Is it just me or is the world even more insane than usual lately?
I don’t normally talk about current events here–I try to keep this blog as my shiny escapism place. But the world seems extra insane right now, so here’s an attempt to exorcise some of the thoughts that have been disturbing my sleep lately.
* I am really pleased to see evolutionary psychology getting the smackdown in mainstream publications recently. I hope this is the beginning of a shift in the public discourse so that I’ll stop encountering those nauseating “Men are programmed to cheat/Women are programmed to raise babies” articles on a weekly basis.
* I watched parts of Mark Sanford’s press conference and … I actually kind of feel bad for the guy? He didn’t just fuck around with a stranger; he seems to have really been in love with the woman. It was painful to watch him making an extended public mess of himself instead of following the apologetic-politician script and then getting the hell offstage quickly. I hope he resigns and gets some mental help. (Of course on a political level I totally do not sympathize with the hypocrisy of a man who wants to deny gay couples the right to marry while doing such a shitty job of protecting the “sanctity” of his own marriage.)
* I can’t say I’m heartbroken over Michael Jackson’s death. I didn’t grow up with MTV or pop radio, so the only Michael Jackson I knew was the scary-plastic-surgery one who kept getting accused of child molestation. I pitied him and was disturbed by him (and the culture that created him) but I never felt fondness toward him. I extend my sympathy to the people who were fans, though; I know it’s upsetting to lose someone whose music means so much to you. (RIP Layne Staley. *sigh*)
I did call myself a Michael Jackson fan at one point, though–when I was five or so I saw Captain EO at one of the Disney parks and apparently spent enough time adoring him that my mom picked up a Michael Jackson t-shirt for me at a garage sale. I only remember it because it’s in photos.
The death of such a ubiquitous public figure is disconcerting; it reminds us that the world is always changing, that the cultural landscape we take for granted will one day be long gone. And of course it also reminds us of our own mortality, that death is something no one can escape no matter how rich, talented, successful, or powerful.
The more I read, the more the media attention given to this case in particular disturbs me. It’s the relentless fascination and crocodile tears and near-glee at what is basically a public train wreck of a life. This guy was obviously very mentally ill and was hurting himself and (probably) others, but because he was rich and famous everyone just gawked instead of, I don’t know, helping? Wouldn’t our normal instinct when we see someone sick be to help them? But when they’re making massive amounts of money for a lot of people, suddenly their sickness is just part of the show?
* I’m biting my nails over the upcoming health care legislation. I know compromise is necessary to get anything done, but at least we need to get a freaking public option! I will never understand these Republicans whose entire argument is “Government sucks; we’re doomed to fail, so why even bother?” WTF, then don’t go into government, asshole, and let us elect someone who actually wants to do her job! Aren’t these the same people who won’t stop raving about how America is the greatest nation in the history of ever? And yet we’ll never manage to keep up with other nations when it comes to health care? And aren’t these the same people who think the military and the prison system are awesome? HELLO THOSE ARE RUN BY GOVERNMENT. Government’s great for killing and imprisoning people, but god forbid it actually does something to help anyone!? And what’s this nonsense about the horror of having a government bureaucrat between you and your doctor? I’d much rather have someone in government, whose job is to help me and who I can vote to change if he fails, than someone in the health care industry over whom the public has no oversight and whose actual job is to make money for his company by screwing me over.
I just… seriously, you guys, why is the level of discourse in this country so pathetic?
* I’m upset by the vitriol some people on both sides are spewing in the latest round of the warnings debate. It feels like the discourse in the journaling-sites/metafandom-reading segment of fandom is getting crueler and more divisive (but maybe I’m just clicking on more links than I used to :P).
I wrote some thoughts on the matter here, not really because I want to wade into battle but because this keeps getting simplified into “the only people who oppose warnings are lazy writers.” I’m not a writer but as a reader I am concerned about the effect warnings have in terms of dividing communities and creating mental boundaries. I feel more comfortable with the idea of calling out potentially triggering topics in summaries so that people who need to avoid them can, but without the value judgment that comes from the word “warning”–a word that implies that something is dangerous and bad and that maybe there’s something wrong with those who enjoy it. Or at least it would be better to hide the warning behind spoiler text so that it’s more apparent that warnings are there for those who need them but aren’t a necessary form of categorization that all readers are expected to take into account. Otherwise we risk making them more important than they should be, into divisions that separate people and increase the likelihood of censorship.
* I did not watch the video of Neda Agha Soltan’s death. Just reading other peoples’ reactions and seeing the frozen unplayed YouTube images was enough to make me incredibly upset. I can’t stop thinking about it for a number of reasons. The most obvious is that I’ve never seen anyone die before, and on a human level it’s heartbreaking.
It’s also a symbol of the way the world is changing; in a hundred years people will still be writing books discussing this as part of the definitive shift from old media to new. In addition, it’s another example of the dissolving boundary between public and private as we become increasingly able to broadcast the most intimate and personal details of human lives, uncensored, to the world. Certainly it’s a definitive moment in the political history of Iran. It also sparks some disturbing questions about how and why we value people–I saw so many comments lamenting how beautiful she was. Would this video have been nearly effective if she was overweight and “ugly”? Or if she was a middle-aged man? Or if she’d been protesting loudly instead of just standing there? (The association of beautiful women with purity/innocence/helplessness is obviously a double-edged sword for women trying to be taken seriously in the world.)
But mostly I just feel so horrible for her, and worried for the people in Iran. *sigh* :(
Current Mood: 
stressed
14 Responses to “Is it just me or is the world even more insane than usual lately?”
Jerry on June 26, 2009 5:38 pm | Link
This guy was obviously very mentally ill and was hurting himself and (probably) others, but because he was rich and famous everyone just gawked instead of, I don’t know, helping? Wouldn’t our normal instinct when we see someone sick be to help them? But when they’re making massive amounts of money for a lot of people, suddenly their sickness is just part of the show?
Unfortunately, when rich, famous people become mentally ill, there usually isn’t anyone who can do anything about it, whether it’s Michael Jackson or Howard Hughes or Phil Spector (or, arguably, Elvis Presley or Marlon Brando or Mike Tyson). Britney Spears was actually pretty lucky that someone was able to take over running her life. Jackson’s family didn’t seem to be able to do that, plus I think they were probably part of the problem (especially his father).
The media, of course, cares for nothing but business, and Jackson was good for business.
I was never a huge Michael Jackson fan, because the kind of music he made wasn’t really the kind I listen to, but he was enormously talented, so it’s sad how things played out (though certainly not unique - he’s not at all unlike past figures like Elvis or Judy Garland or Marilyn Monroe who got lost in their own fame and in the machine that fed off them).
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rusty-halo on June 26, 2009 6:14 pm | Link
I don’t know… I disagree that there isn’t anyone who can do anything about it. Maybe no one is in a position to take over “running their lives,” but plenty of people are in the position to at least stop exacerbating their mental problems by exploiting them for financial gain.
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txvoodoo on June 26, 2009 7:43 pm | Link
It’s…that part of American “freedom” where we think (high, huge generalization!) that people have a right to do anything until it destroys them - and then it’s too late.
We don’t know yet, but it seems there were people supplying MJ w/ prescription drugs for a long time. His family and other friends were dismayed - some spoke out, only to find themselves removed from contact w/ MJ (either by him, or flacks, etc). So his downward spiral continued.
It’s our society’s dichotimy.
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trepkos on June 26, 2009 6:00 pm | Link
Wouldn’t our normal instinct when we see someone sick be to help them? But when they’re making massive amounts of money for a lot of people, suddenly their sickness is just part of the show?
I know! I can’t believe people let him get into this state. I don’t actually believe the child molestation charges. his accusers just seemed like opportunist money-grabbers, and I’m not a big fan of MJ.
The warnings thing - how do people with triggers get through life? There must surely be triggers everywhere - in the news, in books, conversations you hear on the tube, newspapers, films … is it just that people expect fandom to be a safer place than everywhere else? Because they open their minds more when reading? I mean, I do warn, if I think there’s something upsetting, because that’s the convention, but I’m not sure why fanfic has to be different to everything else. I agree it probably results in people missing out on stuff.
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rusty-halo on June 26, 2009 6:37 pm | Link
I have no idea if Michael Jackson actually molested anyone. I don’t really think any of us is in the position to know; obviously his behavior was incredibly odd, but that’s as far as our knowledge goes. I’m bothered both by the people who’ve completely condemned him as a monster and by those who’ve “stood in support” just because they think his songs are pretty.
is it just that people expect fandom to be a safer place than everywhere else?
I have sympathy with the idea that the world isn’t a safe space (nor is fandom), but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t each do what we can to make it safer for people who have been victimized. Just because it isn’t and can’t be perfect doesn’t mean we can’t make it a lot better.
The journaling-site-based side of fandom has reason to be particularly concerned about triggers related to sexual assault, as it seems to have a far higher proportion of women who’ve been victimized than general society. PTSD is real, and I’m bothered at the implication that we should, of course, go out of our way to make the world more accessible for people with physical disabilities, but that we don’t extend the same courtesy to those with debilitating mental health issues.
I’m not sure why fanfic has to be different to everything else
Yes, I am very bothered by the argument I keep seeing from the pro-warning side that fanfic is a lesser genre that should not be compared to art, that it’s invalid to discuss “artistic integrity” in relation to fanfiction. Some of the greatest stories I’ve read in my life have been fanfiction.
I would like it to be common practice that writers make potential triggers apparent without the use of the word “warning,” with its implications of badness. One person’s trigger is another person’s kink; there’s got to be a way to alert them both without an implication of judgment. Maybe just “Contains sexual assault,” and people can decide for themselves whether that’s a benefit, drawback, or irrelevancy.
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trepkos on June 26, 2009 7:22 pm | Link
The journaling-site-based side of fandom has reason to be particularly concerned about triggers related to sexual assault, as it seems to have a far higher proportion of women who’ve been victimized than general society.
Good point.
I think I will sit on the fence.
I give warnings but don’t demand them.
I guess there’s an argument that if the author doesn’t give warnings, perhaps people who are vulnerable shouldn’t read on, just in case. They’ll miss out on the fic, but on the other hand the author will miss out on feedback.
This whole thing does remind me of Douglas Adams’ Hitch-hiker’s Guide: when to satisfy Galactic rules about permitted levels of suspense in fiction, the Book told us in advance that the only bad thing that happened was someone bruised their upper arm.
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rusty-halo on June 29, 2009 12:25 pm | Link
I guess there’s an argument that if the author doesn’t give warnings, perhaps people who are vulnerable shouldn’t read on, just in case.
That’s probably the best choice if they’re likely to be triggered badly, but it’s so sad that these people who’ve been traumatized already now have to deal with the extra inconvenience of missing out on so many stories.
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nutmeg3 on June 26, 2009 7:39 pm | Link
I read that Newsweek article and was so. freakin’. happy. As for Michael Jackson, I never liked his music or his dancing (all mechanical precision and no heart, imo), and for years he’s been such a clearly sick puppy that I don’t know why someone didn’t just bodily drag him to therapy, so all this reverance now pretty much turns my stomach.
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rusty-halo on June 29, 2009 12:28 pm | Link
It is weird how people seem to have forgotten the past twenty years of Michael Jackson. The charitable interpretation is that they’re really mourning what his music meant to them personally and the memories of their own pasts that it evokes.
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Carolyn Claire on June 27, 2009 1:26 am | Link
I’m contemplating adding something to my stories, especially the Buffyverse stories, in case of potential triggers–would you mind updating them on AAS when I have a thing put together?
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rusty-halo on June 29, 2009 12:26 pm | Link
No problem. Just let me know. (You can send me an email at laura at rusty-halo.com).
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Peasant on June 27, 2009 6:33 am | Link
The principle of democratic localism which most right wing folk favour these days is that decisions should be made at the lowest possible level - so you can decide a health care policy at a very local level, hence that is where it should be decided, but an army needs to be run by the state/country as a whole so that is why that has to be done at that level. I have no idea why Republicans would want Federal level decisions about prisons though, that sounds wrong to me - law and order can definitely benefit from being organised at a more local scale.
And having been reduced to real anger by the stupidity, unhelpfulness and lack of willingness to communicate of the NHS over the last week, the idea that a government running a health care system will automatically make it as accountable and responsible as opening it to market forces is just laughable. Frankly there is no question that my hundred year old grandmother would have been treated the way she has been recently if she had had the status of paying customer rather than conveyor-belt patient whose existence is only a nuisance to those charged with her ‘care’.
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You make some very interesting points about warnings. I have mostly been avoiding the metafandom-linked debate because as you say the level of wankiness, bad faith tactics and rudeness amongst the regular metafandoming community has become totally unacceptable. I will even admit to a certain schadenfreude at seeing some of the biters bit.
I’ve always used the word ‘content’ for my headers rather than ‘warnings’, because I felt it gave me a wider base, and as you say it acknowledges that as often as not these are enticements rather than warnings as such.
I’m not sure about your suggestion that warnings and genre labels can fragment fans and close down reading broadness. At least, I agree with you that yes, that can and does happen, but I’m not sure that is a reason to dislike headers of that nature. I think I like to be guided in my reading, and if there were no headers I would simply not read fic at all rather than taking a risk and seeing what turns up. When I read fic it is because I am looking for a particular type of story, and the headers help me find those stories.
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rusty-halo on June 29, 2009 12:42 pm | Link
I’m very sorry that this happened to you and to your grandmother.
I’ve seen the same thing happen to paying customers, though. When my grandmother was in the hospital my mom had to basically camp out there and watch over her the whole time because she was treated so horribly. (Like my mom would arrive and find her unconscious on the floor with no one noticing/helping!) Sadly I don’t think being a paying customer helps unless you’re one of the super rich or you’re lucky enough to get doctors/nurses who truly care and go out of their way for you.
There is no perfect solution. I’ve read horror stories from every health insurance system, but when you look at the actual statistics, people are much healthier in countries with public systems. I would rather go with what works more often, even though it’s imperfect. And I am so sick of hearing stories of uninsured people either dying or bankrupting themselves to get care, and more stories every day of people who have insurance ending up bankrupt because of the corrupt policies of the insurance companies. I read an article the other day about a woman whose face was ripped off by a bear and the insurance company refused to cover putting her face back on because it was “cosmetic.”
But it’s a moot point anyway–government run health care isn’t even on the table for the US. It’s politically impossible. All they’re trying for is a public health insurance plan to give the profit-driven health insurance plans a bit of competition, and it’s very questionable that they’ll even get that. *sigh*
Regarding warnings: I’m far more comfortable with genre labels, or any label that doesn’t come with an implied value judgment. It’s really the word “warning” that I think creates mental boundaries. And I think it’s very silly to label things like “slash” or “het” when they are clear from the pairing. If it’s Spike/Angel um, I know it’s slash already thanks!
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Peasant on July 2, 2009 4:31 am | Link
I’m not sure that insurance schemes work, because they are just replacing the bureaucracy, incompetence and interference of a government with the bureaucracy, incompetence and interference of an insurance company.
I read the other day about a scheme somewhere in South-East Asia (Korea?) where they work on the basis that ill health is inevitable, so it is something you should be saving for not insuring against. So everyone has personal health accounts, topped up by the government in cases of need, and only insurance for catastrophic illness (which most people don’t get so it is sensible to insure against). Since it is their own account they have complete control of where to spend it and when - presumably it is limited to hospitals and doctors otherwise folk would be tempted to have a spending spree at the race track and leave the state to pick up the pieces. That brings real consumer choice back into the equation so hospitals know they have to provide a good service or they will empty of customers and go bankrupts.
Sounds a good system to me, although it would need tweaking if you were setting it up from scratch and nobody had existing accounts.
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