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What up?
I don't have a lot for you guys today--but something did happen a couple days ago I wanted to share:
Now I wanna start with a little disclaimer: I generally do my best to ignore trolls of any shape or form. The purpose of this article is not to bemoan the actions of an online individual seemingly bereft of class, but to celebrate the noble and completely unsolicited act of one of this blog's friends.
It's Tuesday, and Rob has posted yet another piece concerning the forthcoming film, Tron Legacy. If you've spent any kind of time at TR, then you know that Mr. Bricken is beyond obssessed with this movie, and you know that a considerable number of Topless Roboteers count themselves as Tron fans.
So, given these facts, it's clear that were one to post a remark in the comments section for such an article on such a website that read simply: "Tron is Stupid", you'd encounter numerous voices of dissent, yes? Are we all on the same page so far?
I'm not going to transcribe the whole of the hullabaloo this comment ignited--see for yourself at the link above if you are so inclined.
So why do I care--why did I involve myself in the trollish exploits of such a being? Sure, I disagreed with the person, but I wouldn't have begrudged him or her their right to express an opinion. Tron is popular, to be sure, but a signifigant number of people(even felllow nerds)simply do not care for it. So what?
If the man had said nothing else, then I'd be wracking my brain for something else to write about. Instead, after a few posters predictably took issue with his statement--he back-pedaled. He attempted to offer a bit more of a reasoned argument against the movie, and even threw in some good points to mitigate things.
This sort of thing pisses me off to no end--if you insist on making insipid and hateful remarks, at least have the integrity to stick by them! And no--going back over and attempting to polish your turd of a statement with more mature and sensible language does NOT magically make it disappear!
Right here is where I stuck my nose in. All I did was ask why he couldn't have lead off with the more rational statement he was later forced to fall back on. It was not his opinions, but his chosen method of expressing them that we were taking issue with. I also wondered why, if the article's topic was something he obviously disliked, he didn't hold his tongue until something that actually interested him was posted.
These queries obviously failed to thrill him--his response was that since this a comments section, not a discussion board, his comment would stand: then he repeated it(in case anyone had forgotten, I guess).
I don't understand what the comments section vs. discussion board difference has to do with anything: I'd be hard pressed to explain precisely what that difference is. People were making statements, other people were responding to them, some would agree--some would disagree...if that's not a discussion, then what is?
Oh, and he couldn't leave it at that--he decided to make it personal by adding that Dune is also stupid. I had to laugh at this: How arrogant do you have to be to imagine that your opinion has the power to upset, offend, even hurt complete strangers?
I don't care what reviewers and literary scholars think of Dune, but I'm supposed get my knickers in a twist when some anonymous douchenozzle on the internet insults it?
Oh, and for the finishing touch, he ended his little tirade by calling me "Atreides", you know, in the theatrical, pseudo-threatening manner that you use when calling someone by solely their last name.
Oh no! my fictional online family name has been besmirched!
I didn't respond to any of this--in fact, the only thing about the situation that was truly offensive was the notion that I could be so easily baited.
But I didn't have to respond anyway: Enter rickicker.
His response I will now recount in full (spelling, punctuation, and cases have all been preserved from the original)
i see you trolling around/on the peeps i love
so i said/fuck you! (ooh ooh ooh)
i guess your momma didn't teach you manners and tact
so really/fuck you and uh, fuck her too!
said if i was bricken/i'd ban your ass, yeah
ain't that some shit? (ain't that some shit?)
and though there's pain in my chest/i still wish you the best
with a/FUCK YOU! (ooh ooh ooh)
Has a kind of poetry to it, hmm?
God/Goddess/Krom/Bob/Robot Ninja Jesus bless you Rick, for sinking to this asshole's level.
After this--the discussion(oh, excuse me: the COMMENTS)ended.
ALL HAIL RICKICKER--THE MIGHTY TROLLSLAYER!!
Scooter The Grateful
