Chris Jericho said some really awful shit Monday night. I didn't call it out, because if I spent the entirety of my existence as a wrestling writer calling out every instance of bigotry, I'd be incredibly unhappy with writing, and I wouldn't do this blog. Calling out the major stuff like the Rock Concert or John Cena and Jerry Lawler fat-shaming Vickie Guerrero I thought was enough.
Yeah, at the time, I didn't think what he said was all that bad though. That raises an interesting problem to some people. Was I equivocating because it was my favorite or one of my favorites ever? You'd be human not to want to make excuses. Hell, I ruffled some feathers by calling out PWG, an insanely beloved company. I should have learned that lesson, but at the same time, why is it that people are so quick to call out people to point out every example of terrible shit in an attempt at gotcha arguing? That's the worst, and people who do that can, y'know, not read me and continue to live in their own bubble where women are objects with vaginas which are playthings that they can stretch like silly putty. I'm not talking about the people who just disagree with my assessments of Vickie Guerrero's treatment. I'm talking about the ones who disagree and don't want to have rational discussion. Those people can just fuck off.
But it does raise a good point about killing one's heroes, or better yet, why any of us have heroes in the entertainment business anyway. Bad is bad, no matter who does it. I still think it wasn't the worst example of WWE's misogyny on display, but to react to assholes trolling in an attempt to make it seem like I'm not intellectually honest wasn't right. The thing is though, I shouldn't give a fuck if you don't think I'm intellectually dishonest, unless you happen to have a basis for it.
The point is that I goofed by my reactions, or by even feeding the trolls in the first place. I was wrong, and I admit it. Not a whole lot of people saw it anyway, but it's really not cool to be the kind of person who thinks that just because the whole world didn't see it makes it right. If you think I'm doing this to earn brownie points with anyone, fuck off. If you think I'm doing this because you were able to goad me into admitting that you're a better person than me, especially if you think that women deserve to be called ugly hookers because she isn't up to your aesthetic ideal, fuck off.
I'm doing this because I don't think I was being a decent person in reacting to it. I don't want to be someone who isn't a decent person. I fucked up, and I'm sorry for anyone who might have felt like they weren't as worthy a person as they should have been because I condoned someone being referred to as a piece of property by someone who purports to be a good guy and someone to be cheered.
Yeah, at the time, I didn't think what he said was all that bad though. That raises an interesting problem to some people. Was I equivocating because it was my favorite or one of my favorites ever? You'd be human not to want to make excuses. Hell, I ruffled some feathers by calling out PWG, an insanely beloved company. I should have learned that lesson, but at the same time, why is it that people are so quick to call out people to point out every example of terrible shit in an attempt at gotcha arguing? That's the worst, and people who do that can, y'know, not read me and continue to live in their own bubble where women are objects with vaginas which are playthings that they can stretch like silly putty. I'm not talking about the people who just disagree with my assessments of Vickie Guerrero's treatment. I'm talking about the ones who disagree and don't want to have rational discussion. Those people can just fuck off.
But it does raise a good point about killing one's heroes, or better yet, why any of us have heroes in the entertainment business anyway. Bad is bad, no matter who does it. I still think it wasn't the worst example of WWE's misogyny on display, but to react to assholes trolling in an attempt to make it seem like I'm not intellectually honest wasn't right. The thing is though, I shouldn't give a fuck if you don't think I'm intellectually dishonest, unless you happen to have a basis for it.
The point is that I goofed by my reactions, or by even feeding the trolls in the first place. I was wrong, and I admit it. Not a whole lot of people saw it anyway, but it's really not cool to be the kind of person who thinks that just because the whole world didn't see it makes it right. If you think I'm doing this to earn brownie points with anyone, fuck off. If you think I'm doing this because you were able to goad me into admitting that you're a better person than me, especially if you think that women deserve to be called ugly hookers because she isn't up to your aesthetic ideal, fuck off.
I'm doing this because I don't think I was being a decent person in reacting to it. I don't want to be someone who isn't a decent person. I fucked up, and I'm sorry for anyone who might have felt like they weren't as worthy a person as they should have been because I condoned someone being referred to as a piece of property by someone who purports to be a good guy and someone to be cheered.
What Jericho said to AJ wasn't that bad, at least in my opinion. But what he used to call Stephanie McMahon? Yeah, that was some awful stuff.
ReplyDeleteit would have made sense if jericho was the heel and dolph was the face standing up for her. of course, one of the biggest problems with WWE writing is that all the faces are complete douchebags.
ReplyDeleteAll the faces have always been complete douchebags.
ReplyDeleteyeah, to an extent they have, but pately I find myself wondering why i'm supposed to cheer for these jerks. idk, maybe i'm the one that changed. the faces just seem really unlikable for the most part. except del rio, who's doing a good job as a nice guy.
DeleteI did not read the post you took down, and only saw some of your Twitter discussion about it, so I can only comment on this reaction to the reaction to your reaction (wait, what? THE INTERNET), but I'll react anyway (because THE INTERNET!).
ReplyDeleteI think one of the hardest things for anyone interested in any facet of social justice is to realize that 1) you can't be outraged about everything; 2) you can't save the world; 3) you can't just dismiss or despise everyone who buys into the thing you are trying to fight against. Number one just leaves you drained, and often a humorless scold who no one likes and thus no one will listen to; number two does the same, while also instilling an inevitable sense of despair and hopelessness in you; and three a lot of those people? Are friends, family, and a lot of nice people, otherwise. There are also more of them, depending on the issue, than there are of you. Plus, you know, yours is not the only valid viewpoint in the world.
Also, we're all human. We all have our blindspots and our hypocrises and cognitive dissonances. No one will likely ever be rid of all of them. What is important, in my opinion, is acknowledging this and always TRYING, if inevitably failing, to be better, and not necessarily beat yourself up when confronted with it.
Oh, and don't let other people with roughly similar goals bully you into doing things a "certain way". Authenticity police are the WORST. Don't let them make you feel guilty.