Web Browsing Scare me

[kriadydragon]

It's ridiculous how precarious searching the Internet can be. Here I am, trying to find out when Sherlock is going to air on BBC America because I really want to see it (and if anyone knows, could you please tell me since my Google-foo is such utter fail?) and instead I run into this article thing on the top-whatever crap Brits find annoying about Americans, then it's all Americans suck, and British suck, and patriotism and having a flag in front of your house is icky and our country speaks English better than your country and... yeah.

You know, for all our talk of celebrating diversity we (and by we I mean the entire human race) kind of suck at it (and please, please, please don't get into anything on the flaws of your country or our country or whatever. Every country has it's flaws and annoyances so I really don't care. Focus on the good, dang it. The good!).

Plus though I know the article was intended as a jest, I have major issues with the whole "lighten up, it was just a joke" mindset. Especially where something of an offensive nature is concerned. I feel "it was just a joke" a mask that people hide behind when they want to get away with being insulting. Some of you might recall me venting over a captioned picture that I found extremely offensive toward my religion, but what really rubbed me the wrong way was people being surprised over our offense. Well, of course we're offended, you just accused us of being pedophiles! And you expect us to have a good chuckle about it? Um, yeah, not possible.

Yeah, Google definitely hates me.

Comments

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

Did you just go to BBC America site?
I know that is a DUH!!!!! question but often I just find out what cable carrier and go there.
I find it tiresome and often annoying to have to wade through all the rest.


"....Some of you might recall me venting over a captioned picture that I found extremely offensive toward my religion, but what really rubbed me the wrong way was people being surprised over our offense.."

((((NODS))))) nothing appears to be sacred any longer.
The sad thing is when you voice a disagreement the
incoming is ferocious
If you are not on the same page, just unload a huge load on that person for voicing their dissent.
Sad

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

I did go there, that's how I stumbled on the article. It also didn't tell me much, although I may try again. I might not have been looking in the right place.

Yeah, it's scary how fast and vicious retaliation can be when you voice an opinion. It's like you're suddenly enemy number one and the worst human being in the world just because you don't agree with or support something. What I really hate is when no one actually makes a point, they just try to see who can be the most insulting.

[black-raven135.livejournal.com]

"What I really hate is when no one actually makes a point, they just try to see who can be the most insulting."

Hatred like that has no point to make
It is mindless prattle.........

I know this is not the same, and it is minor compared to what you have shared, but that is how I have been received when I had the audacity to state I do not read slash, and even when I stated I would not beta it.........
It was like a personal affront to those who do.......
I never have demanded they give up their reading; they can therefore do me the same consideration by allowing me to voice my opinion........

[karri-kln1671.livejournal.com]

Have you checked pbs.org? Season 2 was playing there last time I wondered that direction.

I hate live journal...

[ninja007.livejournal.com]

I had responded, but after I hit post comment, lj decided then to remind me that I hadn't logged in by saying this user doesn't allow anonymous responses. Then my message disappears into the frigging ether...

Anyway...

I have always considered things said or written in a 'joking manner' to be actually based in some truth. I had once studied to be a psychologist, but changed my major. I've always been convinced that the psychology behind those types of 'essays' to be written that way so the author can say it was in jest, in order to avoid being called on its hateful message, that 'some' will never see the jest and believe the author. So, if someone does call them on it, 'obviously you didn't get the joke'.

Bullshit.


My other response was so much better than this one....damn lj...

Re: I hate live journal...

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

Ugh, LJ is being a butt today. It ate my response as well. And I do allow anon responses so I don't know what the deal is.

Like if I said it in a joking manner, no one will call me on it and then I can belittle the one who does for 'not getting the joke or having no sense of humor'... bullshit.

Exactly. And the nutshell of my previous response was that there's a fine line when it comes to joking. Like, for example, I can joked about my church and living in Kansas because, well, it's my church and I live in Kansas. I know what's funny, what isn't and where to draw the line. Know way would I joke about, say, New York or Britain since all I know about them is what I've seen on TV. And if I did joke, and it was offensive to those who live there, then I deserve to get reamed for it.

It's a matter of both common courtesy and common sense. WE all have something that offends us, so to put anyone through that kind of misery is pretty much hypocritical. The Golden Rule and all that - you can't cry about being offended if you have no qualms about offending others.

[sholio]

Ugh, I'm sorry you stumbled into a Google minefield. It's so frustrating how often people just say (or type) whatever comes into their heads without thinking about its impact on other people, and then hide behind the excuse "It was only a joke!" when someone points out that someone was hurt by it.

I agree with what you said in one of the comments that we have more leeway to joke about things that affect us personally -- humor is a natural human coping mechanism, after all, but laughing at ourselves and our own personal stereotypes is a whole other thing than having other people laugh at us and perpetuate cruel stereotypes about us, which just hurts.

[kriadydragon.livejournal.com]

humor is a natural human coping mechanism, after all, but laughing at ourselves and our own personal stereotypes is a whole other thing than having other people laugh at us and perpetuate cruel stereotypes about us, which just hurts.

Exactly. All the more so, I think, when there's an obvious lack of knowledge involved in the subject, because there are people quick to actually believe these things, and stick with that belief without ever researching the facts.