these same people have been given the right to vote…scary stuff, actually. Since, they like to flex their egos, it’s sort of expected and somewhat acceptable with the male ego, but when women get into it, it goes to another level, IMHO. Displaced anger? Who knows? Perhaps, the advent of reality TV and You Tube are to blame. People now have an avenue to vent to anyone who is willing to listen. Just look at our beloved HW shows… who acts like that in real life? I don’t know anyone who acts like that. Point is that it’s a breeding ground for hate and bitterness, and we all subscribe to it until we reach the point of saying enough and reach for the remote.
PS: I just finished reading “What Remains” by Carole Radziwell. I’m a little overwhelmed by Carole. She has been through so much in life. She could have chosen to be bitter over the loss that she has suffered. It’s a good read and helps explain her coolness or aloofness… not sure if it’s one or the other or a combination of both.
Vegas Chick, Re: automony + anonymity = power and moxy. I wonder, sometimes, if any of that carries into their real lives and relationships. What I mean is, do you think that some of the people who yell and name call and curse behave that way normally? I know that people can get worked up about anything – youtube videos, HWs, politics, you name it – but I’m really SMH over how they think that it’s OK to write something on the internet that they (hopefully) wouldn’t say to someone’s face.
PS: Carole’s book reveals a lot about her as a person. I can’t even imagine what it must have been like to have your entire married life defined by cancer. I had to put it down more than once because it was so hard to read what both of them went through.
Really there are only a few places I can stand to be in for any length of time… Political blogs, chat rooms, etc and other sites that easily slide down that slope are not among them. Even at the HWs blogs, my tongue sometimes bleeds (figuratively) from biting it so hard.
MTH…Nice post..THANKS
I tend to agree with most of what you wrote..
I also steer clear of POLITICAL DISCUSSIONS…however.. one of the “younguns” that holds a sign for the gold place next dr..we have very civilized conversations about the World today….He’s informed and concerned…..
I think my biggest beef is those that who ARE NOT registered voters voicing how THINGS NEED TO BE DONE….. just frosts my flakes….WINKS
Diva
Not Registered – I think we’re on the same page, Diva 😉
MTH.. you have such a way of reading BETWEEN the lines…. LOL
Diva
On a serious note, unless the site is talking about me, if I see assholes degrading ppl b/c they don’t agree with someone else’s view, I just don’t go back to the site and learned not to upset or emotional about it. Can’t take it personal Mel!
I don’t take it personal. It’s just an observation. 😉