Yesterday I posted a video spoofing Michigan tourism's recent commercials with the 'Pure Michigan' catchphrase (in the same vein as the Bud Light's 'Real Men of Genius' radio ads). The one that was sent to me was spoofing U-M fans, mainly men that buy their Michigan shirts from Walmart, those that didn't graduate from college and yet still wear the maize and blue proudly, and those that go overboard with their fandom and wear things like the maize and blue wigs and face paint. The spoof ended by saying that the women in Ann Arbor are lesbians because of it, as in since all of the men in the area are like this, it's better to just date a woman.
This made me chuckle so I posted it on my Facebook page and a few friends got the joke too and then along comes my cousin who was somehow offended by this and left a comment asking if we also found the n-word funny. I discovered this comment when Big A was online so he went to her Facebook page but couldn't see anything because they weren't friends. I'm pretty sure they were so I logged on and checked and sure enough, she and my aunt both un-Facebook friended me. I'm not sure what she found offensive since the spoof used the correct term (lesbian) and I'm pretty sure she's not a wig-wearing, face painting U-M fan.
I sent her a message telling her that obviously I didn't post it to offend people. As I was writing it though, I had a moment of clarity: she was looking for any reason to "unfriend" me both on Facebook and in real life which is why she blew a small thing so out of proportion; which is why I've spent the last 6+ years not talking to her and seeing her at the occasional Christmas gathering or only getting tidbits of what she's up to from her mom until she decided to get a Facebook page and then because of some obscure online etiquette rule, she felt she had to send me a friend request. This same theory applies to her mother whom I rarely talked to after I got married. I use to idolize them both growing up, they could do no wrong. As I grew up however, my view drastically changed and now I have no respect for them. Now I think they are threatened by me. I'm a self-sufficient woman and they have always had to depend on men to survive. Even now my cousin is 50 years old and still survives financially with the help of her step-father (she's driving their car, she's on their cell phone plane, I'm pretty sure he paid for her recent dental work since she has no insurance). I see who they really are. They can fool most people that don't know them more than socially but not me nor my brothers and they don't like that. My mom always use to say that there were two truths when talking to them - the real truth and their version of it.
I'll admit that I was upset last night but 24 hours later, I don't regret posting the video. I have a great immediate family and friends that more than make up for those two.
12 comments:
Post it here. We won't get offended :)
TC - You non-UM Big Ten team supporters probably wouldn't. :-) Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01Kz6Rw99Kk
Last night I learned that one of the things she found offensive about this video was the little person on the Little Rascal. That's really interesting coming from someone who RENTED a little person to dance at her daughter's 21st birthday party. This is the kind of person we're dealing with.
Personally, I find it offensive that someone would find that video offensive. That was great and I don't even live in Michigan.
Again I must say, why do you and TC put up with Facebook and all the social games one must play to use it?
Here's the deal. People use the concept of "being offended" as a weapon, in order to demonstrate some sort of dubious moral superiority. Stated differently, it's not even being thin-skinned. It's a cudgel to wield when they feel threatened by someone else, as you so rightly point out.
"Screw 'em, the horse they rode in on and everyone who looks like the horse they rode in on," as we say in the Ozarks.
Cheers.
Ed - You know, I really seriously thought about that after this but other than these couple of hiccups (which incidentally involve the same people), I do enjoy it for the semi-bonding experience that is involved with old friends and family members I don't see. I like getting the notifications from the people and things that I "like" and I'm a voyeur. I like looking at other people's pictures even if I don't know them. :-) I'm sure TC will second me on that last one.
R. - To use a Facebookism, if this comment had been on Facebook, I would have clicked 'Like'. Thanks for reinforcing that it really is them and not me (I don't think a day can get any better than when I use a Facebookism AND a Seinfeld reference).
I'm offline for a day and this is what I miss! Of course, over here where the grass is greener, people think blue and maize are the devil's colors. I'll stick to Carolina Blue, myself. Suppose I should go watch the video...
Re: Sage's comment.
Where I'm from, "M" is the first letter in "Mizzou."
Cheers.
why do you and TC put up with Facebook and all the social games one must play to use it?
That's a great question. One I wish I had an answer to that sounds better than a 16-year-old replying "I'm bored." Because Facebook honestly is something I tend to do when I'm "bored." Nothing else to do - might as well check Facebook. Wow, now I'm thinking about canceling my account. That's a really lame reason to be on. Ha.
I guess one slightly less lame reason is that so many of my friends and family have gone to the point where if I wasn't on Facebook, I would know NOTHING about their lives.
Great. I use it to curb boredom and keep up on gossip. I'm gonna shut up and watch that video now.
"Walmart Wolverine"
ROFL
Love it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh that was truly priceless.
TC - That is a great point about not knowing anything about their lives if you weren't on Facebook with them. That's very true.
I love my un-PC blog friends. ;-)
Murf and TC - I'm not trying to persuade you to quit FB but rather and just reasoning why I don't join.
Yes, I don't know every detail going on in the lives of friends and family but that gives me the incentive to call them or visit them and find out.
Ed - Facebook is the lazy way of doing that. :-)
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