“This country is run by asshole lawyers, and it’s citizens have become half-assed paralegals”- Me.
How does that statement translate into comic books? It does, as it trickles down to every aspect of culture and has become the dangerous norm. We have become super-glued to ideologies in every corner. I belong to a political group on FaceBook, and I can only go there about once a week lest I should stay apoplectic. I’m a centrist who picks and chooses from every camp what I think is relevant and what’s hogwash. I’ve been called a socialist, a right winger, a racist, a race-baiter, a liberal, and a fanatic on the same page and some of these instances have been from people who totally agreed with me the last time we were threaded together. It’s a dubious honor, to say the least. Everyone seems to fear that any microscopic change in any area of their beliefs, even when totally shut down with cited facts and records, equals total defection from their group to it’s opposite. That keeps any progress from happening and reinforces our polarity problem. We’ve been taught by the powers that be that it’s good vs. evil, and remember, these are lawyers, taught to fight and win at ALL costs. Adhering to the entire platform is usually going to involve swallowing a lie, or becoming hypocritical to that person’s deeper held beliefs.
This sad state is something I see every day in comic communities. Opinions are great, and should always be considered. Corrections are fine too, if done politely. What I’m seeing more and more of is total dismissal of all of the above, and the manners that should go with them. I had to stop reading articles from sites like Newsarama and Comic Book Resources. I enjoy a lot of things from both, but as soon as I see them in my feed the comments I see are usually just pure venom, and if I click the reply button, I see even worse. I had to form my own comic group to avoid it. I want to talk about something I love with others who do the same. My guidelines are clear in regards to snark, trolling, and personal attacks (the last refuge of an argument loser). Yes, we get heated and passionate, but the line is seldom if ever crossed. Anyone being genuinely attacking of another member personally= immediate expulsion. Therein are some who are glued to a side that won’t let go for dear life. I’ve presented postings to more than one group, and had people attack it in seconds of it’s appearance, showing me they didn’t even read what I said. It’s further evidenced by the fact that their response is actually tackled in the piece. They’re not using my words and presenting a case against them, they’re arguing the impetus for them. This is what I’m talking about. No one is listening in a lot of cases, they just want to slam down a heavy handed (and sometimes very flimsy) POV that’s not even an opinion any more, it’s a platform. Worse, slamming someone for merely liking something happens too, a thing that really can’t be argued against. What’s bad is, it’s going full blown and we are ALL fostering it in these situations.
People are getting DEATH THREATS for comic related issues. Dan Slott, Ben Affleck, and Marguerite Bennet have all been targets in recent times. I don’t like Bennet’s interpretation of Lobo, but it’s hers and I merely disagree with it. I promise you, I don’t wish her a second of hardship or pain; I don’t even KNOW this person, and I certainly wouldn’t risk incarceration to scare her. People are risking their own freedom over COMIC BOOKS. This is some sick and serious stuff, right here. I work in mental health and I can say that this is possibly related, but not conclusively. It might be a component of borderline personality, bipolar disorder, or the like, OR it could be the product of a life poorly spent. I’m not at all saying comics are a waste of time, obviously. I just don’t think they should be the crux of anyone’s existence. They are designed for leisure, a hobby, if you will. I’ve known people who’ve boxed themselves in with TV, comics and the like to avoid the world. It’s an option, but it rarely leads to anything more than despair. We need to socialize and be a part of something bigger. These sad souls are not, I’d wager.
I place some of the blame on all of us, and our fusing with social media. I’m a big ol’ sheep, no denying it. The main danger of the beast is the fact that too many people are afraid that if they don’t respond to something in a nano-second, they will be lost. Buried in a thread, the poster leaving, someone else speaking up before them and potentially making the point before they do, etc. all make for thoughtless and knee-jerky reactions. If something blasts at me in a thread or post, I tend to walk away and meditate on it. Why does it bother me? Is it important? Do I really even disagree, or did it push my buttons because it spoke a fearful truth to me? I’ve actually confessed to myself and the inciter when this has occurred. I’d rather ‘fess up than live with a lie. This type of immediate and thoughtless banter is what fuels unnecessary rage and ire. Everyone’s a fighter when they don’t have to look at the enemy in the eye. Keyboards and satellites make everyone a cushion of bravado. That said, we are reaching a disgusting level of deceitful outrage and we’re seeing a repugnant outgrowth. I rant a lot on this blog, but I promise you, I’m not enraged to the capacity that it ever interferes with anything else, sleep included. After all, we’re discussing lines on paper and moving pictures, damn it. At the end of the day, that’s it.
Are you finding yourself losing sleep over comics and movies? Are you getting so worked up you can’t focus on, or even cultivate real life things? Do you wish you could actually hurt or do harm to people you don’t even know over pop culture? Then STOP. NOW. Step away and re-calibrate. Seriously, get help. Try going for a long walk and shutting down your thoughts; put on a set of earbuds if it helps. Consider going on a fast. No social media or comic reading for a while. I’ve done this before, and it’s refreshing. You might even find you don’t really miss them, and there are other things that stimulate you in a way you’ve lost touch with, and that is okay. I’ve done it and came back much later with new fervor. A cold, hard fact of life is that when you face real tragedy or the imminent threat of your own life ending, comics will probably vanish from importance in your life, and you need to be aware of that. I doubt anyone reading this is at the brink of death threats, but we all have a hand in this. Like every other body, we have a lunatic fringe. When we get so vitriolic, we further rile them. I see it happen in political situations often, where an objective argument starts drawing a lynch-mob mentality by the end. When someone starts going in a threatening direction on a digital platform, an administrator should be notified like quick-fast.
Comic nerds and pop-geeks are already burdened with a stigmatic image. I hate it that people who don’t know me think I weigh-in at 400 lbs., wear sewn together bedsheets, and live in a dark basement. This whole broad affair is dragging us down further. We need to do all we can and not help it manifest more. If you see yourself making hateful comments or arguing excessively, STEP BACK and think before you say. You can always tag your target later, when you’re cooler and have a logical argument with a sound platform. If you don’t have one, just sit this one out. No one has to horn in on everything and be the voice of dissent. If someone says something you don’t like at first, then decide they have a point, let them know- that’s inciting positive CHANGE and being a role model. We need that, trust me. Free the Nerds!!!
DON’T BAG AND BOX YOUR FEELINGS- COMMENT/COMPLAIN/DISCUSS. I LIKE TO GAB WITH MY READERS. THANKS!
Saving Wonder Woman 