Blogcritics: Comments on I murdered my stereotype...

Comment by Eric Olsen

Tue, 19 Aug 2003 14:37:05 EDT

"Multimedea" - clever, D

Comment by Dew

Tue, 19 Aug 2003 14:15:30 EDT

Thanx Mac Diva, I'm the new kid on the block still learning here, but my blog is: multimedea.blogspot.com

Comment by Al Barger

Tue, 19 Aug 2003 01:48:31 EDT

Miss Diva- How exactly am I being insensitive? I've been trying to reach out and spread a little sunshine here. How am I insulting you here in particular? I don't remember ever personally insulting you. Nobody likes me. Everybody hates me. I think I'm gonna eat a worm.

Comment by Natalie Davis

Tue, 19 Aug 2003 01:22:07 EDT

Thanks, MD!

Comment by Mac Diva

Tue, 19 Aug 2003 01:04:37 EDT

Al: Shut up! (Actually, the guy is okay when he sticks to writing humor or about entertainment. But if insensitivity were a crime, he would be behind bars.) Dew, what is your blog? I want to read it and possibly add it to my blogroll. Natalie and Brian, you've been added. (Meant to do it sooner, but Blogrolling.com has been locking me out lately. Has to do with having two blogs. Sometimes it will not recognize either.) I do have Right Wingers on my blogroll, too. I may add Al if he goes without insulting me for a week. (But, can he?)

Comment by Natalie Davis

Tue, 19 Aug 2003 00:08:50 EDT

Smashing stereotypes is all about standing up and rocking the boat. (Get it? Guys and Dolls? "And the people all said siddown / Siddown, you're rocking the boat...")

Comment by Al Barger

Mon, 18 Aug 2003 23:08:19 EDT

You and me incognito roaming loose in the countryside, reaching out to the freak community- I just don't see how any boats possibly get rocked that way...

Comment by Natalie Davis

Mon, 18 Aug 2003 18:42:15 EDT

Um, OK. But boat-rocking is mandatory.

Comment by Al Barger

Mon, 18 Aug 2003 17:44:47 EDT

Perhaps when you come we can have a missionary freak pride parade in Brookville. I'm seeing a really decadent version of the Salvation Army band from Guys and Dolls. We can conjure up a few loose goths and assorted freaks. The old man's gun trading buddies can ride shotgun. This would certainly be the social event of the season.

Comment by Natalie Davis

Mon, 18 Aug 2003 17:36:02 EDT

I live to wave my freak flag wide and high.

Comment by Al Barger

Mon, 18 Aug 2003 17:31:16 EDT

Miss Natalie, you probably wouldn't quite 100% "blend in" out here- that's kind of the joke, see. Let our freak flags fly side by side, though, I say. Farmers, lock up your goats! We could go out and sing Elvis Costello songs together. I'm seeing you and me at the local Pentecostal church singing "Peace, Love and Understanding."

Comment by Natalie Davis

Mon, 18 Aug 2003 17:14:17 EDT

Who wants to blend in? Not I.

Comment by Al Barger

Mon, 18 Aug 2003 17:07:21 EDT

I don't know about all your big city words like "sophisticated" and "inarticulate," but I'm sure that a visit from a brown lesbian evangelist would make life in Franklin county more interesting. Come on in. The water's fine!

Comment by Eric Olsen

Mon, 18 Aug 2003 16:50:38 EDT

I will say I thought Al was trying to be friendly in his jolly ribbing manner, and please recall, crackers are stereotyped as stupid and inarticulate every bit as much as people of color - more so amongst the "sophisticated."

Comment by Dawn

Mon, 18 Aug 2003 16:47:59 EDT

Now Al, you know that people can take things out of context from time to time. Let's not get bent out of shape. I am sure most of us know you are a nice Hoosier and want to give us all a big old smooch. Am I right? You can plant it right *here*.

Comment by Al Barger

Mon, 18 Aug 2003 16:30:55 EDT

Damn it, I've commited another hate crime! People need to lighten up. How did you get something mean or not nice from my comments? "honesty in how we feel about ourselves and others coupled with an open-mind" Yeah, right- as long as that "honesty" is of the most pure-bred and self-censoring PC variety. If you can't accept a tiny bit of gentle and affectionate ribbing from me without getting all bent out of shape, then you're certainly not looking for honesty. Friends poke and prod one another on the playground. That's normal. If you want to join in our reindeer games, then you need to accept that. If you think this little tent revival riff was somehow mean, then you'd lose your mind to hear how my close partners talk to one another just by way of being friendly. Didn't you ever watch South Park? Where did this Debbie chick get that I was making a "personal attack" or asking for the government to "protect" me from Natalie? I publicly invited her to my home, and to use my home as a staging area for her religious beliefs. How exactly do you manage to get hostility out of this? Miss Natalie, I'd be most pleased to host you down on the farm. I don't know about really having a tent revival, but I'd be happy to go to as many local churches with you as you like, of whatever denomination. You might would have your hands full, however, just trying to save MY soul. "Cracker" does not have any negative connotations with me. Feel free to use the term if you like. Now if someone is obviously piling on other words to make an unmistakably hostile statement, I might tell them to get bent- but that's something else entirely. It's not obvious to me why "cracker" would even be considered insulting. I can understand how black folk, for example, might find it difficult to be that magnanimous with accepting some corollary terms with good humor; there's different history involved. Still, you'll be happier and blend in more if you don't choose to take grave insult from every comment that could even conceivably be interpreted in a negative manner.

Comment by Natalie Davis

Mon, 18 Aug 2003 16:15:32 EDT

Here's to all of us "becoming something better."

Comment by Dew

Mon, 18 Aug 2003 15:31:33 EDT

'honesty in how we feel about ourselves and others coupled with an open-mind can make a world of difference in being "who you are" and becoming something better altogether.' could not have said it better...

Comment by Dawn

Mon, 18 Aug 2003 14:54:04 EDT

Dew, After my latest gaff for which I feel truly bad about being perceived as anti-Semitic, I thought that was a really great piece to read. It made me kind of tear up for a variety of reasons and honestly, honesty in how we feel about ourselves and others coupled with an open-mind can make a world of difference in being "who you are" and becoming something better altogether. Thanks!!! And Al, will you just be nice already?

Comment by Natalie Davis

Mon, 18 Aug 2003 13:30:18 EDT

I was not going to comment further, but I am a masochist, apparently: Mr. Barger, not once did I indicate that presumptuous and insulting comments come from any particular societal categorization of people. Bigotry comes in all hues. As for my ministry, I do quite a bit of work devoted to helping poor people, not by preaching, but by providing food and skills training in a Christian setting. (I follow the truism of showing Christianity by showing love.) As for crackers, I define them as Merrian-Webster does: "thin crisp wafer[s] made of flour and water with or without leavening and shortening; unsweetened or semisweet." Since you insist upon referring to yourself thusly, I will have to assume that you are of the unsweetened variety.

Comment by Debbie

Mon, 18 Aug 2003 13:06:22 EDT

Hey, Al Barger, how nice of you to come forward with a personal attack. All we need in America is yet another sheep who thinks the government should protect him from all the scary people with different skin colors or belief systems.

Comment by Al Barger

Mon, 18 Aug 2003 00:30:13 EDT

Miss Natalie, our souls need saving and our grammar needs improving. Us crackers is among the most wicked, sinful oppressors ever. Come on, love thy neighbor. We're crying out for help. If'n you like, we could pitch a big tent and call a revival at the Barger farm. I would be pleased to have you preaching in my yard.

Comment by Natalie Davis

Sun, 17 Aug 2003 21:01:41 EDT

"Agree to Disagree" is my middle name. I have gotten to the point where insults and belittlement are unacceptable. I will deal with people civilly, but allowing things that upset me to slide by is no longer an option. I am too old and have put up with far too much.

Comment by Dew

Sun, 17 Aug 2003 20:53:02 EDT

I agree Corinna, I should have just told them and I was wrong for allowing him to continue to be defensive for no reason. I now make it a point to be more pro-active. Mac Diva, It has been countless times when I have used words with more than two syllables and I hear the whispers about how I am showing off, when all I am trying to do is relay a complete thought. Although it took 20 years to come to this conclusion, I finally reached it: Screw'em! I now understand its a compliment when people become upset with you for carrying your self with a level of intellect. Natalie, I agree: just ignore Al! (lol) I also agree that boxes should be kept to themselves. I can appreciate your point of view, but dont try to force me to share your beliefs. I am more than happy to present my side of the story and if we can not find common ground, we can always agree, simply to disagree. It's okay to have difference of opinion. Thanks for the comments!

Comment by Eric Olsen

Sun, 17 Aug 2003 20:39:55 EDT

Thanks very much Dew - I think the best any of us can do to fight stereotyping is to be the best we can be for ourselves, never constrain our range of interests, never ever dumb ourselves down, never be ashamed to be who we are when we are most happy. I thank you for being yourselves here, whoever you are.