Be Kind, Even on the Internet
Earlier today someone wrote to me on Twitter “you’re the most disgusting tweeter I have ever decided to follow #UNFOLLOW”
I RTd her, attaching this “Thank you! #prolapse #fistula RT @[redacted]: you’re the most disgusting tweeter I have ever decided to follow #UNFOLLOW”
My joke, in case you’re stupid, was to use as hashtags the two most disgusting words I could think of off the top of my head. If she thought I was disgusting, I wanted to leave her with no misgivings.
I very sincerely wish I had not done this, because although I had agreed with her that I am indeed disgusting and I had not said a single thing about her, positive or negative, several followers of mine @ replied her with some really mean, personal comments.
While I am not responsible for these people, they wouldn’t have written their small-minded, ad hominem garbage to this woman had I not called her to their attention. For that I am sorry. For those monsters who said things about her appearance, I’d like to add this: she’s absolutely adorable, and my opinion on feminine beauty means much more than most people’s because I’ve lived in New York City, Los Angeles and even Paris, where I attended many PowerPoint presentations on sexiness. So get out of my face.
It may surprise some people, but despite the abject filth that I pour out into the internet everyday, I like people and I like it when they’re happy. I think being kind to others is our primary responsibility. A cursory glance at my tweets will reveal that as disgusting, sexual, profane and incendiary as they routinely are, they aren’t often mean, nor are they directed at individual human beings (unless they’re in the public eye and have “Be the target of jokes” as an actual part of their job description.) Examine the work of the best comedians and at their core, they are humanists. Richard Pryor, Chris Rock; their comedy IS A FIST but they are good people whose work elevates those who see it. Those guys are funny. If you write mean things to civilians on the internet, you are not funny, and I doubt you ever will be.
My “takeaway” from this experience is that I will be much more selective about RTing civilians. While the vast majority of people who follow me on Twitter are kind, thoughtful, extremely funny and well-spoken, just like in any large group of people, there are some jerks. I will not facilitate people being mean to each other.
Finally, please know that I typed this with three carrots stuck up my asshole.
