You know, anyone who thinks that we as a nation have Overcome Racism ought to check out the comments section of any local newspaper that has any online story whatsoever to do with race, however tangentially. That comments section is, I guarantee, a fucking racist cesspit.
Our main rag stopped having comments sections on “controversial” articles a few years ago to curb the ugliness.
BGinCHI
This is absolutely true. It’s also true for local TV stations.
I’m guessing older white folks with time and minimal computer skills.
GregB
We know that all of the comments must be black people using the word cracker and hating on whitey because the only racism left is reverse racism and it is much worse than slavery or Jim Crow ever was.(Snark off)
JPL
The Atlanta Journal Constitution comment section is filled with ignorant racists. It’s hard to believe that another news source is as bad. The only comment sections that I read is the NYTimes because the comments have to be on topic.
D58826
One of the more interesting, but somehow not surprising, reactions to the Zimmerman trial are people like Jen Rubin of the WAPO. In her opinion the trial was a travesty of justice and Obama was totally evil to even mention it. On the other hand, the failure to pursue a full bore multipronged total offense against those two idiot New Black Panthers in Philly shows that the foundation of the republic is at risk.
Short Bus Bully
But remember, those are only the outliers. There’s no such thing as racism in America unless you count the oppression that straight white males deal with on a daily basis.
This is a religious belief, no different than the knowledge that they are Jesus’ favorite.
Pamoya
Or hang out in any online game.
Seanly
I’ve had a Yahoo account for a long time and used to have the main Yahoo page as my home page. Woe to me whenever I made the mistake of reading the comments. The article didn’t even have to involve race to become a cesspit of racist comments.
Another example – that cute Cheerios ad with a mixed race couple and young girl attracted a lot of vitriol. I’m glad Cheerios is going ahead & airing it.
There’s a lot of ignorant and fearful folks out there. They need to come to grips with the diverse future and with that we’re all one people. I had to overcome biases loaded into me when I was younger (by the Arkansas schools, not my parents).
snetzky
Expecting me to compete on a level playing field with the assumed priveledge of being a WASP is the real rscism!
///
amk
Isn’t pox news and its stranglehold on cable audience proof enough?
Rosalita
This is absolutely the truth whether it be a large city paper or small town rag. I especially love the idiots who have type their hate in ALL CAPS.
NCSteve
What really bugs me is the way this point gets ignored whenever the MSM and VSP’s decide to have a “serious” conversation about race.
Every time NPR Morning Edition rolls out another story in its Very Serious Conversation About Race series, like it did this morning, the rawly racist sewer that is the comments of pretty much every newspaper and local TV station in America isn’t even a topic of conversation. And let us not even start on the comment sections of conservative blogs.
They politely avert their eyes from such unseemliness because it just isn’t a proper thing for Very Serious People having a Very Serious Conversation About Race to notice.
schrodinger's cat
I avoid those comment sections. Its seems to me that after Obama’s election a lot of this ugliness that was beneath the surface has become more explicit. People somehow feel freer to let their inner bigot show.
Mandalay
Completely OT…
For the past few days AVG has been getting upset when I visit BJ:
No problems with any other web sites.
schrodinger's cat
If you really want to see the absolute worst of humanity, check out the comment section of any article that concerns immigration. It is a trifecta of ignorance, bigotry and xenophobia.
Davis X. Machina
A lot of it is vicarious. Maine is, by many measures, the whitest state in the union, but the comment sections of the Portland Press Herald might as well belong to a Richmond or Birmingham paper. Unless they’re all logging in From Away, these comments are from people who, if they don’t get up to Woodford’s Corner, or Munjoy Hill in Portland, or don’t live in Lewiston/Auburn — and those are often immigrants, another whole thing — see colored folk primarily in their minds’ eyes, or on TV.
R-Jud
It’s true, and it’s why I have a little sign taped to my monitor that says “Never read the comments!”
Mike in NC
Our local rag today ran a half page op-ed by the chairman of the South Carolina Republican party. The title was “SC GOP: A National Model”. Yes, seriously.
Tone in DC
I hope the majority of what I see at the Kaplan Post’s site is winger trolling in the comments. I suspect a lot on online comments have a decent amount of it.
http://www.motherjones.com/environment/2013/01/you-idiot-course-trolls-comments-make-you-believe-science-less
bemused
I don’t remember where I saw a pic of Zimmerman jury panel but all six women were smiley Paula Deens.
magurakurin
OT: sounds like Harry Reid is getting ready to fold.
lurker dean
so true.
haven’t seen this posted yet, a letter to GZ from a black male.
https://twitter.com/megmulsy/status/356528120616083457/photo/1
eric
the best part of the comments are the disclaimers: I am not a racist and I am just pointing out the truth that blacks are lazier and parasites because just look at where they live and their gold teeth and the crime and the tatoos and the …….
schrodinger's cat
@Davis X. Machina: I have read a lot of bile in the comments against the Somali immigrants in Maine.
JPL
@magurakurin: I’m shocked, just shocked…………. This is why we can’t have nice things.
amk
@magurakurin:
It’s not enough give in to the thugs in all those filibusters. I am proud now to surrender on ‘fair’ deals too. sd/harry
Quick, firebaggers – In unison now, say obummer.
Chris
I credit reading the comments section of what would become PJMedia (Bill Whittle’s blog) back in the early 2000s for scaring me away from conservatism and putting me on the track that eventually led to my current liberal self.
Persia
@Mandalay: Yep, I have it too. Oddly, only with Firefox. IDK what’s going on.
On the related note, the local TV station’s Facebook page was mostly racist against black people, but we did have a few outliers whitesplaining that it all happened because Mexicans are naturally violent and that’s why we shouldn’t let any more in our borders and kick out all the ones that are here.
They weren’t trolling, AFAICT.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
Everybody’s favorite rock’n’roll has been
Remember, the Romney campaign was proud to get his endorsement (one of the Mittlets tweeted it), and Willard would only agree to be seen in public with Donald Trump after he became the face of Birtherism, and food stamp president, and welfare, and foreign, and learn to be an American. But Tom Brokaw didn’t see a “pattern” of racism in the Romney campaign.
And I don’t want to think about the psychological clusterfuck of Mrs Marcus Bachmann saying the President needs a spanking, and talking about his magic wand.
beltane
Ugh, more details about the man with his “heart in the right place” who likes to “help people”: http://politicalblindspot.org/george-zimmermans-old-myspace-surfaces-full-of-racist-statements-and-admissions-of-criminal-activity/
If the dumbasses on that jury feel safe with Zimmerman protecting them, I’m assuming they’d also feel safe having their mastectomies performed by the guy who slices salami at the deli counter.
Violet
I wish an organization like NPR or the NYT would do an article about the comments sections of newspapers or whatever. Shine a light on it. Show the racism for what it is. Give it air. Be even better if some of the commenters could be tracked down and interviewed.
dww44
@JPL: Plus, one frequently learns much from the NYTimes commenters. Those threads are worth the subscription price alone.
Keith
@D58826: Political pundits are infecting every aspect of our culture. The new “hot” topic for news channels are trials. They used to be a big deal when celebrities were involved, but now any trial is material for weeks of coverage (Arias, Zimmerman, and coming soon, Castro). As a result, pundits want in on the action/attention, so they’ve got to turn them into political issues that they get to comment on or appear on TV to talk about. And the nation continues to fall for it.
schrodinger's cat
@Jim, Foolish Literalist: I gave up on Jon Stewart when I saw Brokaw on his show and both were outdoing each other with the both sides do it meme and lamenting the lack of civility in politics.
D.N. Nation
@JPL: Totally agreed about AJC comments. There’s a game you can play on AJC comment sections- How Many Comments Before Someone’s Racist? A recent article about Kroger buying Harris-Teeter only took three comments before someone flipped out about the Blahs, and only four before someone brought up Obama.
RSA
You know who the real racists are?
Typically, they’re the people trying to explain who the real racists are.
beltane
@Violet: But someone called Sarah Palin “snowbilly” on Wonkette so both sides do it.
Violet
@schrodinger’s cat: Brokaw was recently on TDS–can’t remember if it before or after Jon Stewart went on his break. Anyway, he made some comment about how the problem with the news now is that everyone’s rushing to get the story out and there’s no time to get “the narrative.” Seriously. He said that. Like the job of the reporters is to create and tell a story. No, asshat. Your job is to REPORT THE FUCKING NEWS. If it’s not in story form with a fantastic narrative, well boo fucking hoo. I think we’ll all be just fine if we have to create our own narrative.
Chris
@beltane:
I love how “heart’s in the right place” is their justification for every one of theirs who fucks up. And also how they’re appalled if you try to judge someone a racist or a criminal or whatever because “you can’t see what’s in their hearts!” but then turn right around and use “what’s in their hearts” (according to them) as a defense.
Forum Transmitted Disease
Our local rag, after years of the most batshit insane, embarrassing, potentially tourism-harming commentary on their stories, finally shitcanned comments. I rejoiced. Their click counts plunged through the floor and they panicked.
What to do?
Their brilliant idea – force everyone who wanted to comment to log in via Facebook. In my ignorance of human nature I thought this might actually be a deterrent to vile commentary.
I have rarely been so wrong about anything in my life. The comments sections, if anything, are worse. The new owner, far from seeing this as a problem, approves, so the racist cesspit lives on, stronger than before, and mostly with real names now.
News outlets should not allow comments from readers, full stop.
mistermix
@Mandalay: I just scanned the site using two different providers and both say it is OK. I notified AVG that I think the rating is incorrect. I’ll see what they have to say. Thanks for sending that in.
Joel (Macho Man Randy Savage)
Well, there’s something PRISM might be good for. Imagine putting up photos of people, with names and selected internet “insights” listed below. Three lines a piece.
WaynersT
Local paper?
How about CNN’s comments section? I’ve never seen the N word as much as I have at CNN’s website. I’ve emailed them a few times they need better moderation/ flag abuse – but no change. I’m sure any article on Zimmerman is out of control.
Violet
@D.N. Nation: It would be great if someone created an online game for that kind of thing. Making fun of idiots is a great way to shine a light on them.
Soprano2
@Mandalay:
I’ve been having the same problem at work, using Chrome. Not today, but yesterday it was bad. I figured it was one of the ads because it seemed to come and go.
And yeah, the comments section of our local Gannett publication used to be terrible until they forced people to use real names, then they all seemed to evaporate.
...now I try to be amused
@BGinCHI:
I’m guessing there are some younger white folks among them. They get their racism from their upbringing, like their religion and their politics and their other unexamined beliefs.
I keep reading that racism is dying out, but I’ll believe it when I see it.
GregB
I made the mistake of looking at the Drudge Report and the race baiting is the thickest it has been since that idiot and ill intentioned McCain staffer stood in a mirror and carved a backwards B onto her face and accused a Black Obama supporter.
For added oomph there is a nice long clip of the horrendous attacks along Florence and Normandy in LA after the Rodney King trial.
I swear the GOP has given up on the Bible and have made The Turner Diaries their new handbook for life.
Cassidy
@RSA: Heh, was listening to Elon James and TWiB yesterday and one of the hosts (Dacia) said something along the lines of if you have to followup a comment with “but, I know/ am married to/ friends with (insert minority) people” then you probbaly just said something incredibly racist.
And the Curious George rant was pretty damn funny.
Violet
@…now I try to be amused: Plenty of young racists out there. Those girls on the Big Brother TV show were making racist comments just a week ago. At least one was a white girl from Texas. I don’t know about the others.
schrodinger's cat
@Violet: The interview I am talking about was during the campaign season for the 2012 elections
Cassidy
@Forum Transmitted Disease: Screenshot and shame on FB.
Villago Delenda Est
@Pamoya:
Oh, gawd, yes.
World of Warcraft trade chat is is just rife with racism, homophobia, sexism, and glibertarian stupidity.
Svensker
@Mandalay: Completely OT…
For the past few days AVG has been getting upset when I visit BJ:
Threat: Exploit Invisible IFrame Injection [type 1707]
Object name: https://balloon-juice.com/
Severity: High
….
Threat has been successfully removed.
Me,. too. Unfortunately, my ESET on my PC didn’t catch it and I got the virus. Downloaded the free AVG which rooted out the little bugger.
Chris
@Violet:
Growing up years after the civil rights era, in some ways, makes it easier for the uninformed to be racist. Easier to buy the whole “yes, white people used to be horrible to blacks, but that’s all in the past and now the REAL problem is reverse racism,” or the whole “racism is all over, haven’t you heard about MLK? Who was Republican, in case you didn’t know!” Etc.
Woodrowfan
it’s true on most any mass site: Youtube, Yahoo news, CNN, local newspapers and TV stations, sports pages, etc. etc. And, of course, conservative websites. and yeah, forcing people to comment via Facebook still lets some people flag their freaky racist flag just as high and proud.
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
@Forum Transmitted Disease: Actually, I think having people have to put their names next to their comments is a great idea. Now, what we need is an app that, given a user name, scrapes off their comments. Then you can read a few out loud when they start talking.
RSA
@Cassidy: Thanks, I’ll give it a listen. I think that Andrew Ti (of Yo, is this racist?) will never run out of material.
the Conster
@amk:
If Obummer had really wanted Reid to fix the filibuster, he would have LED! Reid’s failure means Obama clearly doesn’t support his own appointments, because he’s worse than Bush and hates the Professional Left. Or something.
Just Some Fuckhead
It’s not a secret that white people are racist. What’s new is the degree to which they let it all hang out now. I suppose that is the result of the prevalence of the right wing radio and television agitprop combined with the relative anonymity of online commenting.
Or maybe the newspapers always got these kinds of Letters To The Editor and mostly tossed them in the garbage instead of printing them.
gene108
@Mike in NC:
SC GOP can be a good national model for the GOP.
Take what was a reasonably competitive state Democratic Party in the 1990’s, then when they suffer some electoral set backs grab potential donors by the short hairs and demand all political donations will only go to the GOP, thus cutting the state Democrats off at the knees and thereby creating one party rule in the state.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Violet: as in, the Zimmerman boys and their daddy’s “book”*, or the recent spate of Congressional spawn getting busted on social media. I get the sense from shit like that and the Big Brother thing you mention that there’s some notion floating around that being racist is edgy and rebellious, a youthful variant on their parents’ “I don’t have a racist bone in my body, but if we’re being honest, you have to admit….”
*
Still can’t believe how little coverage that got.
Svensker
@mistermix:
See my above post. The virus was real, too. Took me over 2 hours to just be able to boot up my PC.
PeakVT
@Violet: Not sure what makes Brokaw think that. Arguably, one major problem with the news nowadays is that too many reporters get a few facts and then just plug them into a pre-existing narrative, whether or not the narrative is right or the facts fit. Perhaps he used “narrative” when he meant “in-depth reporting” or something. Whatever. As far as I am concerned he’s part of the problem with the news, and he should put more effort into being retired.
geg6
@schrodinger’s cat:
Well, I don’t know when that was, but I gave up on Stewart when he threw his “Jon Stewart is the most awesomely awesome both sides do it guy in the world” festival. I honestly don’t think Stephen Colbert knew what a crapfest of false equivalence that bit of self-congratulatory wanking would turn out to be. If I was Colbert, I’d have never spoken to that asshole again for getting me stuck with being one of the faces of that crapfest. Since I’m not Colbert, I decided to never watch his show again and to tell everyone I know to stop watching. I can’t imagine why anyone still does.
Johnnybuck
@amk: Actually, it’s not a bad deal, dems withhold right to go nuclear, but agree to replace NLRBB appointments, but only if Repukes agree to confirm anyone Obama chooses to replace them. all 5 other appointments to get confirmed.
So they keep the nuclear option, and Obama gets to handpick 2 new NLRBB appointees.
pretty well played Harry.
El Caganer
Yep, pretty much any article at philly.com that has a picture of somebody black in it – regardless of what the article is about – draws them like flies. And you can tell they’re locals, too, because they’re familiar with Philadelphia neighborhoods.
Bobby Thomson
She could have stopped right there.
JCT
Yes, the yahoo comments can make you lose faith in humanity.
What takes my breath away is the pure hate even beyond the racism. How do you get through the day having emotions like this about people you have never met? It never ceases to amaze me, and yes, I suppose if you are raised in this sort of environment I assume it becomes second nature, but it is breathtaking at times.
It’s painful to imagine that a (hopefully) small proportion of folks in this country are just terrible human beings, but it’s unnerving.
Oh and most of the hate-filled ones probably own firearms… of course.
Eric U.
the newspaper used to call you to see if you really wrote the letter that you sent in. Now they let anyone write a comment on their website. Our local paper actually went back to the “real name” for commenter model, but it really didn’t tone it down much
Cacti
@schrodinger’s cat:
It took the election of the first non-white POTUS for me to really open my eyes about how deep the current of racism still runs in the United States.
White people who were quietly racist before, were jarred out of complacency and started to bare their fangs. A black man sleeping in the President’s bed was a full frontal assault on their sense of superiority.
Chris
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Yeah, I think that’s about right. (See also what I posted above).
Although they’d say they’re not being racist, they’re challenging the tyranny of political correctness, which has become so stifling, oppressive and ridiculous, it’s a much bigger deal than white racism which is really dead for all intents and purposes. (Sure, SOMEtimes SOME people will go too far, but you know that overall, we’re not racist).
catclub
@beltane: “mastectomies performed by the guy who slices salami at the deli counter.”
Does he get clear margins? I think that was the term.
Forum Transmitted Disease
@JCT: This is the problem with:
a) having the internet
b) having jobs that by and large don’t entail manual labor anymore
If any of these fuckers had just spent the last ten hours washing dishes in a restaurant, they wouldn’t have the energy to be such fucking assholes.
catclub
@Cacti: Louisiana Yellow Dog Democrats, who just could not find it in them to vote for the Democrat.
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@PeakVT: Brokaw is maybe the greatest living Broderist at this point, he was one of the lead preachers in the recent wave of “President Obama hasn’t reached out…” stupidity, as in : A) Both sides are equally to blame, but Democrats are more to blame because B) Republicans are all really good, sensible Eisenhower moderates and C) politics are never about policy but personality and D) anyway the rubes are too dumb to understand policy (translation: me and Cokie are too dumb and lazy to explain it). Also, too, entitlements (translation, I made a hundred million dollars inventing world war II and I want to keep it). Added to that at NBC (Brokaw and Williams and I’d now add Gregory and Todd) you have the twin cults of McCain and Russert, both fueled by the daddy issues of white male baby boomers
amk
@Johnnybuck:
Some veteran Democrats, however, are standing by Block and Griffin, and are urging Reid and the White House not to cave to GOP pressure, as are labor leaders.
“If it’s a deal that somehow carves out Sharon Block and Richard Griffin from going on the NLRB, then I am going to be standing up. Because I think it would be grossly unfair to throw them out simply to make a deal,” declared Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa). “Until the Supreme Court decides it, they have every right to be where they are.”
Shakezula
@Davis X. Machina: The ability to post anywhere from anywhere and the fact that people will do that does warp things. If you were to gauge D.C. by the comments section of the Washington Post, you’d think the area was overrun by sheet draped yahoos (and Marion Barry is still mayor of D.C., for some reason).
Ted & Hellen
Well, here’s the thing though: There have ALWAYS been gazillions of virulent racists and bigots and right wing reactionaries in this country. But you had to pay close attention and look for them if you wanted to see them, because it was all covered over with a find veneer of day to day faux civilized behavior.
Once in a while a hateful letter would make it to the Letter to the Editor section of one’s local paper, but eyes could be quickly averted.
The Internet and social media has blown the lid off, however, and those gazillions can comment mostly unedited whenever they want and it’s all in one’s face if one chooses to allow it.
Which leads me to the next point: A lot of people here constantly seek out comment hotbeds of racism and hatred, and then come back here with breathless reports of how terrible and shocking it all is. I think those people are enjoying themselves.
It is very helpful to be reminded what society is up against of course, but wallowing in it for vicarious thrills and self righteous chills is…kind of…unhealthy.
Chris
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
… that was a beautiful summarization of the belief system of the mainstream media, the Blue Dogs, the East Coast faction of the GOP, and the professionally disengaged “both sides do it” cynics who are above it all. QFT.
Suffern ACE
@Chris:
Criminies. It’s always 1992 and we just can’t get out of that rut. OMG the PC Police are everywhere. Why can’t we bring up black crime! We need to be talking about black crime and the Bell Curve!
Belafon (formerly anonevent)
@Ted & Hellen:
1) Totally agree that the racism has always been there, it’s just gotten easier to display.
2) Also agree that wallowing in it for the sake of being “shocked” is unhealthy.
3) I do think, though, that it needs to be brought out from even the comment sections into even brighter light.
Goblue72
I say let them let their racist flag fly. Sunshine is a great disinfectant. Racists letting it all hang out makes it easier, not harder, to make the argument that our society is still filled with racists and that we can’t just dismiss complaints about it as “those people” pulling the race card.
Bearing witness involves actual witnessing.
handsmile
As if to disprove the notion that all readers of the Guardian are enlightened metrosexuals, cosmopolites and tea-drinkers, the comments section of its articles on the Zimmerman trial are every bit as depressing/dismaying. Perhaps even more so, as those sections are closely monitored and the comments that appear are those that are deemed to “abide by our community standards.”
Here is one of the best post-verdict opinion pieces I’ve read: from Guardian columnist Gary Younge, “Open Season on black boys after a verdict like this”:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jul/14/open-season-black-boys-verdict
You won’t have to wade far into the comments to be steeped in bile and filth.
Ted & Hellen
@Goblue72:
But only if someone in the MSM does a big series of some sort focusing on comment sections…otherwise we’re still dealing with the civilized veneer situation.
Forum Transmitted Disease
@Suffern ACE: I was at a party last month and some stupid bimbo cornered me and started bitching about how we don’t have freedom of speech anymore, and “everything is so PC, you can’t say anything”
So I said “tell me.”
She said “tell you what?”
I said “tell me all the things you’re not allowed to say. Every last one of them. I’m not going to slag on you for any of it. Just say the things you think need to be said.”
She couldn’t say a word. I’d just given her permission to let it rip, and she had nothing. Not one word.
The only thing these people are invested in is their identity as victims.
I think I’m going to keep doing this at parties.
Yatsuno
@Just Some Fuckhead:
Pretty much that. The editors always maintained discretion on what letters would be published, and it’s noted as a policy when they write in. The worst offenders got the circular file. Now that it’s a free-for-all the freak flags fly like Old Glory at the National Monument. But it’s also being able to be anonymous. It’s easy to let out your darkest impulses if you can’t be tracked back to them.
snetzky
How much of the vitriol unloaded by conservatives against liberals is just n-wording by another name. Try replacing liberal with (insert racial epithet here) sometime. its like mad libs only its more sad and scary though no less nonsensical
Poopyman
@Belafon (formerly anonevent):
To what end, though? Do you really think it’s going to change anyone’s behavior, let alone their belief system?
It won’t.
Forum Transmitted Disease
@Ted & Hellen: Given that the “comments sections” are responsible for 90%+ of their click traffic, and that the click traffic is the only thing that they can sell to advertisers to keep their scam as “news providers” going, I won’t be holding my breath for that series.
snetzky
@Poopyman:
the only thing that works is public shaming. Staring them straight in the eye and saying “what the hell is wrong with you!?”
Ted & Hellen
@Poopyman:
Maybe, maybe not. Regardless of that, if nothing else, feature stories about comment sections would make great reading.
Woodrowfan
@Just Some Fuckhead:
Good observation. I suspect both play a role.
Ripley
Cosmic Irony Alert.
raven
@Just Some Fuckhead: If the paper printed them there was some responsibility by the paper. Someone decided what got in and what didn’t. The online comments have no such restraints.
A Ghost To Most
@lurker dean: The author nailed it.
The Snarxist Formerly Known as Kryptik
@snetzky:
The problem is they’ve found a way to counter the shaming, called ‘Reverse Racism.” They’re projecting their own insanities on everyone else and then getting praised as martyrs for it. They can’t be shamed anymore, because they’ve found a way to inoculate themselves from it.
WereBear
@Forum Transmitted Disease: That sounds awesome.
But if you ask them about any of the stuff they say, they can’t explain it. They just hear it and expel it.
If Rush Limbaugh has a stroke on-air and spews a stream of disconnected words, at least a third of his followers will be saying it that very evening.
Ben Cisco
The Charlotte Observer went the Book of Faces route on commenting. It managed to make things somewhat more civilized, at least as mouth-breathing Nathan Bedford Forrest wannabes go.
gbear
@dww44: @JPL:
I agree that the NYT comment section can be a very good read, but I usually click on the tab that says ‘Reader’s Picks’ (and avoid the tab that says ‘NYT Picks’ like the plague. They strive for he said/she said balance that makes them non-representative and sucky). Reader’s picks is just the comments that have gotten thumbs up from the other readers, and I prefer having the smart, condensed version of the comments so that I don’t spend so much time wading through everything.
I avoid the comment section in St. Paul’s paper because the whacko factor is just too high. The Minneapolis paper is a little better, but not much.
Chris
@Forum Transmitted Disease:
And the hell of it is, you totally ARE allowed to say these things… it’s not like you’ll get slapped with a fine like, say, in European countries for Holocaust denial. This is America. You can say whatever the fuck you want. You just can’t say it and expect the unswerving approval of everyone anymore. Nowadays, if you say it, some people might call you a racist.
THAT’s what passes for oppression on that side of the aisle. What a bunch of tools.
snetzky
@The Snarxist Formerly Known as Kryptik:
That shouldn’t stop us. I use this in the face of the MBF. “Well Both Sides Do It!” Yes they do, but why does that excuse either?
schrodinger's cat
@Forum Transmitted Disease: This is a self serving theory put forth by Facebook without any evidence I might add, that people will be more civil if they use their real names.
Emerald
@The Snarxist Formerly Known as Kryptik: Actually they were always like that. Their whole credo, from the beginning (see Birth of A Nation) is that Whites are the victims, and they’re only fighting back.
That’s always been the White Supremacist line. They have no shame because they’re the victims, donchaknow.
Steeplejack
Re letters to the editor:
People are not crazier (or more racist) now than they were in the past. The Internet just makes everything easier.
I worked on a mid-sized Southern newspaper in the ’70s, and we regularly got unhinged and/or racist letters to the editor. (Phone calls, too.) But back then, to let your freak flag fly, you had to write out your letter in longhand or type it on a typewriter, than address an envelope for it, stamp it and take the letter to a mailbox. Then you had to seethe quietly for a couple of days until you knew it had arrived. And, finally, some editor had to decide whether to publish your letter, and, even if he was a racist cracker too, he would often as not think, “This is some sad shit right here,” and toss your letter. (And there was a limited amount of space in the paper for letters.) Now you can just type up your screed on your computer, click “Submit” and—voilà!—immediately it’s out there for all the world to see. Instant gratification.
It’s the same phenomenon as spam. In the old days of direct mail, if you got a response rate of 1% that was considered pretty good, as well as a sort of benchmark. You had printing and mailing costs, and if you couldn’t reach a certain response rate you couldn’t afford to continue. But e-mail spam is so cheap to send that the Nigerian princes and dick-extender magnates can rely on a response rate of one in a million or one in ten million to turn a profit.
Shorter: people who would never bother to go through the effort to send a letter can now shoot off their hilarious and insightful musings at no cost in a matter of seconds—with “publication” guaranteed. And they do.
gene108
@Yatsuno:
I believe the NSA has ways to help us with that :-)
Bubblegum Tate
@geg6:
Because it’s really funny and purity-trolling a goddamn TV show is really fucking stupid?
Jim, Foolish Literalist
@Bubblegum Tate: Why are we allowed to criticize every media outlet and actor, down to the most obscure bloggers and radio crank, except St Stewart, who has fallen for his own press and said a lot of really self-righteous, stupid (and unfunny) Villagese in the last few years?
MakeMeAnOffer
@gbear:
I like the NYT Reader’s Picks too. As much as I sometimes complain about NYT’s ‘both sides” garbage, they really do have one of the more intelligent comment sections left on the web. At least I don’t feel like I need to take a long shower after reading the comments section there.
Bubblegum Tate
@Jim, Foolish Literalist:
Who said you can’t criticize Jon Stewart? Knock yourself out. I just find the purity trolling hilarious.
BrYanS
Hell, check the comments on reddit, a supposedly young, liberal message board.
lou
In fact, Atlantic has a story about how Reddit finally had to relent and shut down a really ugly subgroup whose name I will not reprint. This racist group had gone after r/blackgirls in a really ugly way. Check out the story.
The Other Bob
You know, anyone who thinks that we as a nation have Overcome Racism ought to check out the comments section of Facebook, that has anything whatsoever to do with race, however tangentially. Facebook is, I guarantee, a fucking racist cesspit.
Fixed.
MakeMeAnOffer
@BrYanS:
There are also a lot of libertarians on Reddit too. I like Reddit for the most part, but there are some sub-forums there that feature the worst of humanity.
donnah
@schrodinger’s cat:
Racist comments in the newspaper?
Oh, certainly true here in SW Ohio. Good lord, either the open-minded, intelligent people don’t want to wallow in the mud or they’ve just given up, but our comments section in the newspaper is horrifying. Doesn’t matter if it’s a story about Paula Deen or Travon Martin, the racist, bigoted, hate-filled comments fill the column every time.
I’ve replied a few times in the past, but gave up. One guy actually tracked me down by my name and mailed me a hateful letter. After that I backed off.
TooManyJens
@BrYanS: If reddit’s supposed to be liberal, we’re fucking doomed.