Too often in this country do we A) take our freedoms for granted, and B) give away our freedoms for nothing. A prime example is the censorship laws and regulations of the entertainment industry. Usually, when this abhorrent exercise takes place, it is done under the guise of “for the children.” Let me tell you from first-hand experience that the children are already corrupted. So when a politician or corporate suit tells me I can’t hear the words “fuck,” “shit,” or even “whore” on my radio or see two people on TV sharing a bed, I say to them “WAKE UP!”
The rules of the game were written thirty to fifty years ago and are run by people over the age of fifty. Which means that they still think blacks should have separate bathrooms, women shouldn’t be in the work place, and that the general public isn’t ready to see or hear things that happen every day. Take for example the surge in America’s youth joining gangs. Gang initiations range anywhere from a group beating of the pledge to a homicide. You can’t tell me that the youth in this example hasn’t heard or seen things that go far and beyond what Hollywood has to offer.
The recent case of Atlanta Falcons’ QB Michael Vick comes to mind. Here’s the back story: the NFL dropped its video game deal with Midway because Midway wanted to include real-life scenarios like juicing a player, betting on games, and harsher tackles. Also, the NFL forced ESPN to cancel its critically-acclaimed and widely viewed program “Playmakers” because of the same real-life goings on. That being said, Michael Vick was indicted this week on charges of being involved with dogfights. A few years ago, most of the Minnesota Vikings team went on a cruise ship and not only trashed it, they did drugs and solicited hookers (allegedly…wink). And these are just the things we are told about. So why is the NFL so against games or shows that show a reality instead of an idealized reality?
The same for TV shows. I loathe broadcast network cop shows, forensic shows, etc. because the realism is lost when someone gets shot and the next line from whatever character isn’t “Holy shit!” It’s usually something like “My goodness” or “Gee willickers.” Okay, maybe even THAT is a little far back, but you get my point. This is why I turn to HBO, FX, Comedy Central, and others for my entertainment because they keep the suspension of disbelief alive. They aren’t afraid to show some nudity or have people talk like they are from today’s world and not 1956.
The programs today are so whitewashed that they aren’t fun. There are no more creative teams at networks because the creativity is dead. Shows fail because the writing sucks or the scenarios are not believable. Yes, there should be discretion involved in the process but to completely yank the heart and soul out of the entire entertainment genre is absurd. The line has been pushed so far back that it’s almost more restrictive than it was fifty years ago.
Have you ever watched an R-rated movie on TV? Of course you have. Aside from the voice-over actor sounding nothing like the on-screen actor, the dubbing is silly. They are given things to say like “Holy frick” and “You’re a wow hole.” It takes away from the tone of the scene and detracts from the experience.
The irony is that there are so many channels to watch. Let’s assume that you watch NBC and one Thursday night you are watching “My Name Is Earl.” All of a sudden, Earl says a dirty word. Instead of turning to another channel (we’ve only got 500) or rolling with the joke, you write a letter or call the FCC. Why? Are you ruining it for the rest of the viewing audience that didn’t care? I think that we should start calling the FCC when someone curses or when there is a real situation shown, and tell them that we’re okay with it. The vocal minority is ruining it for the rest of us who know that entertainment give kids “potty mouths” or become sexually active. These things happen because of parental neglect, or abuse, social acceptance or rejection, and all of it is just part of growing up.
The funniest part of the censorship is that foreigners/outer space aliens must think we’re insane. They are probably watching a movie and someone says “son of a gun” instead of “son of a bitch.” So the viewer, unless told otherwise, now thinks that “son of a gun” is a curse word phrase. And the irony is that people will start using that phrase and then it will be officially a curse word.
At the end of the day, unless you are carefully taught which words are bad, and which actions are bad, you don’t know. If enough people used the word “scarf” as a naughty word, it would become one. Three recent example is the word “skeet” which is a term used in rap lyrics to represent ejaculation; “gat” which is a gun; and “yay” which is cocaine. When these words were introduced, no one knew what they meant and were allowed on TV, radio, etc. But when the definitions got to the powers that be, the brakes were put on and now you hear either silence or a sound effect when these words come on.
Children playing doctor don’t know the shame in what they are doing. They haven’t learned that particular brand of shame yet. They are curious and it’s out of this curiosity that they are playing. They aren’t doing it to hurt someone else. They aren’t doing it to add numbers to their sexual conquest tallies. They are doing it because they are trying to experience life. It’s the same principle as when a baby sticks everything it can get its hands on into its mouth. The baby is just trying to figure out things in the world. The baby doesn’t know certain things are dirty, or inedible, or hot, or cold. The baby finds these things out along the way either by trial or by negative reinforcement from a parent.
Another irony is that when I was a kid, there was no “clean version” of a song. If you wanted to go to a concert that your parents might disapprove of, you had to find a clean song and play it for them. Today’s kids just buy the Wal-Mart clean version of 50 Cent, play the whole thing for their parents and off they go to a concert that is anything but nice. Lots of cursing, racial epithets, police tape, racism, violent scenes, the works.
What the whole argument boils down to is personal responsibility. Teach your kids right from wrong, and use discretion is your habits. Sure, some kids might start a fight club or mimic pro-wrestling but the vast VAST majority don’t. Don’t cut down the whole tree because of one bad apple. I think the best arguments of all when you come across one of these social manipulators are: What did Hitler have in his iPod? What did Genghis Khan watch on TV? What did the slave-traders buy on DVD? What video games did the Crusaders play? The answer is so simple, it’s absurd: morals make the person not the ways they are entertained. So leave them alone, and try turning off things you don’t like instead of ruining it for those of us who like to be entertained.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Lower Your Expectations
That handy little phrase can be applied to every single aspect of your life. And in fact, it's the most popular coping mechanism for the human race. From something as simple as Verizon saying they are "America's most reliable network" while Cingular has the "fewest dropped calls", to the voluntary blinders we methaphorically wear when we know that our job sucks, our personal life sucks, or the people in control of the country are ruining our place in history.
Thankfully, they are also the ones writing the history books, so we can rest assured that our spot will come out on the other side looking shinier than when we came into this world.
But yeah, the best way to deal with a situation is to lower your standards. That's the American way. And if you don't like the American way, you can go fuck yourself! America is the greatest country on the planet...no, in the universe. And nothing you present to me, be it fact, fiction, mountains of indisputable evidence, myth, rumor, hearsay, first-hand experience, scientific research, or something you found in a fortune cookie is gonna change my mind.
But back to lowering your standards...
Example 1: You hate your job.
Well, you've got to lower your standards. (duh). Don’t think about all the money you AREN’T making. Don’t think about how much the CEOs of this world rake home every day in their high-end BMWs with their multi-million dollar mansions and their three-week vacations every year. You need to think about the money you do take in, and how many weeks it will take you to finally get that iPod you’ve been wanting since you saw it on Desperate Housewives last week.
Example 2: You hate your life.
Start by thinking “What if I were dead?” How good would your quality of life be then? Bet you’d gladly hand over your taxes for a chance to resurrect yourself. Tupac isn’t seeing any of the royalties in the grave. His family’s living pretty good though. And Sandra Bullock’s career has been dead for years.
Now think about all those shows that tell you how shitty your life truly is. The OC, The Hills, My Super Sweet 16, The Girls Next Door, and any of the tabloid shows. Aren’t you glad there are other people who have to worry about running over paparazzi with their $200,000 Maserati? And aren’t you glad there isn’t a line of screaming people waiting for you when you exit the posh rehab clinic? Those are horrors you should be happy you’ve never experienced.
Example 3: You hate the political leadership and the de-mock-racy of the USA.
Just imagine what your life would be like if regular people were to hold office. Is that something you want on your conscience? You need to have at least 15 years experience, or be a minority, to hold a public office in this country assshole! Don’t forget that even if you somehow garner enough groundswell of support, you’ll never be able to raise the money needed to run a proper campaign, especially within a system that has already awarded millions of dollars to the incumbents/two political parties, and a system that is skewed heavily in their favors, owned and operated by said political parties.
So here’s what you do. Watch Wolf Blitzer tell you why you should be angry, petition your state to arbitrarily move its primary to Feb. 5, then sit at home and ignore the whole thing because you can’t be troubled to actually go out and vote. You are American. It’s your God-given right to piss and moan about things without having to actually do something about them. Unless, of course, you are entered in a $1 million lottery when you vote. In which case…ah, who am I kidding. I’m not gonna win it. Some elderly person will win it. Or one of those goddamn immigrants.
Example 4: You think other people can’t drive.
Seat belt fastened? Yup. Mirrors checked? Sure. Middle finger ready? Locked and loaded.
Why settle for laws that help the public, like mandatory testing every four to ten years for all drivers or stricter penalties for offenders? We need laws like no talking on your cell phone while you drive and no eating in your car. Sure, these things are distracting, but the way you drive anyway, it’s not that different with or without a “distraction.”
Perhaps the least enforced law in the country is…keeping right except to pass. The amount of road rage incidents, rear-end collisions, congestion, traffic, and people palying slalom on the highways would be greatly reduced. But you’re a self-righteous driver who is willing to take on the entire pool of cars behind you just so you can drive 55 in the left lane. Who cares about the fact that your left blinker is still on since you entered the highway 20 minutes ago, or the fact that everyone is “illegally passing” you on the right side. OH! There’s your exit. Better jerk the wheel to the right without looking and get on your exit! WHOA! Almost hit some jackass who was in the right lane. What a prick! How dare HE impede YOU! Goddamnit! You should probably do the right thing and beat your wife when you get home, just to prove the point that other drivers are assholes.
Well, there you have it. Four easy ways to lower your standards and get through life much easier. Don’t forget, the US Presidential election is only 483 days away. Get out and vote! NOW!!!!!!
Thankfully, they are also the ones writing the history books, so we can rest assured that our spot will come out on the other side looking shinier than when we came into this world.
But yeah, the best way to deal with a situation is to lower your standards. That's the American way. And if you don't like the American way, you can go fuck yourself! America is the greatest country on the planet...no, in the universe. And nothing you present to me, be it fact, fiction, mountains of indisputable evidence, myth, rumor, hearsay, first-hand experience, scientific research, or something you found in a fortune cookie is gonna change my mind.
But back to lowering your standards...
Example 1: You hate your job.
Well, you've got to lower your standards. (duh). Don’t think about all the money you AREN’T making. Don’t think about how much the CEOs of this world rake home every day in their high-end BMWs with their multi-million dollar mansions and their three-week vacations every year. You need to think about the money you do take in, and how many weeks it will take you to finally get that iPod you’ve been wanting since you saw it on Desperate Housewives last week.
Example 2: You hate your life.
Start by thinking “What if I were dead?” How good would your quality of life be then? Bet you’d gladly hand over your taxes for a chance to resurrect yourself. Tupac isn’t seeing any of the royalties in the grave. His family’s living pretty good though. And Sandra Bullock’s career has been dead for years.
Now think about all those shows that tell you how shitty your life truly is. The OC, The Hills, My Super Sweet 16, The Girls Next Door, and any of the tabloid shows. Aren’t you glad there are other people who have to worry about running over paparazzi with their $200,000 Maserati? And aren’t you glad there isn’t a line of screaming people waiting for you when you exit the posh rehab clinic? Those are horrors you should be happy you’ve never experienced.
Example 3: You hate the political leadership and the de-mock-racy of the USA.
Just imagine what your life would be like if regular people were to hold office. Is that something you want on your conscience? You need to have at least 15 years experience, or be a minority, to hold a public office in this country assshole! Don’t forget that even if you somehow garner enough groundswell of support, you’ll never be able to raise the money needed to run a proper campaign, especially within a system that has already awarded millions of dollars to the incumbents/two political parties, and a system that is skewed heavily in their favors, owned and operated by said political parties.
So here’s what you do. Watch Wolf Blitzer tell you why you should be angry, petition your state to arbitrarily move its primary to Feb. 5, then sit at home and ignore the whole thing because you can’t be troubled to actually go out and vote. You are American. It’s your God-given right to piss and moan about things without having to actually do something about them. Unless, of course, you are entered in a $1 million lottery when you vote. In which case…ah, who am I kidding. I’m not gonna win it. Some elderly person will win it. Or one of those goddamn immigrants.
Example 4: You think other people can’t drive.
Seat belt fastened? Yup. Mirrors checked? Sure. Middle finger ready? Locked and loaded.
Why settle for laws that help the public, like mandatory testing every four to ten years for all drivers or stricter penalties for offenders? We need laws like no talking on your cell phone while you drive and no eating in your car. Sure, these things are distracting, but the way you drive anyway, it’s not that different with or without a “distraction.”
Perhaps the least enforced law in the country is…keeping right except to pass. The amount of road rage incidents, rear-end collisions, congestion, traffic, and people palying slalom on the highways would be greatly reduced. But you’re a self-righteous driver who is willing to take on the entire pool of cars behind you just so you can drive 55 in the left lane. Who cares about the fact that your left blinker is still on since you entered the highway 20 minutes ago, or the fact that everyone is “illegally passing” you on the right side. OH! There’s your exit. Better jerk the wheel to the right without looking and get on your exit! WHOA! Almost hit some jackass who was in the right lane. What a prick! How dare HE impede YOU! Goddamnit! You should probably do the right thing and beat your wife when you get home, just to prove the point that other drivers are assholes.
Well, there you have it. Four easy ways to lower your standards and get through life much easier. Don’t forget, the US Presidential election is only 483 days away. Get out and vote! NOW!!!!!!
Just Cause
First off, I’d like to make sure everyone understands to dual pronunciations of the title. First is to accent the word “just” making the phrase mean “Noble Cause.” The second pronunciation is to turn your voice up on “just” and to slide the “cause” as in the answer to why you did something, “just cuz.” Remember this because I’ll bring it around in a nice tidy circle for you. Having said that, let’s move on…
This past weekend I attended the Live Earth concert in NJ. I say NJ because even though it says “NY,” Giants stadium is in the great Garden State. That’s just a pet peeve of everyone who lives in NJ. But I was there and Cameron Diaz showed up. All I could think about during her verbal abortion of a speech was how many causes she’s taken up and if she even knows which one she’s attending at that moment.
And not just her, but all the people, famous and otherwise, that take up causes just cause it’s the flavor of the week. I also think it’s funny how long it usually takes a fad-cause to take hold. The movement to end apartheid in South Africa really started picking up steam at the end of the 80s and the beginning of the 90s. Or how about the new fad-cause of blocking smoking everywhere including in movies? The greatest and most revered actors of all-time smoked excessively on-screen and their movies are considered legendary. Imagine a “Casablanca” wherein there is no smoking and see if the two main phrases still have their zing “Play it again, Sam” and “Get on that plane Elsa.” They lose something without that cigarette in his hand, don’t they? And the fact that he is smoking doesn’t make me want to smoke any more or less. It would be like having an action movie without guns.
But yeah, these people who take up causes just to fill their days sicken me. I know a lot of these causes are justified and are worthy, but sometimes you need to back off. I honestly think some causes are around just to distract us from other, more pertinent causes. And example is the smoking ban that distracts us from, say, getting corrupt politicians out of office. Or a law making its way through the NJ system that would give a $2000 fine to anyone not picking up after their dog in public. How about a law that says “if you embezzle millions of dollars from 401ks you don’t get to go to a white collar prison”!?!
And when celebrities take up causes it kind of hurts the cause. Sure, it’s nice if they actually believe in what they are saying. But when they say it, it kind of detracts from the cause because there are so many voicing their opinions about so much. Besides the fact that most of them have their heads up their asses and know nothing about their latest cause.
I was at a rally to help the people in Darfur. A woman walking by came up to a group of girls holding a giant banner proclaiming “Save Darfur.” The woman was curious, and as most curious people do, she asked the group of girls what Darfur was. Well, I haven’t seen blank stares like that since the Dick Tracy movie. They couldn’t even say “Here is some literature” even if they didn’t know the answer? But the fact that they were there AND holding a banner about something about which they knew nothing was absurd and makes the cause look worthless. Why should that woman care about Darfur when the girls holding the banner know nothing?
And of course, when a politician takes up a cause, it must be for political gain. I’m not saying that political gain cannot be a fruit born from the labor of the cause, but to take up a cause simply for the political gain should be a sin. But a worse sin is when opponents of that person use that cause against them for political gain. Something as simple as Democrats taking the majority because they did a better job of hiding the fact that they also voted for the war in Iraq, or the Republicans blasting Al Gore for trying to raise awareness about the environment (regardless of his personal defects in that regard).
An absurd form of taking up a cause is when someone outside of the group of people affected by an injustice speaks for that group. The most common is white people talking for minority groups. Men trying to decide if a fetus is a woman’s child or a woman’s choice. White folks telling us about how hard life is in the projects and why the food stamp system needs revamping. Affluent white women babbling on about the civil wars in South America and Africa. I’m not saying we shouldn’t try to help those who cannot help themselves, but I also think you should get your own house in order before telling the rest of us why our furniture needs rearranging. It’s like in Traffic when Michael Douglas’s character goes to Mexico to talk about the drug trade and his daughter is a coke whore.
The only time you’re allowed to take up a cause in this country, is when it directly affects you. So don’t try anything different. Like Sheryl Crow talking about cancer. Or Christopher Reeves talking about stem-cell research. If you try talking about something that doesn’t affect you, like Pamela Anderson yammering about fur, you sound elitist and out-of-touch. And no one will take your cause seriously because you’re probably just trying to plug your next movie.
George Carlin put it best, the American people like their bullshit right out in the open where they can get a nice strong whiff of it. Don’t water down a just cause, just cause you want to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and you need to pad your stats. See what I did there? I used both pronunciations in one sentence. I told you I’d bring it around.
If you’re going to take up a cause, do it because you truly believe in it. And please, know something about it that will make people believe you know what you’re talking about. The death of any cause is misinformation. The truth will find its way out, so don’t worry about that. And it always takes a while for the greater public to get turned in the right direction. But as long as you fight the good fight and can sleep soundly at night, that’s the most you can hope for.
This past weekend I attended the Live Earth concert in NJ. I say NJ because even though it says “NY,” Giants stadium is in the great Garden State. That’s just a pet peeve of everyone who lives in NJ. But I was there and Cameron Diaz showed up. All I could think about during her verbal abortion of a speech was how many causes she’s taken up and if she even knows which one she’s attending at that moment.
And not just her, but all the people, famous and otherwise, that take up causes just cause it’s the flavor of the week. I also think it’s funny how long it usually takes a fad-cause to take hold. The movement to end apartheid in South Africa really started picking up steam at the end of the 80s and the beginning of the 90s. Or how about the new fad-cause of blocking smoking everywhere including in movies? The greatest and most revered actors of all-time smoked excessively on-screen and their movies are considered legendary. Imagine a “Casablanca” wherein there is no smoking and see if the two main phrases still have their zing “Play it again, Sam” and “Get on that plane Elsa.” They lose something without that cigarette in his hand, don’t they? And the fact that he is smoking doesn’t make me want to smoke any more or less. It would be like having an action movie without guns.
But yeah, these people who take up causes just to fill their days sicken me. I know a lot of these causes are justified and are worthy, but sometimes you need to back off. I honestly think some causes are around just to distract us from other, more pertinent causes. And example is the smoking ban that distracts us from, say, getting corrupt politicians out of office. Or a law making its way through the NJ system that would give a $2000 fine to anyone not picking up after their dog in public. How about a law that says “if you embezzle millions of dollars from 401ks you don’t get to go to a white collar prison”!?!
And when celebrities take up causes it kind of hurts the cause. Sure, it’s nice if they actually believe in what they are saying. But when they say it, it kind of detracts from the cause because there are so many voicing their opinions about so much. Besides the fact that most of them have their heads up their asses and know nothing about their latest cause.
I was at a rally to help the people in Darfur. A woman walking by came up to a group of girls holding a giant banner proclaiming “Save Darfur.” The woman was curious, and as most curious people do, she asked the group of girls what Darfur was. Well, I haven’t seen blank stares like that since the Dick Tracy movie. They couldn’t even say “Here is some literature” even if they didn’t know the answer? But the fact that they were there AND holding a banner about something about which they knew nothing was absurd and makes the cause look worthless. Why should that woman care about Darfur when the girls holding the banner know nothing?
And of course, when a politician takes up a cause, it must be for political gain. I’m not saying that political gain cannot be a fruit born from the labor of the cause, but to take up a cause simply for the political gain should be a sin. But a worse sin is when opponents of that person use that cause against them for political gain. Something as simple as Democrats taking the majority because they did a better job of hiding the fact that they also voted for the war in Iraq, or the Republicans blasting Al Gore for trying to raise awareness about the environment (regardless of his personal defects in that regard).
An absurd form of taking up a cause is when someone outside of the group of people affected by an injustice speaks for that group. The most common is white people talking for minority groups. Men trying to decide if a fetus is a woman’s child or a woman’s choice. White folks telling us about how hard life is in the projects and why the food stamp system needs revamping. Affluent white women babbling on about the civil wars in South America and Africa. I’m not saying we shouldn’t try to help those who cannot help themselves, but I also think you should get your own house in order before telling the rest of us why our furniture needs rearranging. It’s like in Traffic when Michael Douglas’s character goes to Mexico to talk about the drug trade and his daughter is a coke whore.
The only time you’re allowed to take up a cause in this country, is when it directly affects you. So don’t try anything different. Like Sheryl Crow talking about cancer. Or Christopher Reeves talking about stem-cell research. If you try talking about something that doesn’t affect you, like Pamela Anderson yammering about fur, you sound elitist and out-of-touch. And no one will take your cause seriously because you’re probably just trying to plug your next movie.
George Carlin put it best, the American people like their bullshit right out in the open where they can get a nice strong whiff of it. Don’t water down a just cause, just cause you want to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and you need to pad your stats. See what I did there? I used both pronunciations in one sentence. I told you I’d bring it around.
If you’re going to take up a cause, do it because you truly believe in it. And please, know something about it that will make people believe you know what you’re talking about. The death of any cause is misinformation. The truth will find its way out, so don’t worry about that. And it always takes a while for the greater public to get turned in the right direction. But as long as you fight the good fight and can sleep soundly at night, that’s the most you can hope for.
Wasted Space, Saving Face
The more I use the “new” internet, the more I am amazed at how we as a people, the entire world, are wasting the biggest opportunity in the history of mankind. We have created a tool that allows us to speak to anyone, anywhere in the world. We have even gone so far that we can send videos, pics, or even talk via live video or audio to these same people.
Yet, these mind-boggling tools are being under-used and mistaken for a private chatroom. Few people take the opportunity to expand their horizons on sites like MySpace and Facebook. They don’t see these sites as a way to open communications with a stranger they otherwise would have no chance of meeting. No, these people view their accounts as new ways to annoy their existing friends.
It’s partly this new mentality of “every man is an island”, and it’s also partly that there is so much abuse by spammers, child molesters, stalkers, and hackers that people are reluctant to even give others a shot. I understand that making new friends is tough, but when you aren’t open to the idea of attempting such a feat, the greatest tool ever devised gets wasted.
So many profiles are set to super private. A lot of people have profiles that only show a picture or a scarce amount of information, while some people have elected to have profiles that not only show no picture or information, they can’t be searched for on that site. Again, I understand not wanting to have spammers and such storm your profile, but to eliminate the possibility of finding a really cool online friend from a far away country is just myopic.
I have on my MySpace account friends from all over the world including China, Glasgow, South Africa; and the U.S., like New York, Texas, and Mississippi. Will I ever meet these people in real life? Maybe. But just having the opportunity to talk to someone in a completely different section of this world is great. I love learning someone else’s culture, what they feel about current events, and what it’s like in their neck of the woods.
I am not saying that we shouldn’t also use these tools for our everyday friends, but to exclude the rest of the world is silly. I enjoy sending crazy vids, pics, and wacky comments to the people in my life. It’s not like I can walk up to someone and say “
”. Sure, I could print it out and then show it to people but that’s silly.
Don’t even get me started on how difficult it is to get girls to open up online. It’s almost as hard as getting them to talk offline. Because of all the assholes and perverts that continually inundate them with pick-ups lines and sexual innuendo, the rest of us have to go through Fort Knox to get to know a girl. And I don’t mean the girls one tries to date, but even the ones that are “just friends” material. When I see an interesting girl in a group or on a friend’s profile, I preface the hell out of my email because I want them to know I’m not trying to get with them, even if they are half a world away. I just want to have an online friendship with them, trading stories etc. and finding out about someone else’s life.
The flip side of the coin is the people who friend everyone. My god people! Show a little restraint. You don’t need 1000 friends. I blogged about this Thursday, May 25, 2006 entitled “A World Without Tom”, so if you want to check it out, go to my archive.
All this being said, I hope my blog reaches more than just the regular readers and the peeps on my friends list. I hope this becomes a worldwide wake-up call. Don’t throw away the opportunity of a lifetime because of a few bad apples or because you were told not to talk to strangers. If everyone never talked to strangers, no one would ever talk to anyone else and the species would cease to exist unless you started fornicating with your relatives. Be smart about who you talk to and what info you give out. Besides, you can always delete them from your friends list if you find out they are an unsavory character.
Good luck, and good night.
Yet, these mind-boggling tools are being under-used and mistaken for a private chatroom. Few people take the opportunity to expand their horizons on sites like MySpace and Facebook. They don’t see these sites as a way to open communications with a stranger they otherwise would have no chance of meeting. No, these people view their accounts as new ways to annoy their existing friends.
It’s partly this new mentality of “every man is an island”, and it’s also partly that there is so much abuse by spammers, child molesters, stalkers, and hackers that people are reluctant to even give others a shot. I understand that making new friends is tough, but when you aren’t open to the idea of attempting such a feat, the greatest tool ever devised gets wasted.
So many profiles are set to super private. A lot of people have profiles that only show a picture or a scarce amount of information, while some people have elected to have profiles that not only show no picture or information, they can’t be searched for on that site. Again, I understand not wanting to have spammers and such storm your profile, but to eliminate the possibility of finding a really cool online friend from a far away country is just myopic.
I have on my MySpace account friends from all over the world including China, Glasgow, South Africa; and the U.S., like New York, Texas, and Mississippi. Will I ever meet these people in real life? Maybe. But just having the opportunity to talk to someone in a completely different section of this world is great. I love learning someone else’s culture, what they feel about current events, and what it’s like in their neck of the woods.
I am not saying that we shouldn’t also use these tools for our everyday friends, but to exclude the rest of the world is silly. I enjoy sending crazy vids, pics, and wacky comments to the people in my life. It’s not like I can walk up to someone and say “
”. Sure, I could print it out and then show it to people but that’s silly.Don’t even get me started on how difficult it is to get girls to open up online. It’s almost as hard as getting them to talk offline. Because of all the assholes and perverts that continually inundate them with pick-ups lines and sexual innuendo, the rest of us have to go through Fort Knox to get to know a girl. And I don’t mean the girls one tries to date, but even the ones that are “just friends” material. When I see an interesting girl in a group or on a friend’s profile, I preface the hell out of my email because I want them to know I’m not trying to get with them, even if they are half a world away. I just want to have an online friendship with them, trading stories etc. and finding out about someone else’s life.
The flip side of the coin is the people who friend everyone. My god people! Show a little restraint. You don’t need 1000 friends. I blogged about this Thursday, May 25, 2006 entitled “A World Without Tom”, so if you want to check it out, go to my archive.
All this being said, I hope my blog reaches more than just the regular readers and the peeps on my friends list. I hope this becomes a worldwide wake-up call. Don’t throw away the opportunity of a lifetime because of a few bad apples or because you were told not to talk to strangers. If everyone never talked to strangers, no one would ever talk to anyone else and the species would cease to exist unless you started fornicating with your relatives. Be smart about who you talk to and what info you give out. Besides, you can always delete them from your friends list if you find out they are an unsavory character.
Good luck, and good night.
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