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I don't know what to make of rhetoric, either from the right or the left, I still think that it sort of just distills down to people need to get themselves centered personally, not politically, just spiritually, I guess.
I still believe in old school ideas like personal responsibility etc etc. I'm a little surprised at humanity at times, I never really got the idea of group think. Wasn't part of my character, I guess.
Concepts like mass formation psychosis and things along those lines, whether from the right or left just isn't something that I would ever succumb to.
You can scream at me all day about "the gays" are ruining society or whatever else you wanna say negative about that crowd, I'm going to think my thoughts, and it's a shame that so many people can be manipulated so what appears to be easily.
Cults and cult like thinking seem to affect a certain amount of people. Back in the late 90s I dabble around a bit in scientology. I saw that it was a money-making scam pretty quickly and ducked out. That group has every marker and checks every box off on what a cult is.
Leah Remini is doing a great job of exposing them.
Yeah, I do not see any of this as being as simple and basic as a gun problem. It's more a perfect storm of factors X, Y and Z all coming together within a given individual and *ka-blooie!*
But I really do believe that there are people being influenced with intent, from the fringes of American political talk-spaces, into more radical positions than they might otherwise hold. The question of "mental health" is not merely one of brain chemistry gone haywire. People can be...brainwashed, I guess.
I recently watched a "web of lies"-style series on Netflix, and one of the talking head experts was talking about how the media portrays threats to America as coming from outside in the form of terrorism, or even immigration. But really, the call is coming from inside the house. There are all kinds of dark corners of the internet where Americans are soaking up these radical ideas and seeing fellow citizens as the enemy.
Like I guess my energy with a lot of the fringe-y types and the hollering about this and that, and the over the top attention seeking and all the backlashes to backlashes...
I've got the "Mom who just does not have the energy for bullcrap today" vibe going on. Wanna be like...
Put that down!
Stop yelling!
Quit pulling your brother's hair!
Everybody shush, sit down, have a snack, and stop fighting!
But it's kinda, story of my life, and all. Being the only calm person in a hurricane of chaos. (Thanks, mom!) Just wishing everybody had some sort of inner understanding of a need to "act right"...meaning, kind, calm, respectful, reasonable... Something like that. If that makes any sort of sense at all?
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
41,936 posts, read 36,995,252 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by fleetiebelle
I recently watched a "web of lies"-style series on Netflix, and one of the talking head experts was talking about how the media portrays threats to America as coming from outside in the form of terrorism, or even immigration. But really, the call is coming from inside the house. There are all kinds of dark corners of the internet where Americans are soaking up these radical ideas and seeing fellow citizens as the enemy.
People are looking for things to be angry about, and people want to belong. If they can find belonging in their anger, that can be a powerful force.
It blows my mind people get angry about a drag brunch, or even a drag story hour. Like, playing dress up and having some entertainment is worth being angry about?
I'd feel really bad for these types, if some weren't so dangerous.
I recently watched a "web of lies"-style series on Netflix, and one of the talking head experts was talking about how the media portrays threats to America as coming from outside in the form of terrorism, or even immigration. But really, the call is coming from inside the house. There are all kinds of dark corners of the internet where Americans are soaking up these radical ideas and seeing fellow citizens as the enemy.
I think we always have had a certain block of society that is paranoid, view others as the enemy. I think the web and social media just sort of exposes these people and or allows them to create their own echo chambers to reaffirm their thinking.
People are looking for things to be angry about, and people want to belong. If they can find belonging in their anger, that can be a powerful force.
It blows my mind people get angry about a drag brunch, or even a drag story hour. Like, playing dress up and having some entertainment is worth being angry about?
I'd feel really bad for these types, if some weren't so dangerous.
I think that it is more accurate to say that it's a trigger.
Finding a way to feel secure raising kids (which is scary and difficult these days, I mean, it was emotionally brutal when I was doing it, and mine are in their 20s now)... It is so hard to keep them off the internet, to create a place that seems safe from really egregious adult content. And the thing is, if you just let 'em see it like it won't do any harm, what happens is those kids go to school, they blab, before you know it, you've got teachers and admin breathing down your neck...
Little story for ya. My kids were in middle school and I let them watch a movie called, "Your Highness." It is full of really crass stuff, but I figured that some references would go over their heads, and adolescent boys could handle (and appreciate) the potty humor. Both of my sons were old enough that I'd had "the talk" with them, so it wasn't as though they were wee little children.
My younger kid, in school on Monday, was trying to make some other kids laugh and while the teacher was speaking with her back turned, he made the dismissive, "jerking off" gesture with his hand. One of the kids told on him, and he was hauled up to the office and suspended for a week, for SEXUAL HARASSMENT. Explaining his intent and the source of the gesture did not help one bit. He was humiliated. The other kids spread rumors for months that he was actually "touching himself" in class (which he wasn't.) His older brother, wise azz that he is, said that he should have argued that he was making a "rolling dice" gesture. Wow. If only my younger son was that quick witted at the time, but by then, too late.
That's what can happen to kids if parents don't try to "shelter" them. Guess it could have been worse, as I wasn't accused of "grooming" him and CPS did not come to the house.
It is terrifying to be a parent. So much is out of your control. And all you want is for your kids to be happy and healthy and OK.
When someone is triggered, it means that there was a whole buildup of emotional or psychological STUFF, layers and layers of it, that they are just trying to cope with...and then something, even something that doesn't seem like it should be a big deal maybe, comes along and just sets the whole thing off. So the issue goes way, way beyond drag queen events but it's just a focal point for all of this fear and uncertainty that frankly...is understandable for a lot of people, conservatives, or just those who want a wholesome space to raise kids in.
I know, no one has to take a kid to such a thing. I know, they are not being groomed and I'm sure that at least at most of those events they aren't twerking, stripping or singing vulgar songs probably (actually I'm not sure, but I suspect)... But the thing is, what is a GOOD purpose for inviting kids into adult entertainment spaces? Is it trans and non binary inclusivity and visibility? I don't think so. I don't see a good reason for it and the only motive I can think of is to provoke conflict. It is "edgy" behavior in my opinion.
I don't think that we need more conflict provoked right now. I think that we've got too many edgelords egging it on to begin with.
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sonic_Spork
But the thing is, what is a GOOD purpose for inviting kids into adult entertainment spaces?
I can't think of one. I also can't think of an example of that happening. The drag brunches here are in bars/pubs that cater to 21+ crowds. They aren't spaces for kids. Now drag is just dress up and perfoming in character (and performances, of drag queens at least, in adult clubs I find are rarely vulgar (drag kings tend to be, but in a humorous way)). Drag queen story time is just playing dress up and reading stories in character, there isn't anything adult or sexual at all about it (some people seem to want to make everything about sex though).
It seems though some people conflate drag with trans, and people conflate those with TVs. Three different things entirely.
I really think if you tried to remove everything anyone out there wants to find offensive, they'll just find something else to be offended by. There is no placating the perpetually angry.
I guess I'm also thankful that my nephews just didn't deal with all the stuff online. There were no TVs in the house, and internet was limited and for education only. Both have turned out remarkably well and the oldest got a free ride at a very good masters program.
Increasing engagement is how companies make money online. In practice, that means getting people worked up. There is a reason all of the titles on places like youtube talk about how X destroys Y. or humiliates Z. The companies have figured out how to monetize getting people angry. The online sites intentionally promote context to get you angry to drive engagement.
Yes there is a lot of people with mental health issues. Yes there is a lot of guns in the country. Yes, how people use the internet is a problem. If you combine all three of those factors, there are going to be problems.
I can't think of one. I also can't think of an example of that happening. The drag brunches here are in bars/pubs that cater to 21+ crowds. They aren't spaces for kids.
I guess I'm also thankful that my nephews just didn't deal with all the stuff online. There were no TVs in the house, and internet was limited and for education only. Both have turned out remarkably well and the oldest got a free ride at a very good masters program.
This was one of an increasing number of events that is marketed (in all caps) as an ALL AGES event.
When I started seeing a certain poster losing their mind about it in P&OC I went to the websites of some of the bars in other states that were the source of such angst, to see what the event was and they, too, were advertising "all ages" and "family friendly" drag events. Some of those places are pub style bars where they serve food, which are usually all ages during the day, but drag shows are traditionally adult entertainment.
Club Q is a nightclub style bar, though. Not a pub where they typically have food and all ages stuff during the day, as far as I was aware.
I mean I am ALL FOR adult entertainment, I love it, but for real the last thing I want to see if I go to partake of some, is somebody's underage kids in the crowd. I even get upset about little kids at GWAR shows, which I have seen...added element to the degeneracy in the stage show being a bunch of unruly drunk adults in a moshpit, I just don't think that 6 year olds belong there, yet people bring them.
I've pointed out in some of those conversations, there are tons of things that kids are "exposed" to by parents making certain choices, that I do not agree with and find inappropriate. But nothing gets these folks all riled up like THIS does.
Which I really think has been an intersection of gender identity being the "kids shocking their parents by experimenting with weird ideas" du jour...and various sources of media and talk convincing people that it's a whole "liberal agenda" thing. But I strongly believe that a lot of the prodding to outrage goes beyond engagement algorithms, into the realms of deliberate propaganda...there have been totally open admissions from Russia that they are doing this. And on Facebook, everything from posts from Biden's own page, to news articles, the comments sections are lousy with foreign trolls.
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
41,936 posts, read 36,995,252 times
Reputation: 40635
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sonic_Spork
This was one of an increasing number of events that is marketed (in all caps) as an ALL AGES event.
When I started seeing a certain poster losing their mind about it in P&OC I went to the websites of some of the bars in other states that were the source of such angst, to see what the event was and they, too, were advertising "all ages" and "family friendly" drag events. Some of those places are pub style bars where they serve food, which are usually all ages during the day, but drag shows are traditionally adult entertainment.
Club Q is a nightclub style bar, though. Not a pub where they typically have food and all ages stuff during the day, as far as I was aware.
I mean I am ALL FOR adult entertainment, I love it, but for real the last thing I want to see if I go to partake of some, is somebody's underage kids in the crowd. I even get upset about little kids at GWAR shows, which I have seen...added element to the degeneracy in the stage show being a bunch of unruly drunk adults in a moshpit, I just don't think that 6 year olds belong there, yet people bring them.
I've pointed out in some of those conversations, there are tons of things that kids are "exposed" to by parents making certain choices, that I do not agree with and find inappropriate. But nothing gets these folks all riled up like THIS does.
Which I really think has been an intersection of gender identity being the "kids shocking their parents by experimenting with weird ideas" du jour...and various sources of media and talk convincing people that it's a whole "liberal agenda" thing. But I strongly believe that a lot of the prodding to outrage goes beyond engagement algorithms, into the realms of deliberate propaganda...there have been totally open admissions from Russia that they are doing this. And on Facebook, everything from posts from Biden's own page, to news articles, the comments sections are lousy with foreign trolls.
Well it is completely understandable how drag events can be family friendly. If the songs and banter (or stories) are family friendly, the event is, inherently.
There isn't anything inherently adult about dressing up and playing a character, which is what drag queens and drag kings do. It has nothing to do with sexual identity and gender identity.
I only think people equate it to a sexual thing since it is disproportionally made up of actors and actresses from the qu**r community. So, if it comes primarily from that community, it must be "adult" or "sexual" in nature (yet they would never say that of something that came from a hetero community).
I also, again, think people conflate drag performances, trans individuals, and TVs with each other, despite their being very different at their core.
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