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All small towns? I have no idea. My small town? Yeah, [domain blocked due to spam] is a mess. How bad? OK, just looked. Opening page for the town news site kicks up the 15 most recent forum posts. Three are trash talking the local government, includes full names and allegations of corruption, theft, marital infidelity, general stupidity, etc., etc. Two are trashing local businesses and one of those has allegations of drug abuse and STDs. Three are trashing local people and use their full names as the title of the thread and include accusations of spousal abuse, marital infidelity, drug use and sleeping with three counties. There is essentially no moderation and anonymous posting is allowed, ya get what ya get. I first heard of the site about a year ago when a lot of trash about a local election was posted on it, that's the only time I've ever heard locals actually talking about it. Most recognize it for the graffiti that it is and give it the same amount of credence that they would something scribbled on a bathroom wall.
Most places - small towns, communities, even suburbs and different sections of larger cities - are like this, believe it or not. How many folks in the 60s prayed their kids would stay away from Haight-Ashbury? How many times have you heard the euphemism "wrong side of the tracks" or "it's ghetto" "liberal' or 'right-wing' or even 'gay-friendly' or 'gun totin bible-thumpers' ascribed to certain areas of a town or city? Or even whole towns or states?
There is always an element of 'pink monkey syndrome' where the odd or different people stand out, are criticized and gossiped about. There are always people who prefer character assassination to offering friendship; they usually do it because their self-esteem is so low that the only way to improve it is to insult, lie about, or gossip about other people to make themselves look good to others or feel all better about themselves.
My DH and I have a very unique relationship. We are completely independent people; in my several careers my customers and associates (most of them male) frequently did not even know I was married. This has given rise to gossip and slander about me having sex with various associates and business partners (EUWWWW!), dating them, etc. One man actually went up to my husband (in one of the few times we were out together) and shook his hand and said loudly, grinning, "YOU're married to HER? I'm so sorry for you!" My DH looked at him and said, coolly and equally loudly, "I'm not." The tables were turned, and DH turned his back pointedly on the spluttering bully as everyone laughed.
Most people don't understand that by getting angry and resentful, that when they feel the desperate need to repetitively deny accusations and defend themselves, they only feed the gossip and rumors. We made jokes about it; we refused to be manipulated or coerced into changing our lifestyles because of it. Bullies go after those who are or whom thay can make afraid; people whom they cannot intimidate - or who are perfectly capable of making the bullies look like exactly what they are, insecure and laughable - the bullies learn to leave alone.
With all of the people who are into emotional-drama shows like Bridezillas, American Idol, Jersey Shore, and the various "Wives of" - many people think that their lives have to be full of tragedy, drama, and Sturm und Drang. Their marriages, friendships, and relationships are based in drama, and they feed off of it like liquor. Those who refuse those inebriating endless gulps of publically-exposed passion, and maintain a rational and reasonable outlook, can pretty much quash or ignore the backstabbing, gossip, and upheaval that others live for.
Cause me to divorce or suicide? Not bloody likely. Although a well-placed verbal and public slap-down is not out of the question.
Well, my small town of 2400 plus is not like that.
It is basically very residential with very few restaurants to hang out at.
My neighbors is close yet far enough because every one is on at least an acre or more for most.
My neighbors are not nosy at all... just wave hi when one drives by (with or without knowing them/us).
It is not an incorporated.
Definitely not a low rent small town where the only entertainment is gossip.
Really I think it is the location one chooses to move to.
Location: Finally escaped The People's Republic of California
11,314 posts, read 8,655,159 times
Reputation: 6391
Well after surfing the website in the OP's story it sure seems like it's just loaded with bored kids....
I'd ignore it. and just do your homework as to where you are interested in living...Visit in all seasons, go to the local cafes, stop and talk to the locals....Heck once you have a location chosen, before you buy a certain house, speak to the neighbors, do a meet and greet, tell them your thinking of buying next door and see what they say.....
Just read that article. Anybody who would believe all that should be in line to buy the Brooklyn Bridge. [domain blocked due to spam] is something that needs to be coated with industrial strength Preparation H. Sure, there are people in small towns who make up lies about people around town, but, percentage wise, I bet it's no different than what people say about others in the cities. Some attorneys in Kentucky have been checking on legal action against [domain blocked due to spam].
I lived between two small towns growing up, one had 2500 people and the other maybe 500, we always knew who the town gossip was, he always sits in the front window of the diner so he can see all entrances and exits. He is so bad I played a trick on him one time because I knew it would drive him nuts. I was working in a store, he is a builder, and he was doing repairs. I left a made up note on top of the bookkeepers desk knowing he would read it. It said, he called and said not to charge nothing else for her. Because he knows she is cheating on him with you know who, and he is not going to pay for it. I did to torment him trying to figure out who was cheating with who.
People say he never works with his back to the road. Everyone in a small town like that knows who is responsible for the rumors, and they know not to trust what they say, and they are not respected by the majority of the people.
[domain blocked due to spam] in my small town is horrible-[domain blocked due to spam] in the next town 20 miles away is hardly posted on. I don't even go to [domain blocked due to spam] anymore and I do think that it is alot of highschool kids running their mouth.
I just checked [domain blocked due to spam] for my small hometown (where I used to be the editor of the newspaper, and can confirm that gossip is as alive and well as it ever was, but that most people do not particularly embrace the internet as a forum to do so...spotty internet access has something to do with it). The stuff on it is barely registering a response...everything has maybe 5 comments at most. The only thing that has a zillion comments is an article about Illinois legislature approving legalizing same-sex unions...from 2010. Nothing else garners much of a response, and there's really nothing current on it, period.
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