The other cheek, or so to speak.

[ht_murray]

A couple days ago gatorgrrrl made a post about the new Facebook group, "Jensen and Jared Deserve Respect," which is basically a group for people who are against slash of all types.

I'm not going to link that asshattery. I'm sure you can find it if you really want to. When I heard about it, I think my comment was that there was bound to be groups like that out there, but I'd probably unfriend anyone on my list who joined it.

Well, yesterday one of my friends did become of a fan.

I haven't defriended her. Believe me, I want to. But the thing is, I think she's a genuinely good person. She knows I write slash AND wincest, and she's always been nice to me, to my virtual face, ya know? And I guess it would be awfully hypocritical of me to tout free love, tolerance, and acceptance if I'm not going to practice it as well. I guess it's definitely a WWJD scenario.

I don't always DWJD, but in this case, I will.

Which brings me to my major point of contention-- the whole idea behind Facebook groups. From what I see, these groups do nothing and consist of basically an opinion that people get behind or don't get behind. My problem is, it's so easy to just click on something and tell the whole world that you hold a certain opinion or take a certain stance, but you don't usually have to own up to it afterward. Half my friends joined the "I don't care about your farm, your fish, blah, blah, blah, group" and the other half were hurt that no one cares about them when online games are a huge part of their lives, for whatever reason.(A few have medical problems and don't get out of the house much.) Like I said in my Facebook, it's one thing to hide all those apps from your home page, it's quite another to broadcast to everyone that you don't care about what they're doing. And because the groups don't ever actually do anything except wave a banner for a day or two while it makes the Facebook rounds, people think it doesn't matter which ones they join. But why, if you wouldn't say something directly to someone's face, would you join a group that basically plasters the sentiment all over their Facebook pages?

I blocked Farmville on Facebook. My mother has COPD and lives on disability. Farmville is her job. My cousin Casey has CF and spends more time on the computer than a kid his age who can do more physical activity. His mom lets him have a Facebook and play Farmville but makes it so only his friends can see him. If all of his friends were to join the Facebook Group, "I don't care about your Farm, your Fish, blah, blah, blah," how would that make him feel?

People are allowed to have opinions. People should have opinions. But Facebook groups just seem like a way for cowards to seek company in numbers and say things they know will hurt someone without being accountable. Anyone can point, click, and run off at the virtual mouth. How about just telling me what you think to my face? After all, it is Facebook right? Not, talk-about-you-behind-your-back-on-your-own-homepage-book.

Comments

[tru-faith-lost.livejournal.com]

Hehe, all babbling is welcome, as I kinda ran off at the mouth myself. I think you and I are pretty much on the page. I shouldn't let those things bother me, but every time I see someone come out vocally against slash, I have to shake my head and wonder to myself if they know just how many of their friends read it and are just afraid to admit it. I can't even tell you how many people I chatted with back when I still wrote mostly Gen who admitted to reading and enjoying slash but were afraid if they admitted it their friends or readers would go away or something. :/

I think it especially bugs me, like you said, that in this case they used the word 'respect' so as to give the impression that having that opinion somehow made them the good guys and everyone else the bad guys. That kind of self-righteousness always makes me grind my teeth.