Mewsings from Lowecat (aka Indianacat)

My rants, ravings, and overall 'mewsings' on life, the universe, and everything.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Somethin' Foul in the Litter Box



The 2013 Oscars are now history, and this year, the social network of Twitter was busy with commentary from the viewers.  I participated in some of the snark, mostly against the host and his way to long openin' sequence involvin' my all time not so favorite actor, William Shatner (one of the few stinkers that Canada has given us). 

I'll admit to gigglin' over the coinage of a new word, 'nippliage' on some snarky remarks about the way some dresses fit certain actresses, or of the comments made about the men.  Let's face it, we all have our opinions, eh? 

But the epitome of tasteless remarks came not from the Oscar telecast itself, but from the social networks.  Specifically, from a Twitter account called 'The Onion'.  Their twitter profile states: "America's Finest News Source." 

Well, if they are our nation's finest news source, we're in trouble, Jack. 

I'm not goin' to post the appallin' tweet that has raised quite a storm - both in support of and against - them.  The tweet was about the nine year old African American nominee for best actress this year.  They called her a word that rhymes with 'punt'. 

Now, I get a bit of a giggle out of a certain show runner/actor/writer/producer usin' that particular word on those whose pompous egos could use a deflatin'.  He's used it in the past and with my blessin'.  Because he is the father of a beautfiul little girl, and step - father to a very lovely lady, I suspect he would also be appalled at the use of such an epithet at a small child.

What's even more disturbing is that over 600 people retweeted that damn abominable tweet, and over 300 others favorited it. 

Let me repeat that for you.  Over 600 people retweeted that damn abominable tweet, and over 300 others favorited it.

I think that's just as scary as the fact that someone at 'The Onion' wrote it on the social network in the first place.

Some people tried to defend the tweet in question.  Called it satire.  A joke.  Said it was the tweeter's right to tweet what they wanted and those of us who have our drawers in a wad (theoretically speakin') needed to get a life. 

OK, I'll grant y'all, there is that Constitutional right to both the freedom of speech, and the freedom of the press.  However, with freedom comes certain responsibility.  Freedom of speech doesn't mean you can stand up in a crowded theatre and holler out 'FIRE!' for shits and giggles.  There damn well better be a frackin' fire.  There is the responsibility to report the facts of a story - not one person's idea of what a story is or how it should be slanted.  You can't print lies and expect to hide behind freedom of the press.  You eventually get your ass sued. 

So yes, whoever the racially biased, ignorant, intolerant, crazy assed person at The Onion who wrote that abominable tweet has the freedom to harbor hatred for persons of color, religion, sexual preference, etc.  As a person, that writer has the freedom to spout his/her/its' filth.  Where the person drew the line was postin' the filth behind the so - called protection of the fourth estate.  Whether on line or in print, what that person did was WRONG.  Dead wrong.

It's not just that the writer attacked a child of African American descent.  It's that the writer attacked a CHILD, period.  IMO, the writer is as guilty of child abuse as the person who beats a child unmercifully and/or sexually abuses a child.   It was not funny, it was not satire, it was not humorous.  It was foul.  It was filthy.  And no amount of buryin' it is gonna get rid of the stink.

I never followed 'The Onion'.  Never read it on line.  They have a Facebook page and a website.  Never been there.  If you go lookin' for the particular tweet, you probably won't find it under their name.  As Judge Judy has said many times before, once it's out on the world wide web, it's there.  After all, 300 people favorited it, over 600 retweeted it to their followers.  It's there.  And it will stay there.

I really doubt that the men who fought for our freedom in the 1770s ever intended for us to sink that low.