Are Americans Offended Too Easily?

[Lefty Scaevola]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat
I was speaking generically. There's always one in every group who's the target.

I prefer the term "social outcast de jour".

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by Snapcase
Giancarlo has volountarily entered a forum of (ostensibly) mature discussion, is unable to take the ridicule with which his insane political ideas is met, and you compare it to school bullying?

If the "ridicule" is based on his political ideas, why is the subject of it always his sexuality?

The remote world of the internet, with its ignore lists, its netiquette and indeed its moderators is not even remotely like that of a free-for-all schoolyard.

No, the internet is (among other things) a refuge for socially poorly adjusted people who can't take any real heat in their lives, so they act out from behind the safety of their own monitors and dialup connections. That's not all of the people on the internet, of course, but a large proportion of those people end up basing their whole social lives online.

The mentality of the two groups is also immensely different.

Only if you subsribe to your rather narrow definitions of the two groups.

The gianni-baiters (of which I am not part, thankfully) are either just joking around, in an almost friendly way, or actually have taken offense at Giancarlo's comments.

Yeah, they're real friendly.

The psychological profile of almost every bully- that of the child repressed at home or elsewhere, turning his feelings of inferiority towards someone else to make himself feel better- simply doesn't apply here.

Oh, there's plenty of other kinds of bullies. Theys jus' some good ol' boys havin a little harmless fun, thas all.

All of them (or at least all I've been in contact with regularly) are well-adjusted, normal individuals. They do not see it as bullying.

It's not how they see it that's important. It's how the target of their actions and onlookers see it.

Nor can I agree with the idea of Giancarlo as especially weak.

Weak ain't the point. Thin-skinned, easily provoked, poor self-control, and a whole group of people who know and get their yucks from pushing his buttons is the point.

He himself turns what is not bullying into something resembling it by responding.

Yeah, it's his fault - if he'd just sit still and take what his fan club decides to dish out, then things would be fine. Bull****.

No-one trolls (the on-line equavilent of real bullying, I suppose, though it's still too weak) Giancarlo. They joke about him. There's a big difference.

Yeah, right there is. They just all pick the one subject they know that will make him go ballistic, while the same people have made and continue to make comments about how he's emotionally unstable, repressed, in denial of his sexuality, etc. And what a coincidence, that's THE ONE SUBJECT the little group continuously gets in his face about. Trying to justify it doesn't change the fact that it's callous and chicken****.

[SlowwHand]

And I have to agree again.
Bullies, acting in tandem.

[Asher]

I always do enjoy the input of uninformed outsiders.

Makes for a great break in an otherwise more serious conversation.

[SlowwHand]

Uninformed outsider?
Anyone that glimpses the threads is not uninformed.

[Asher]

There's far more to what's going on here than what you see on Apolyton.

[Ted Striker]

Infatrollation uber alles!

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by Asher
There's far more to what's going on here than what you see on Apolyton.

I think the point is, we don't give a ****. If people have issues outside Apolyton, deal with it outside Apolyton. If it gets dragged in here to stink up the place, that's all a lot of us care about, including the management.

[yin26]

Yes, most Americans take themselves waaaay too damned seriously, including me. I'm really trying to learn to laugh at myself more and enjoy life. I figure with all the people laughing at me now, all I have to do is mimic their behavior and I'll soon be in bliss!

[Asher]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat
I think the point is, we don't give a ****. If people have issues outside Apolyton, deal with it outside Apolyton. If it gets dragged in here to stink up the place, that's all a lot of us care about, including the management.

Yeah, I understand that.

What I don't like is how some people here are judging everyone involved in the incident when they've no real clue on what's going on. It shouldn't be dragged here, but by human nature, it is.

The bully comments in particular were actually pretty amusing to me.

[Sirotnikov]

Originally posted by Asher


Yeah, I understand that.

What I don't like is how some people here are judging everyone involved in the incident when they've no real clue on what's going on. It shouldn't be dragged here, but by human nature, it is.

The bully comments in particular were actually pretty amusing to me.

I understand he may have said some different things in PMs or ICQ and that he isn't the innocent little guy he pretends to be.

Still there's no reason not to ignore him.

You got dragged to his level, and then you pay a price.

[Asher]

Originally posted by Sirotnikov
I understand he may have said some different things in PMs or ICQ and that he isn't the innocent little guy he pretends to be.

Still there's no reason not to ignore him.

You got dragged to his level, and then you pay a price.

I was ignoring him, I only got involved after the incident took place.

[Lefty Scaevola]

Originally posted by Asher
The bully comments in particular were actually pretty amusing to me.

Psychological gang rape might be more apt, or perhaps even your vauge assertions of due justice might be true. In any case keep it the hell out of here. Since personnal attack threads are not allowed, it can never be on topic. It can only be threadjacking. It is an assault against the posters here who want some sort a minimal order so when they go into a thread about Pres. Bush, they see posts about Pres. Bush.

[Chris 62]

You called, I'm here.

Originally posted by Boddington's
This is becoming apparent.

Aern't you the one that started at least 2 threads in the community area asking for posters to be banned?
Gimmie a H!
Gimmie a Y!
Gimmie a P!
Gimmie a O!
Gimmie a C!
Gimmie a R!
Gimmie a I!
Gimmie a T!
Gimmie a E!

What does it spell?!!?
What does it spell?!!?

SPINK!

They totally detest British "pub culture" whereby everything is open for ridicule (be it a person, a trait, a political idea or a sexuality).

Actually, we detest insenitivity, cruelty, ignorence, and the bully mentality that you and your little troll pals love so much.

What do you think?

I think Laz had the best and most acurate posts in this thread, and you really should start dating something besides your hand.
Is that "pub" humor?

[loinburger]

Originally posted by Dissident
go ahead, punks, try to offend me

"I ridicule your values and/or beliefs."

"I have engaged in sexual activity with your spouse or significant other."