So's a lot of things. (I can show you plenty of web sites that focus on laughing at stupid people. I waste many hours there... no, take that back. It's not wasted time.)
"I get to laugh for a living!"
Oh you lucky thing. I only get to laugh AT what I do for a living. :)
"So many thought I was off my rocker for challenging people so much that they unsubscribed."
Now, here we find the crux of the matter. In one sense, these people are right; only an idiot destroys his own business through poor customer service. (And there are a lot of idiots doing exactly that. But I digress.) If you were to, for instance, make a real mess of Premium subs, and end up sending renewal notices six months after someone upgrades, or overcharging people, or things like that, then I would expect that people WOULD abandon you, and rightly so. If you accept our money and don't give what you've promised to, I would expect to see www.ihaterandy.com registered and accepting postings of "Isn't Randy Cassingham an idiot" by the dozen.
But then there's a whole different kettle of fish: Offending people by doing precisely what you set out to do. Would you vehemently unsubscribe from "Blonde Joke Of The Day" (I've not gone looking, but there probably is one) because, after "X" years, you suddenly realise how offensive the material is? (Hey... if it takes you years to realise that most blonde jokes offend blondes, then you'd probably make a good source of material.) Do you walk out of a theatre because the comedian told a political joke that's lampooning the party you vote for? ("You can't tell the difference between a lump on the head and margarine? Leadership of the Conservative Party is yours for the asking!" --Spike Milligan.)
I've been a Premium subscriber for some time, even though some of the stories and their taglines annoy me. I'm a Christian, and sometimes there's a story portraying Christians in a very bad light (usually the story is perfectly accurate, but the write-up and tagline imply that all Christians are like this, which isn't fair). Have I unsubscribed? Is this my "big whine" post before going and unsubscribing, and cutting myself off from any chance of a response? Not likely. "True" is funny. It's funny because it pokes fun at stupid people. And there are stupid people everywhere. (Before I offend TOO many people, I'll insert a caveat: I am myself stupid at times. And when I am, I deserve to be written up and mocked. "That idiot just spent days trying to figure out why his program was crashing, and it was because he'd free'd the same block of memory twice! What an idiot!") So when one of the stories strikes home a bit, even undeservedly, I just put it down to Randy trying to write about so many areas, and not necessarily understanding them all perfectly (nobody can), and so he paints with too wide a brush occasionally. This, I can handle. Good humour is worth it sometimes.
You know, the weirdest thing about people who "don't get it" is that there are still such people around. Here's for some fun stats. Plot a marker on every date that one of these X-whiners-unsubscribed posts goes out, talking about people who don't get it. Now, for everyone who unsubscribes, count off how many full explanations they've received, before they went off the handle because of something you said. There. You've just done a whole lot of useless work, but at least you can state the precise "idiot factor" of your unsubscribers! Seriously though, there've been several of these since I joined (which isn't all that long ago). How can someone have been a subscriber for years and then get offended enough to unsub? It doesn't make sense.
---
You're exactly right: we're all dumb sometimes. We all do dumb things. That's why we can all identify with at least some of the stories. A typical response to a really funny story is, "Well, at least I'm not that dumb!" -- which is an acknowledgement that, yes, we can be dumb. And that's OK: that's human. That said, I don't know the answer to your ending question. A great example of the genre is the youth pastor who, after months of being a subscriber, suddenly wrote in indignation when he realized TRUE wasn't a newsletter put out by "a Christian organization"! I summarized some of the stories that he had read during that time which should have given him a clue.
And once he realized his own mistake, did he own up to it and take responsibility for it? Of course not: he blamed me. It led to a great discussion with readers, which is also represented on that page.
Does that mean all youth pastors (or Christians) are as idiotic? Of course not. I would never even imply such a thing, let alone say it. And I challenge you to find where I have. More likely, you are identifying yourself with the story, not me. That's your clue that you need to think about your own reaction and see if there's something you need to work on. I'm guessing you'll find that you do need to work on something: your reaction. Everything going on in your head is under your control, not mine. And if it's "out of control" it's because you let it become that way. Yeah, that's easy to say -- I'm human too, and it's something I need to work on too. But it's the secret to success as a human, and I'm trying. -rc
Posted by
Chris, Melbourne (AU) on June 3, 2008:
"Does that mean all youth pastors (or Christians) are as idiotic? Of course not. I would never even imply such a thing, let alone say it. And I challenge you to find where I have."
No, you've not said that specifically. I can't point to anything, else I would have in the original post. (This is partly a consequence of my own folly in losing most of my archived True issues, though.) It's not so much that you've said it, but that you've not not-said it, if you know what I mean; and yes, it's more than a little my own fault, so I'm not blaming you. It was just an example of a way that your writing could cause offense (or, to be more accurate, a bit of embarrassment when the blow strikes home -- even though it's not really directed at me), but that offense is for the right reasons, and it does NOT lead to whining, unsubscribing (as if my unsubscription really hurts you... especially as the people who do this are usually free subscribers anyway), and other immature behaviour.
Keep it up. The world needs more humour... and ways to separate the idiots from the rest.
---
Well no, I don't really know what you mean. It appears you're looking for me to say "THIS Christian was an idiot, but we know he's not like all Christians." In fact, I have said just that many times -- including the section you quoted! -- but no one expects me to say that about cops, or truck drivers, or hairdressers, or grocery clerks, or doctors, or school principals. So the thing to ask yourself is, why you're expecting me to say it about Christians? Especially in the face that I have done so many times; why wasn't none, or one, or 15 times enough? The "lack" is within yourself, not within my writing. And that's something to ponder. -rc
Posted by
Steve Omaha,NE on June 3, 2008:
Insulting to Christians? I don't think so. I prefer to think that stupidity and intolerance transcends Christianity, occupation, education or any other boundaries with which we wish to confine it.
But to me, intolerance is worse than stupidity. We have all focused on details so much sometimes that we lose sight of the big picture. We are ALL stupid sometimes. Some of us more often than others.
Intolerance though, is a conscious act. People CHOOSE to get angry, to take offense and bully others. They choose to see with a closed mind for a filter.
My favorite examples of this are your Zero Tolerance stories. I consider those to be a bonus -- intolerance AND stupidity, all in one story.
Keep 'em coming. You provide entertainment for those of us willing to listen, and who knows? Maybe if people see themselves, they can learn to laugh instead of tilting at windmills.
Posted by
Mike from Dallas on June 5, 2008:
Ah, that HALF logic again. People are so caught up in the concept of TACIT approval. IF you don't say something against it, then logically you must be silently for it. They don't stop to consider that it would equally apply to the opposite view; if you don't say something FOR it, then you must be against it. So, by remaining silent, you are both for AND against whatever the subject is. Now there's a Dilemma.
But why is it that the most complainers are the ones who are getting it for free? It seems that the ones who pay for something already believe that it has value or they wouldn't be paying for it in the first place. Yes, the free subscription would be entertaining enough, but I want more! And Groxx gives it even more value.
Posted by
Jim, New York on June 7, 2008:
"So the thing to ask yourself is, why you're expecting me to say it about Christians?"
Because many Christians (with the help of their leaders) have convinced themselves they are victims, even when they are the dominant religion and run roughshod over everyone else. Not being able to put Christmas displays all over public property is somehow a violation of their rights.
It's Not for Everyone: Letters - Comments
Posted by Chris, Melbourne (AU) on June 3, 2008:
(Caution: Long.)
"True is about laughing at stupid people"
So's a lot of things. (I can show you plenty of web sites that focus on laughing at stupid people. I waste many hours there... no, take that back. It's not wasted time.)
"I get to laugh for a living!"
Oh you lucky thing. I only get to laugh AT what I do for a living. :)
"So many thought I was off my rocker for challenging people so much that they unsubscribed."
Now, here we find the crux of the matter. In one sense, these people are right; only an idiot destroys his own business through poor customer service. (And there are a lot of idiots doing exactly that. But I digress.) If you were to, for instance, make a real mess of Premium subs, and end up sending renewal notices six months after someone upgrades, or overcharging people, or things like that, then I would expect that people WOULD abandon you, and rightly so. If you accept our money and don't give what you've promised to, I would expect to see www.ihaterandy.com registered and accepting postings of "Isn't Randy Cassingham an idiot" by the dozen.
But then there's a whole different kettle of fish: Offending people by doing precisely what you set out to do. Would you vehemently unsubscribe from "Blonde Joke Of The Day" (I've not gone looking, but there probably is one) because, after "X" years, you suddenly realise how offensive the material is? (Hey... if it takes you years to realise that most blonde jokes offend blondes, then you'd probably make a good source of material.) Do you walk out of a theatre because the comedian told a political joke that's lampooning the party you vote for? ("You can't tell the difference between a lump on the head and margarine? Leadership of the Conservative Party is yours for the asking!" --Spike Milligan.)
I've been a Premium subscriber for some time, even though some of the stories and their taglines annoy me. I'm a Christian, and sometimes there's a story portraying Christians in a very bad light (usually the story is perfectly accurate, but the write-up and tagline imply that all Christians are like this, which isn't fair). Have I unsubscribed? Is this my "big whine" post before going and unsubscribing, and cutting myself off from any chance of a response? Not likely. "True" is funny. It's funny because it pokes fun at stupid people. And there are stupid people everywhere. (Before I offend TOO many people, I'll insert a caveat: I am myself stupid at times. And when I am, I deserve to be written up and mocked. "That idiot just spent days trying to figure out why his program was crashing, and it was because he'd free'd the same block of memory twice! What an idiot!") So when one of the stories strikes home a bit, even undeservedly, I just put it down to Randy trying to write about so many areas, and not necessarily understanding them all perfectly (nobody can), and so he paints with too wide a brush occasionally. This, I can handle. Good humour is worth it sometimes.
You know, the weirdest thing about people who "don't get it" is that there are still such people around. Here's for some fun stats. Plot a marker on every date that one of these X-whiners-unsubscribed posts goes out, talking about people who don't get it. Now, for everyone who unsubscribes, count off how many full explanations they've received, before they went off the handle because of something you said. There. You've just done a whole lot of useless work, but at least you can state the precise "idiot factor" of your unsubscribers! Seriously though, there've been several of these since I joined (which isn't all that long ago). How can someone have been a subscriber for years and then get offended enough to unsub? It doesn't make sense.
---
You're exactly right: we're all dumb sometimes. We all do dumb things. That's why we can all identify with at least some of the stories. A typical response to a really funny story is, "Well, at least I'm not that dumb!" -- which is an acknowledgement that, yes, we can be dumb. And that's OK: that's human. That said, I don't know the answer to your ending question. A great example of the genre is the youth pastor who, after months of being a subscriber, suddenly wrote in indignation when he realized TRUE wasn't a newsletter put out by "a Christian organization"! I summarized some of the stories that he had read during that time which should have given him a clue.
And once he realized his own mistake, did he own up to it and take responsibility for it? Of course not: he blamed me. It led to a great discussion with readers, which is also represented on that page.
Does that mean all youth pastors (or Christians) are as idiotic? Of course not. I would never even imply such a thing, let alone say it. And I challenge you to find where I have. More likely, you are identifying yourself with the story, not me. That's your clue that you need to think about your own reaction and see if there's something you need to work on. I'm guessing you'll find that you do need to work on something: your reaction. Everything going on in your head is under your control, not mine. And if it's "out of control" it's because you let it become that way. Yeah, that's easy to say -- I'm human too, and it's something I need to work on too. But it's the secret to success as a human, and I'm trying. -rc
Posted by Chris, Melbourne (AU) on June 3, 2008:
"Does that mean all youth pastors (or Christians) are as idiotic? Of course not. I would never even imply such a thing, let alone say it. And I challenge you to find where I have."
No, you've not said that specifically. I can't point to anything, else I would have in the original post. (This is partly a consequence of my own folly in losing most of my archived True issues, though.) It's not so much that you've said it, but that you've not not-said it, if you know what I mean; and yes, it's more than a little my own fault, so I'm not blaming you. It was just an example of a way that your writing could cause offense (or, to be more accurate, a bit of embarrassment when the blow strikes home -- even though it's not really directed at me), but that offense is for the right reasons, and it does NOT lead to whining, unsubscribing (as if my unsubscription really hurts you... especially as the people who do this are usually free subscribers anyway), and other immature behaviour.
Keep it up. The world needs more humour... and ways to separate the idiots from the rest.
---
Well no, I don't really know what you mean. It appears you're looking for me to say "THIS Christian was an idiot, but we know he's not like all Christians." In fact, I have said just that many times -- including the section you quoted! -- but no one expects me to say that about cops, or truck drivers, or hairdressers, or grocery clerks, or doctors, or school principals. So the thing to ask yourself is, why you're expecting me to say it about Christians? Especially in the face that I have done so many times; why wasn't none, or one, or 15 times enough? The "lack" is within yourself, not within my writing. And that's something to ponder. -rc
Posted by Steve Omaha,NE on June 3, 2008:
Insulting to Christians? I don't think so. I prefer to think that stupidity and intolerance transcends Christianity, occupation, education or any other boundaries with which we wish to confine it.
But to me, intolerance is worse than stupidity. We have all focused on details so much sometimes that we lose sight of the big picture. We are ALL stupid sometimes. Some of us more often than others.
Intolerance though, is a conscious act. People CHOOSE to get angry, to take offense and bully others. They choose to see with a closed mind for a filter.
My favorite examples of this are your Zero Tolerance stories. I consider those to be a bonus -- intolerance AND stupidity, all in one story.
Keep 'em coming. You provide entertainment for those of us willing to listen, and who knows? Maybe if people see themselves, they can learn to laugh instead of tilting at windmills.
Posted by Mike from Dallas on June 5, 2008:
Ah, that HALF logic again. People are so caught up in the concept of TACIT approval. IF you don't say something against it, then logically you must be silently for it. They don't stop to consider that it would equally apply to the opposite view; if you don't say something FOR it, then you must be against it. So, by remaining silent, you are both for AND against whatever the subject is. Now there's a Dilemma.
But why is it that the most complainers are the ones who are getting it for free? It seems that the ones who pay for something already believe that it has value or they wouldn't be paying for it in the first place. Yes, the free subscription would be entertaining enough, but I want more! And Groxx gives it even more value.
Posted by Jim, New York on June 7, 2008:
"So the thing to ask yourself is, why you're expecting me to say it about Christians?"
Because many Christians (with the help of their leaders) have convinced themselves they are victims, even when they are the dominant religion and run roughshod over everyone else. Not being able to put Christmas displays all over public property is somehow a violation of their rights.
Read the article that everyone's commenting on, or post a comment about it.