Misogynists love to downplay women’s abuse stories, and portray them as overreacting when guys do horrible shit to them. These same people are usually homophobic as well, and it’s funny because they tend to freak out if a gay guy even talks to them. Think I’m being unfair? Well, there is a legal defense that’s admissible in court in 47 states called Gay Panic Defense, and basically it is to claim that people who beat or murder gay or trans people can be innocent due to temporary insanity because of an unwanted homosexual advance. It has been successful in some cases in America, as well as in other countries. So there are straight men who can justify beating someone to death for hitting on them, but women are supposed to just deal with harassment and abuse because, sorry, that’s just how guys are. They are against any laws protecting women, and they don’t feel that a man’s shitty and abusive behavior should matter or preclude them from any status or job, whether it’s being a musician or actor, or being a CEO or a Supreme Court Justice, but you can beat the shit out of a gay guy who makes you uncomfortable. That seems fair.
Keep in mind that there are plenty of cases where women have killed men who were abusing, beating or raping them, and more often than not, those women go to jail for murder with no leniency. Just look at the Cyntoia Brown case. Men even use twists on existing defenses on the books to get away with murdering woman. Go read about Lenora Frago. Women can’t count on those same types of laws to defend themselves. Read about how Marissa Alexander went to jail for firing warning shots at her abusive husband because a Florida court said the Stand Your Ground law didn’t apply. Yet most of the harassment and abuse directed at women isn’t even illegal. Corporations are left to police themselves a lot of the time, and most often cases have to be tried as civil cases, and then women are cast as opportunists. There’s a huge double standard, in a world full of double standards, and it’s pretty fucked up.
Wednesday, February 20, 2019
Terms and phrases that let you know you’ve encountered an asshole on social media
Terms and phrases that let you know you’ve encountered an asshole on social media:
Fake news
Reverse racism
Men’s rights
Drinking the Kool-Aid
I support women, but …
Snowflake
False flag
Chemtrails
Libtard
I’m not racist, but …
Participation trophy
Killary
Terms and phrases that let you know someone isn’t an asshole on social media:
Fake news
Reverse racism
Men’s rights
Drinking the Kool-Aid
I support women, but …
Snowflake
False flag
Chemtrails
Libtard
I’m not racist, but …
Participation trophy
Killary
Terms and phrases that let you know someone isn’t an asshole on social media:
People who aren’t assholes aren’t on social media
Monday, February 18, 2019
More Misogyny Crap
Anyone who knows me knows that I won't tolerate misogyny, and I will always call it out. I have to laugh, because there are always some douchebags who chime in and try to paint me as some guy who is “white knighting”, or trying to be a hero to get laid. Because nothing turns on a woman more than discussing sexual harassment and abusive behavior. *eye roll emoji*
What they are doing is shitty on several levels. First off, they are projecting, because they are the type of guys who think that way. They will lie or present themselves as whatever they have to do they can get what they want. They assume everyone thinks like they do. They are also trying to discredit someone who is attacking their fucked up worldview. It's an age old tactic that trolls and bullies employ. You can see it in display everyday by the orange turd that occupies the Oval Office.
It also implies that women are dumb enough to fall for it, like they are willing to give themselves over to some guy who comments with anything pro-woman on a Facebook post. Meanwhile, they attack victims for supposedly knowing all along that these predatory men are what they are, and blame them for being involved; accusing them of using powerful men for their own gain. Which is it? Dumb girl or master manipulator?
The really bad things it can do is make men not want to be supportive, for fear they will be ridiculed or mocked for it, and make women even more afraid to tell their stories. When a woman tries to start a conversation about something that is traumatic and terrible for them, the last thing they need is to deal with a bunch of trolls and fuckbois creating a hostile environment around it.
Make no mistake, that is why they do it. They don't like women. They fear them, and they fear losing their control over them. It is all about control, and the more insecure you are, the more you desperately want it. You will resort to any means necessary, in this case attacking, objectifying, and dismissing women and their very humanity. They are afraid to be on a level playing field with anyone. They are terrified of yielding any power at all, of giving anyone any bit of an advantage, or trusting anyone with any tiny part of them. They think that bluster and aggression equals respect and confidence, but it really makes you look like a joke.
These people are a cancer in society, and a roadblock to progress, in so many areas. Some of them are victims themselves, of a shitty outlook given to them by their parents and upbringing. Some of them have been abused themselves, and are lashing out the only way that their damaged psyches will let them. Some of them are just assholes.
In any case, none of that is an excuse. Sick and damaged people get help everyday. People raised in toxic environments learn to question the behavior and motives of the people around them, and learn to look inward and question their own beliefs and actions. People change, they do it everyday. It's hard, but very doable, and very worth it.
Isn't it worth trying to change into anything other than a complete and utter asshole?
What they are doing is shitty on several levels. First off, they are projecting, because they are the type of guys who think that way. They will lie or present themselves as whatever they have to do they can get what they want. They assume everyone thinks like they do. They are also trying to discredit someone who is attacking their fucked up worldview. It's an age old tactic that trolls and bullies employ. You can see it in display everyday by the orange turd that occupies the Oval Office.
It also implies that women are dumb enough to fall for it, like they are willing to give themselves over to some guy who comments with anything pro-woman on a Facebook post. Meanwhile, they attack victims for supposedly knowing all along that these predatory men are what they are, and blame them for being involved; accusing them of using powerful men for their own gain. Which is it? Dumb girl or master manipulator?
The really bad things it can do is make men not want to be supportive, for fear they will be ridiculed or mocked for it, and make women even more afraid to tell their stories. When a woman tries to start a conversation about something that is traumatic and terrible for them, the last thing they need is to deal with a bunch of trolls and fuckbois creating a hostile environment around it.
Make no mistake, that is why they do it. They don't like women. They fear them, and they fear losing their control over them. It is all about control, and the more insecure you are, the more you desperately want it. You will resort to any means necessary, in this case attacking, objectifying, and dismissing women and their very humanity. They are afraid to be on a level playing field with anyone. They are terrified of yielding any power at all, of giving anyone any bit of an advantage, or trusting anyone with any tiny part of them. They think that bluster and aggression equals respect and confidence, but it really makes you look like a joke.
These people are a cancer in society, and a roadblock to progress, in so many areas. Some of them are victims themselves, of a shitty outlook given to them by their parents and upbringing. Some of them have been abused themselves, and are lashing out the only way that their damaged psyches will let them. Some of them are just assholes.
In any case, none of that is an excuse. Sick and damaged people get help everyday. People raised in toxic environments learn to question the behavior and motives of the people around them, and learn to look inward and question their own beliefs and actions. People change, they do it everyday. It's hard, but very doable, and very worth it.
Isn't it worth trying to change into anything other than a complete and utter asshole?
Subtext
I've been getting really annoyed for quite a long time about people's increasing lack of ability to understand subtext. I first really started noticing it with The Sopranos, and then Breaking Bad, and now Ray Donovan. These shows feature characters who are horrible human beings, who wind up being heroes to a bunch of people who miss the point entirely. They are great shows, with extraordinary writing and acting(well, Ray Donovan has extraordinary acting that elevates mediocre writing at times), but a lot of that effort goes unnoticed.
At their heart, these characters are doomed by their violent tendencies and toxic masculinity. They repeatedly lose what they really care about, their wives and family, their freedom and their lives because of it. They are not heroes, they are not role models, they are tragic figures telling cautionary tales. It’s hardly even subtext, to be honest.
Vince Gilligan, creator of Breaking Bad, lamented that no matter what he did with the character, he couldn't make Walter White evil enough to make fans view him as the bad guy in all this. Same with David Chase and Tony Soprano.
I noticed it before then, though. It goes beyond subtext. There are plenty of All In The Family fans who think Archie Bunker was right, when he is a buffoon and a parody of extreme right wing thinking. Same with Cartman on South Park, you're supposed to be horrified by him. I remember Matt Groening in an interview saying his fans come up to him all the time and tell him that they are just like Homer, and he thinks “noooo, that's not a good thing at all!”
It's gotten so bad that subtext and foreshadowing has to be blatant in most shows and movies now. Characters have to give speeches spelling out plot points, and the camera lingers way too long on objects that will have significance later because they don't trust the audience to figure it out. You might as well put a huge red arrow over Chekhov's gun.
There is an old adage about writing and storytelling, “show, don't tell”, meaning don't just describe everything you want the reader to see, let your characters reveal it naturally, and in their own way. Let the reader or viewer figure it out, and give them understanding and perspective and let them discover it as they go. It not only makes for a better read, but it bonds your readers and your characters, and makes them seem real.
There's not a lot of that in popular entertainment these days. I'm not sure if it's because people's attention spans have decreased, or writing skills have diminished. Maybe comprehension skills have gotten worse, or the trust writers and directors have in audiences had disappeared.
It's why a lot of movies and TV shows seem like something I've seen a million times before. It's why I can figure out where most stuff is going long before it gets there. It's lazy, and it's boring. I get it, people who make these movies and shows want to maximize their profits, so they want to appeal to the majority, and the majority isn't too concerned with challenging and complex plot structure. They want something they recognize, they want comfort, they want familiar and fun. That's valid, it's one of the great things that art gives us. But that's not all art is supposed to be. It's at the point where fans get to tell filmmakers what to do with their stories, nad get angry if they perceive any changes they don't like. They get directores fired and scripts and endings changed or retrofitted to a safer and more familiar narrative.
Okay, so all my movie and TV snobbery aside, it really bothers me most when it comes to politics and public discourse. These days, you can't be a leader or a public figure without hitting people over the head with stuff. The loudest and most manipulative people seem to get what they want, and the reasonable and understated people get lost in the noise.
You need to make your message simple and familiar and reactionary these days, and that's hard to do when complex and far reaching problems are on the table. Our deepest thinkers, our scientists, and our more logical and empathetic leaders are being ignored, and the most ludicrous buffoons are taking advantage of it. Nuance is wasted on us.
People can't even be bothered trying to spot the intricacies of governing and social issues, because they aren't capable of doing it. The subtext is lost on them. They don't care about repercussions, or the character of the people they elect, because they don't know how to extrapolate or see the foreshadowing, then they are shocked when their jobs disappear along with their pensions, healthcare and tax refunds. They want to fix everything with a hammer, when surgical tools are required.
So they call whatever ruins their comfortable story “fake news”, and they lash out at people who tell them things they don't want to hear as “know it alls”, and they bury their head in the sand. That allows the criminals in charge to run all over us, and bleed us dry, with a bunch of us as willing accomplices, because we're just too lazy to think for ourselves.
It's a sad development for TV shows, but it's going to be the death of us all when it comes to civilization.
At their heart, these characters are doomed by their violent tendencies and toxic masculinity. They repeatedly lose what they really care about, their wives and family, their freedom and their lives because of it. They are not heroes, they are not role models, they are tragic figures telling cautionary tales. It’s hardly even subtext, to be honest.
Vince Gilligan, creator of Breaking Bad, lamented that no matter what he did with the character, he couldn't make Walter White evil enough to make fans view him as the bad guy in all this. Same with David Chase and Tony Soprano.
I noticed it before then, though. It goes beyond subtext. There are plenty of All In The Family fans who think Archie Bunker was right, when he is a buffoon and a parody of extreme right wing thinking. Same with Cartman on South Park, you're supposed to be horrified by him. I remember Matt Groening in an interview saying his fans come up to him all the time and tell him that they are just like Homer, and he thinks “noooo, that's not a good thing at all!”
It's gotten so bad that subtext and foreshadowing has to be blatant in most shows and movies now. Characters have to give speeches spelling out plot points, and the camera lingers way too long on objects that will have significance later because they don't trust the audience to figure it out. You might as well put a huge red arrow over Chekhov's gun.
There is an old adage about writing and storytelling, “show, don't tell”, meaning don't just describe everything you want the reader to see, let your characters reveal it naturally, and in their own way. Let the reader or viewer figure it out, and give them understanding and perspective and let them discover it as they go. It not only makes for a better read, but it bonds your readers and your characters, and makes them seem real.
There's not a lot of that in popular entertainment these days. I'm not sure if it's because people's attention spans have decreased, or writing skills have diminished. Maybe comprehension skills have gotten worse, or the trust writers and directors have in audiences had disappeared.
It's why a lot of movies and TV shows seem like something I've seen a million times before. It's why I can figure out where most stuff is going long before it gets there. It's lazy, and it's boring. I get it, people who make these movies and shows want to maximize their profits, so they want to appeal to the majority, and the majority isn't too concerned with challenging and complex plot structure. They want something they recognize, they want comfort, they want familiar and fun. That's valid, it's one of the great things that art gives us. But that's not all art is supposed to be. It's at the point where fans get to tell filmmakers what to do with their stories, nad get angry if they perceive any changes they don't like. They get directores fired and scripts and endings changed or retrofitted to a safer and more familiar narrative.
Okay, so all my movie and TV snobbery aside, it really bothers me most when it comes to politics and public discourse. These days, you can't be a leader or a public figure without hitting people over the head with stuff. The loudest and most manipulative people seem to get what they want, and the reasonable and understated people get lost in the noise.
You need to make your message simple and familiar and reactionary these days, and that's hard to do when complex and far reaching problems are on the table. Our deepest thinkers, our scientists, and our more logical and empathetic leaders are being ignored, and the most ludicrous buffoons are taking advantage of it. Nuance is wasted on us.
People can't even be bothered trying to spot the intricacies of governing and social issues, because they aren't capable of doing it. The subtext is lost on them. They don't care about repercussions, or the character of the people they elect, because they don't know how to extrapolate or see the foreshadowing, then they are shocked when their jobs disappear along with their pensions, healthcare and tax refunds. They want to fix everything with a hammer, when surgical tools are required.
So they call whatever ruins their comfortable story “fake news”, and they lash out at people who tell them things they don't want to hear as “know it alls”, and they bury their head in the sand. That allows the criminals in charge to run all over us, and bleed us dry, with a bunch of us as willing accomplices, because we're just too lazy to think for ourselves.
It's a sad development for TV shows, but it's going to be the death of us all when it comes to civilization.
Monday, February 4, 2019
Cynical Me
Some of you might have noticed that I've been embracing my cynicism a little more the last couple of weeks. Don't worry, I'm not becoming a curmudgeon, and by that I mean that I have been a curmudgeon since I was a toddler. But I'm not getting bitter, or trying to shit on anyone's good time, I just think critical thinking and questioning what we see is a good thing.
I think the world has gotten so far away from that, and simply accepts what is put in front of them, and that's one of the reasons we are in the mess we are in. Journalists used to call politicians out on their bullshit on a daily basis, and laugh them out of the room, but now buffoons and crooks like Trump and McConnell are treated as legitimate leaders. There used to be critics who were actually critical of books and movies and shows, but now there are so many outlets for reviews and takes on things that you simply have to do a quick internet search to find some site that agrees with you rather than challenge you. It's so much easier to go along with the crowd, and that has become even more convenient in this day and age. Just because something is popular doesn't mean it's good, and just because you like someone doesn't mean that everything they do is great.
It's that way with everything now. Nothing is wrong, nothing is bad, nothing is questioned, if you know where to look. You don't like what one person is telling you, take to the internet and find a bunch who will. We find outlets and people who simply reinforce what we want to believe, rather than offer you an impartial viewpoint that might not go along with whatever bubble you have settled into. Everything that's even a little important in life is complex, and you aren't going to just find any simple solutions or answers. If you think you have, chances are you're not really comprehending the problem, or you are being lied to and manipulated.
So yeah, I'm going to call bullshit out when I see it, and I'm going to have an opinion, even if it isn't the one you're looking for. You can have an opinion as well, but just make sure that it's your opinion, and not some soundbite or propaganda from one source. I have always been open to debate and different opinions, but be forewarned: I don't have to agree with them, or even respect them, and you shouldn't either.
I think the world has gotten so far away from that, and simply accepts what is put in front of them, and that's one of the reasons we are in the mess we are in. Journalists used to call politicians out on their bullshit on a daily basis, and laugh them out of the room, but now buffoons and crooks like Trump and McConnell are treated as legitimate leaders. There used to be critics who were actually critical of books and movies and shows, but now there are so many outlets for reviews and takes on things that you simply have to do a quick internet search to find some site that agrees with you rather than challenge you. It's so much easier to go along with the crowd, and that has become even more convenient in this day and age. Just because something is popular doesn't mean it's good, and just because you like someone doesn't mean that everything they do is great.
It's that way with everything now. Nothing is wrong, nothing is bad, nothing is questioned, if you know where to look. You don't like what one person is telling you, take to the internet and find a bunch who will. We find outlets and people who simply reinforce what we want to believe, rather than offer you an impartial viewpoint that might not go along with whatever bubble you have settled into. Everything that's even a little important in life is complex, and you aren't going to just find any simple solutions or answers. If you think you have, chances are you're not really comprehending the problem, or you are being lied to and manipulated.
So yeah, I'm going to call bullshit out when I see it, and I'm going to have an opinion, even if it isn't the one you're looking for. You can have an opinion as well, but just make sure that it's your opinion, and not some soundbite or propaganda from one source. I have always been open to debate and different opinions, but be forewarned: I don't have to agree with them, or even respect them, and you shouldn't either.
Maroon 5
Unpopular opinion: Okay, Maroon 5's halftime show was lame, but every single halftime show has been lame. Even your precious Prince halftime show. Every halftime performance is the same as every other tightly scripted and controlled performance you see on TV. It's turned into a spectacle, and geared towards the masses, and there's hardly an artistic moment, and certainly no spontaneity at all. It is a safe, plastic, prepackaged performance by its very nature. You might as well get all excited about a scene from a movie with a made up band, or the recreation of Live Aid in that horrible Queen movie. If course, people get do get all excited about that too, which is fine, I guess, but don't call it a great musical performance. If you do, I'm not sure you understand what music is all about in the first place.
Superbowl
!!! TRIGGER WARNING !!!
Honestly, there are things in here that will probably trigger everyone, and no one should read it at all. I could try to expand and explain my intentions and feelings about it, but why bother, I know that the whole thing will just come off mean spirited and bitter to those who disagree. Still, it's worth it for the five people or so who will get it, so precede at your own risk.
My thoughts on the Superbowl: I don't care that much about either team. I'm definitely not a Patriots fan, but the Rams mean nothing to me. I'll watch the game, off and on.
I don't care about the commercials. I think treating advertisements like art, and anything other than lame psychological warfare to separate you from your money, is counterintuitive to progress and a healthy society. The fact that people actually wait with anticipation to watch commercials is sad.
I don't care about the halftime show. Honestly, if you are a music fan, the halftime show is as far from what music should be about as the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. It's like a band doing a medley of their hits on a variety show, synced up right down to the second to ensure nothing goes over the time allotted, and nothing spontaneous or exciting happens. You want to experience a band? Go see them live, where they can do what they want. The halftime show is spectacle, not art.
The NFL itself has become a joke. The majority of their workforce is black, yet it is run by rich old white guys who are angry when their workers speak up about inequality. Most of their fan base is a bunch of white people who have been duped into thinking that kneeling before a game is some sort of insult to veterans or police officers. Other fans are full of conspiracy theories about paid off officials, and manipulation by the league to get certain teams to the Superbowl or covering point spreads. Some people are blathering on about boycotting the game because of a bad call, or bad non call, to be precise. Who gives a fuck? Bad calls happen every game, that's the breaks.
The sad truth is, sports attracts a lot of morons. Jock culture is disgusting, and a huge portion of sports fans are just idiots. There's nothing wrong with sports and athletes, but there is a whole lot wrong with the culture surrounding them. Parents fighting at their kids matches, fans beating each other up in bars and parking lots, rioting when your team wins, or doesn't win, people obsessed to the point that being a fan of a certain team is what defines them. It's just ridiculous. Sports is entertainment, a distraction, it shouldn't be an obsession. It's just a game, full of arbitrary rules and stature and rewards, that ultimately really means nothing; but still there are idiots that who will waste their lives and alienate their loved ones over it. If any of that offends you, you might just be one of those idiots.
So I guess if I had to pick who I want to win, it would actually be the Patriots. Looking at it objectively, I figure that I'm witnessing one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game, and one of the greatest coaches and dynasties. In a way, they represent some things I hate, but fuck it, it's just a stupid exhibition, and none of it really means anything anyway. If it turns out that they are cheaters and frauds, that's cool, too. Then I can say I got to live during one of the worst scandals in sports history, so let's make it a good one, full of hurt feelings and misery!
Hopefully it will be a fun and exciting game, and there are no horrific injuries. Mostly though, I hope that there's some bad call, or some really stupid play, or anything really that results in a whole off season of people crying and yelling and complaining. The thing I like most is listening to people complain endlessly about the thing they say they love. They threaten to stop watching, they threaten to protest, they scream about boycotts and revenge and change, yet they are right back there when the season starts. I love the taste of people's salty tears when they pout like babies over something that ultimately means nothing, and the rest of their life burns away like a dumpster fire.
Now that's entertainment!
Honestly, there are things in here that will probably trigger everyone, and no one should read it at all. I could try to expand and explain my intentions and feelings about it, but why bother, I know that the whole thing will just come off mean spirited and bitter to those who disagree. Still, it's worth it for the five people or so who will get it, so precede at your own risk.
My thoughts on the Superbowl: I don't care that much about either team. I'm definitely not a Patriots fan, but the Rams mean nothing to me. I'll watch the game, off and on.
I don't care about the commercials. I think treating advertisements like art, and anything other than lame psychological warfare to separate you from your money, is counterintuitive to progress and a healthy society. The fact that people actually wait with anticipation to watch commercials is sad.
I don't care about the halftime show. Honestly, if you are a music fan, the halftime show is as far from what music should be about as the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. It's like a band doing a medley of their hits on a variety show, synced up right down to the second to ensure nothing goes over the time allotted, and nothing spontaneous or exciting happens. You want to experience a band? Go see them live, where they can do what they want. The halftime show is spectacle, not art.
The NFL itself has become a joke. The majority of their workforce is black, yet it is run by rich old white guys who are angry when their workers speak up about inequality. Most of their fan base is a bunch of white people who have been duped into thinking that kneeling before a game is some sort of insult to veterans or police officers. Other fans are full of conspiracy theories about paid off officials, and manipulation by the league to get certain teams to the Superbowl or covering point spreads. Some people are blathering on about boycotting the game because of a bad call, or bad non call, to be precise. Who gives a fuck? Bad calls happen every game, that's the breaks.
The sad truth is, sports attracts a lot of morons. Jock culture is disgusting, and a huge portion of sports fans are just idiots. There's nothing wrong with sports and athletes, but there is a whole lot wrong with the culture surrounding them. Parents fighting at their kids matches, fans beating each other up in bars and parking lots, rioting when your team wins, or doesn't win, people obsessed to the point that being a fan of a certain team is what defines them. It's just ridiculous. Sports is entertainment, a distraction, it shouldn't be an obsession. It's just a game, full of arbitrary rules and stature and rewards, that ultimately really means nothing; but still there are idiots that who will waste their lives and alienate their loved ones over it. If any of that offends you, you might just be one of those idiots.
So I guess if I had to pick who I want to win, it would actually be the Patriots. Looking at it objectively, I figure that I'm witnessing one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game, and one of the greatest coaches and dynasties. In a way, they represent some things I hate, but fuck it, it's just a stupid exhibition, and none of it really means anything anyway. If it turns out that they are cheaters and frauds, that's cool, too. Then I can say I got to live during one of the worst scandals in sports history, so let's make it a good one, full of hurt feelings and misery!
Hopefully it will be a fun and exciting game, and there are no horrific injuries. Mostly though, I hope that there's some bad call, or some really stupid play, or anything really that results in a whole off season of people crying and yelling and complaining. The thing I like most is listening to people complain endlessly about the thing they say they love. They threaten to stop watching, they threaten to protest, they scream about boycotts and revenge and change, yet they are right back there when the season starts. I love the taste of people's salty tears when they pout like babies over something that ultimately means nothing, and the rest of their life burns away like a dumpster fire.
Now that's entertainment!
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