Putting It Out There

Well having a public blog is putting it out there in the universe and it is something I have chosen to do. I have commented earlier that I don't always write as much as I want about certain things so as not to make my family and friends uncomfortable if I broach a subject that is sensitive to them. I have however always tried to be honest about how I feel.

I sort of have forgotten that anyone can read my blog and comment, I chose to set it up that way rather than moderate the comments by approving them first. Comments I have received so far have been supportive of what I am saying and in some cases I have received support from total strangers which while at first was a little confronting has been very encouraging and gratifying. It is nice to know someone out there reads what you write and makes a connection.

I was therefore surprised to come home last night and find an Anonymous comment that clearly included an insult. Now what I find frustrating is that whoever wrote this comment did not get what I was writing about at all and showed their ignorance by their closing remark (insult). The rest of their comment I considered righteous after all it could be seen that I was publicly crying about something that was said - I didn't write it with that intent but it could be read that way. And maybe I should toughen up and learn to laugh at myself but this particular person's comment won't inspire me to do that as they chose to hide behind being Anonymous.
Just in case other people also don't understand what I was writing about I will explain a little more here.

The Another Boycott post was my attempt to try and explain how I feel hurt by other people's ridicule when they tell fat jokes. It was also because if people who have a public following - like Botica's Bunch continue to enforce the myth that all fat people are fat because they eat too much then the general public think it is gospel too.

I believe strongly that people in the media need to be very careful of what they say and what they do as unfortunately they have more influence on the common people than they should have. I am often horrified when I hear people say things like but I saw it on "insert TV show name" or I read it in "insert paper/magazine name" or I heard it on "insert radio station name" so it must be true. When did we become a race of people that was so gullible. Sure if you hear, read or see something that peaks your curiosity go and research it and find out more but don't just take it as gospel because the media told you so - how many times do opinions and facts seem to change and how many times does the media get it wrong and bury their retractions somewhere deep in their papers or news broadcasts?

Maybe I don't have a sense of humour like the rest of the world but I also don't like jokes that target a persons race, hair colour, sexuality and so on. There are ways to tell jokes without putting other people down.

Anonymous raised the point that that the teller of the jokes that offend me is often the butt of jokes himself. What I think the Anonymous comment maker missed is that Botica's Bunch are a group of work-mates and quite possibly friends that do that friendly type of ribbing and it is part of the appeal of the show. So it is unlikely that Captain Paul would publicly cry about it because 1. he is paid to do it and 2. the camaraderie on the show means that he probably really does find what they say to him funny. After all he quite often brings up stuff so they can laugh at him - again he is paid to do that and most probably encouraged to do so as it is all about the ratings. My work-mates and I also have that same kind of sense of fun and quite often rib each other about silly things we have done in the past but it is between us and does not target anyone else.

And yes maybe I did make it a personal type of post instead of a general comment but hey that was how I felt when it was said so for me it was personal. Did I think I was being targeted deliberately by a radio announcer - of course not but it doesn't mean that my sensibilities can not be offended either on my behalf or other people I know. My post was also about my choice to turn off a radio station if I was disappointed with their content which is what I have chosen to do. So if I want to 'publicly cry' about something then that is what I will do - after all isn't that the whole point of blogging being able to be honest about how things make you feel????