..if I insult a person’s ability to code, mock their design or make a general nuisance of myself by pointing out every possible flaw in a person’s website — that’s OK. You all join in, laughing and often posting much more offensive commentary than I (sometimes calling people “retard” or “moron”, even). Yet, if I decide to take leave of my normal complete media-ignorance and pass comment on a celebrity? By gosh, I’m in for it then!
Hmm.. perhaps some of you don’t see the hypocrisy in that, but I do, and I find it absolutely hilarious.
Now, I’m not going to censor your comments if you disagree with me (although I’ll likely tell you that I think you’re wrong), and I’m not going to try and sway your opinion to “my side”. However, if any of you think for one moment that I am going to stop being me, and stop having an opinion on people and events that I see around me (irrelevant of whether people care about said opinion) then you are sorely mistaken. I’ve been blogging this way for over four years and until I get hauled into a court for libel, that’s not going to change.
03 Dec at 1:22 pm
Well said..*raises glass* shall we toast to freedom of speech?
03 Dec at 1:46 pm
I do agree…pure hypocrisy. And Britney Spears is a trollop… I’m not going to complain, your blogging style is hilarious, and you better not get hauled into a court for libel. Trust me, some of us prefer you the way that you are.
03 Dec at 2:57 pm
Britney Spears… oh, she might be fighting to keep her kids. She should be showing up with them in public looking like the perfect mother (by not nearly dropping them, or not having them belted up in the car, might I add) not by wearing no underwear and getting photos taken while she is drunk out with reknowned party girls (aka trollops, to use your word). I suppose when we criticise a website it isn’t normally a personal attack on the person themself just their ability to code/design/whatever. I’m not sure…
03 Dec at 2:59 pm
Calling someone a moron/retard/idiot/etc is a pretty personal attack, don’t you think?
03 Dec at 3:13 pm
I suppose reading the comments on the Britney post might open my eyes alittle bit on this. :P
03 Dec at 3:15 pm
Probably, although it applies either way: I’m not going to be told what to do or what to think about anything.
03 Dec at 3:22 pm
Hmmm… I can see the other side a bit. You are an expert when it comes to code, so if you make a comment about code, the people respect it more. However, if you make a comment about something you are not an expert on, you’re bound to have people disagree. However, passing comments about celebrities really doesn’t take much more than the ability to read… In fact, I remember discussing the lives of celebrities when I was about 10 years old and reading Seventeen magazine. So maybe someone just wanted to cause a little online drama.
03 Dec at 3:22 pm
Why be defensive though? (Because it seems like you are.) Does it matter what they say if you don’t care. I’m someone who doesn’t like unrequested reviews, I’ve even written about it. Do I think that will stop them? No, but that’s just me. In terms of Britney most of us make the “mistake” of talking about her because she is a public figure whose purpose is to be scrutinized. (Contrary to what she may think.) Does that make it right or wrong? Who knows. But I do believe that there is a difference between criticizing someone’s website, and criticizing a public figure of the Britney Spears nature.
03 Dec at 3:27 pm
No attempt at being defensive is intended with my post (although you’re probably right in that it sounds that way), I’m merely trying to prevent people thinking they have the right to control what I post, before anyone else wastes their time.
03 Dec at 3:44 pm
I feel the hypocrisy within me. On the one hand I’ll cringe and laugh and groan. And on the other, I’m like awww that person needs a hug or something, that’s so sad. I love mean people, so say what you want! I’ll laugh and eat it up with a spoon.
03 Dec at 4:56 pm
Do we laugh at someone tripping in over something in the mall? Yes, most likely most of us ‘readers’ will. Do we laugh when someone is dressed funny or looks funny? Again I think the answer is yes, most of us will. So is it weird to laugh and point when someone who happens to be in the spotlight does the same thing? No it’s human nature I suppose. Weather that means it’s right or wrong I’m not sure but it’s something most if not all of us do. So I don’t see what the fuzz about Britney Spears post is about. If I were in her position I would feel bad if people laughed but hey, I would have no one else to blame but myself; knowing that you’re in the spotlight and still going out in clothes (or the lack thereof) like that.
03 Dec at 5:41 pm
I get annoyed when people gossip about celebrities because there are hundred’s of people who are plain and boring that do whatever the celebrity has done and worse, but no one cares unless it shows up in a trashy magazine.
03 Dec at 6:12 pm
“although I’ll likely tell you that I think you’re wrong” haha gave me a chuckle because I know how true that is ;) You’re a legend.
03 Dec at 8:31 pm
“Calling someone a moron/retard/idiot/etc is a pretty personal attack, don’t you think?” I was talking about myself personally not other people – and normally I don’t use any of those words.
04 Dec at 2:33 am
*activates pet-peeve rant* Why does people always say “defensive” as if it’s a bad thing? Jem is just replying to someone’s opinion that is contrary to her original post. Yeah, Jem’s defending her point of view, clarifying it if you will, it doesn’t equate to her necessary still caring about how her opinion would sway others. Bah.
04 Dec at 3:59 am
Naw, I love ya, Jem. People complain about the double standards imposed on celebrities, but they lead very different lives to everyone else, so there’s just no comparison. Celebrities live their lives under a camera lens — every time they move a muscle, it will be photographed and distributed on the Internet and in media tabloids. It’s true that any other mother could probably get away with driving with her kid on her lap and worse, but that’s life. If you’re famous, you must have a thick skin. Your other option is, of course, to go on national television and cry and whine about how you’re not a bad mother. And unrequested reviews… fire away, I say. *shrug*
04 Dec at 10:49 am
I think there’s nothing wrong with public figures being criticised per se. I was bothered by a comment thread in which a woman – celebrity or otherwise – was called (variously) a whore, ‘white trash’ and an unfit mother because of how she was dressed. There are issues relating to sex and class bound up in that.
04 Dec at 3:57 pm
There’s a pretty good chance that anyone defending Britney Spears is only being defensive because they relate with her actions. It’s just the same as if you criticize someone’s code and someone else argues with you because they would write the same code themselves. I’m not saying Gemma is one to go commando, but if the shoe fits…
05 Dec at 9:38 pm
At first I was rather miffed by your choice of blog topic (the previous one)… and even more about this. I sincerely don’t understand why some people get so mad that you criticize celebrities. Incidentally those pictures have scarred me for life: my fault for not being able to contain my curiosity :P Then again, I DO believe that you might have reacted a bit harsh to Gemma’s comment. Compared to Sonya’s, hers wasn’t even antagonizing you. Personally, I’ve given up on even having an opinion when it comes to pop-stars. I’d be in permanent shock.
05 Dec at 9:52 pm
I wasn’t being intentionally harsh, just pointing out a fact :p
06 Dec at 12:47 am
Gosh, what’s the big deal with celeb-bashing? Specially the ones like Brit, Paris, Lindsay (although I do like LL, I wish she’d get her shit together)… they act up in public and they expect to be treated respectfully? They expect not to get verballed by every blogger around? What’s with that? They’re making circus acts of themselves, and they’re hardly doing it at home/behind locked doors/behind drawn curtains. Geez. Criticise all you want. It saves the rest of us from thinking ;)