Nine Stupidest Things People Like to Say in Defense of Hateful “Humor”

Relax, it’s only art.

I continue my frustrated “Stupid Things People Like to Say” series. Today’s entry: stupid things people like to say in defense of bigotry, especially bigoted “humor”. My post focuses on anti-Semitism, but I think a lot of what I say here is applicable to other forms of bigotry as well.

10 Feel-Bad Quotes For Your Friday

The Internet is full of quote lists. All of them, absolutely all, are feel-good quotes. Turn to Google whenever you need an infusion of self-esteem or self-pity, and you will get thousands of cavity-inducing blurbs about the importance of loving yourself and giving yourself more credit for being you. If you’ve read my blog, you know how I feel about that crap. Not only do I despise feel-goodism, I mostly hate quotes too. Many are apocryphal, and many more are torn out of context and applied to situations that the author did not even remotely have in mind when he wrote the words. However, I do have some favorite passages from great literature. And so, today, I am offering a heady espresso to go with the sugary confection that are inspirational quotes. The passages below are unlikely to inspire self-admiration or enthusiasm, but they are guaranteed to inspire thought. I offer them with brief commentaries. Enjoy.

A Belated Mothers’ Day Wish

Volga barge haulers: they had it easy.

Here is what I want: I want people to stop saying that motherhood is “the toughest job”. For the record — I am a mother. I especially want people to stop saying that stay-at-home motherhood is “the toughest job”. For the record — I am not a SAHM.

“Stupid” Is The Least Of It

So this Dutch 14-year-old got herself arrested for tweeting a terrorist threat at American Airlines. Copycats inevitably followed, because the world is apparently full of people who think that the worst thing about such tweets is that they are “stupid jokes”.

Why I Won’t Use Facebook (And You Shouldn’t Either)

Image by Salvatore Vuono

Every criticism of Facebook’s effect on privacy that I have come across begins and ends with how individuals use or – arguably – misuse it. I believe that is a wrong way to look at the issue. Rather, the discussion should proceed from an acknowledgement of what Facebook is designed to do, what its intended purpose is and, consequently, how its technical features influence user behavior. It is not that I have a problem with how people – users and those “interested” in users – employ the Facebook system. Rather, I see massive problems with the concept of Internet-based social networking in general, which boil down to a renunciation of Western society’s most cherished liberties in return for benefits that are at best nebulous and, more realistically, illusory.