I was logging into the blog a couple minutes ago to write a quick entry about a Facebook group called “America is not U.S.A. America is a Continent.” It’s true, America doesn’t consist solely of The United States of America; it’s all of North and South America. North America + South America = TWO continents. But that’s beside the point at the moment.
The first thing I did was check out the spam filter because, well, there are usually some interesting (and sometimes amusing) messages posted by websites that think I need to work out more, need cheap mp3 files and need a bigger penis. They may be right, but that’s beside the point at the moment as well. This time, I found a comment written by an actual person with a valid opinion that should probably be addressed. (When you read it, you’ll understand why it got blocked by the spam filter.)
This came from an individual calling him/herself rennugC sdrawkcab and posted it in reference to my blog entry about the 5th season of Beauty and the Geek entitled “S5, Episode 6: A hunk-a hunk-a burnin’ love”. Here it is (and I’ll translate it to the best of my ability afterward):
b4ck ag41n?/?// 1 7h1nk 50 n00b,,, n0 w0rry 1 ju57 f1nn35hed ma1 3MP ch4113ng35 1n c0d 6, 15 y0ur “p3rf3c7n355? 411 y0u hh4v3 t0 t4lk 4b0u7 0n y0ur bl0g?// 53r10u51y, y0u 5p34k 0f 7h1s “12andi” g1rl 0f b31ng 531f-4b50rb3d y3t y0u 4r3 7h3 0n3 741k1n9 d0wn 70 p30p13 0n y0ur b10g…4r3 y0u 7rul3y a5 g00d 4nd pur3 4nd p3rf3ct a5 y0u 7h1nk y0u ar3? 0r 4r3 y0u bu5y d3c13v1ng y0ur531f b3c4u5e y0u l057 0n a r34l1ty 7v 5h0w, 1f 7h3 g0al 0f 7h3 5h0w wa5 t0 5h0w d1gr35510n fr0m y0ur “b4tc4v3 b10gg1ng” 4nd “g33k” t3nd3nc135 y0u h4v3 c3rta1nly fa1l3d, b3c4u53 1f y0u 7ru1y 13arn3d any7h1ng fr0m “Beauty and The Geek” 1t w0u1d b3 7o b3 1355 n3rdy, w0uld 1t n0t????? g00d f1ght
“Back again?!?!! I think so noob… no worry I just finished my EMP challenges in [Call of Duty 6], is your ‘perfectness’ all you have to talk about on your blog?!! Seriously, you speak of this ‘Randi’ girl of being self-absorbed yet you are the one talking down to people on your blog…are you truly as good and pure and perfect as you think you are? Or are you busy deceiving yourself because you lost on a reality TV show, if the goal of the show was to show digression from your ‘batcave blogging’ and ‘geek’ tendencies you have certainly failed, because if you truly learned anything from ‘Beauty and the Geek’ it would be to be less nerdy, would it not????? Good night”
Like I said, I can’t imagine why it would get blocked by the spam filter. And also like I said, a valid opinion.
First off, if there’s a question of my being as good and pure and perfect as I think I am… if I’m less than that, then my life is in the shitter. I have many, many, many faults—I won’t name names of people who can provide examples—but suffice it to say that I know there are plenty of things wrong with me. They may not appear on the blog (aside from apologies for not writing entries often enough), but I filter out things I don’t want to write.
In a way, it’s like going out on a date. I want to look nice, so I’ll shave, put on some nice clothes and act very polite and sincere and be on my best possible behavior. When I’m hanging out with friends or just chilling at home, things are much different: shaving isn’t a priority, I’m happy in shorts and a t-shirt, I’ll tell dirty jokes and engage in “geek” activities (I only own a PS2, so no Call of Duty 6 for me). They’re all aspects of my personality, but I choose which ones to present depending on the circumstances.
The same goes for my blog. I like to seem strong and jovial and self-confident, but that’s not always the case in real life. Hell, that’s not always the case here. I cracked a couple times when I wrote about spending a weekend at home alone and our dog had an epileptic seizure in my arms or the time someone tried to break into our house while I was here. I’m not perfect. I get nervous and scared and concerned like everyone else. I’m willing to talk about that in front of friends and family, but anyone can read this: people who I don’t like, potential or current employers and judgmental pricks.
That’s right, I said it. Judgmental pricks. And that refers to both of us. I defy anyone to find a completely objective blog that is never influenced by the writer’s point of view. I said that Randi was acting like a little snot and I meant it (which makes for good TV, so I’m not surprised that it was included in the episode). Meanwhile, someone else might have looked at the showdown between Joe and her and compared it to “the white man keepin’ the black man down.” I may think that’s ridiculous, but that’s my point of view.
As for my point of view about the purpose of the show, it was never to make me less nerdy. No one ever tried to make me stop collecting comic books or playing video games or indulging in the occasional session of D&D with my friends. What they tried to do was make me feel more comfortable and more confident in situations that would have scared the hell out of me previously. It worked to a degree, though I still hate the idea of walking up to strangers and asking for their phone numbers while they’re busy shopping.
So was the show a success or a failure? Is this blog a success or a failure? As in any situation, it depends on how you look at it. For the participants of the show, there are mixed reviews: some of us enjoyed it and appreciated the experience, but Cheryl hated it because it never showed her positive features. In the eyes of the viewer, she was just a dumb blond. That’s it. For the viewers of the show, they got some laughs, they got some tears and some of them were actually inspired by what they saw. For me, that makes it a success. (Oh yeah, and it got decent ratings, so the network, producers and advertisers liked it, too.)
But what about the blog? In this case, I don’t need to worry about other people as much. Slandering people (*cough* Ashton Kutcher’s a dick *cough*) won’t have much of an effect, assuming I don’t mind strangers breaking into my Batcave and beating the snot out of me. It’s just a way for me to write random stuff, entertain myself and possibly entertain others. I have no idea how many people might read the blog—I might be able to count the number on one finger—but if it makes that one person chuckle on occasion, I’m happy. If you’re intent on making sure you don’t chuckle, go back to surfing for porn, I really don’t care. Unless you’re gonna be putting your hands on my keyboard afterward.
Oh, and don’t forget that whether I’m perfect or not has nothing to do with the fact that “America” is two continents. Just sayin’…
+1 reader…