Reading the comments
Jan. 5th, 2012 10:18 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lizbeeOne of my particular vices at work is Reading the Comments. Some people (my boss) would say that reading the news at all is a vice, given that I'm supposed to be working, but as far as I'm concerned, the only problem is the comments. I'm trying to give up. In the meantime, here are some of the people I've encountered lurking in the comments at The Age:
Anti-Zeitgeist Guy: "Despite my demonstrated ability to navigate a mainstream press website and reach the entertainment pages, I have never heard of Lady Gaga/Twitter/Adele/JK Rowling, and moreover, my ignorance makes me a better person."
The Unionbuster: "None of this would have happened if union membership was made illegal in the name of democracy."
Reds Under the Beds: "This is all the fault of the godless Communists of [insert political party here]." [A close relative of the Unionbuster, this person may actually be a time traveller from 1955.]
The Baby Boomer: "Kids today are unbelievably selfish, the way they expect to have jobs that pay a living wage," or, alternatively, "When I left school I walked into a well-paying job and stayed in it for 40 years! What's wrong with kids today that they can't do that?"
Generation X: "This is all the fault of the Baby Boomers and Gen Y."
Gen Y: "This is all the fault of the Baby Boomers and Gen X."
Identity Apolitical: "If people didn't walk around being not white/not men/not straight, they wouldn't be subjected to racist/sexist/homophobic attacks! It's easy -- just look at me!"
Abbott's Army: [carbon tax] [refugees] [sexist tirade about Prime Minister] [classist remark about Prime Minister's accent] [something something Ju-LIAR]
Working Class Hero: "Teachers/scientists/doctors/nurses/university lecturers/etc need to get REAL jobs and see what it's like in the REAL WORLD!"
Working Class Hero Redux: "I have no knowledge of this issue beyond what I gleaned from skimming this article, but I work with my HANDS and am thus better qualified than anyone to provide a solution!"
The Victorian Astroturfer: "As a teacher/nurse/librarian/etc, I work six hours a day and earn $80,000 a year. And I could earn even more if it wasn't for the union!"
The Slightly Lost Astroturfer: "All of these problems could be solved if everyone just voted for Ron Paul."
The Foreign Policy Expert: "My reading of right-wing blogs makes me an expert on American politics! [Insert Tea Party talking points/racist remark about Barack Obama here.]
The Foreign Policy Expert Redux: "My reading of left-wing blogs makes me an expert on American politics! [Insert classist remark about Republican voters here.]
Tough Love: "Refugees, the poor, the disabled, these are the enemies of freedom. For their own good they need to be separated from society and confined for their own good, while also not receiving any kind of government support whatsoever."
Sensible Point: "I have a meaningful and non-extreme contribution to this discussion. But good luck finding me!"
Anti-Zeitgeist Guy: "Despite my demonstrated ability to navigate a mainstream press website and reach the entertainment pages, I have never heard of Lady Gaga/Twitter/Adele/JK Rowling, and moreover, my ignorance makes me a better person."
The Unionbuster: "None of this would have happened if union membership was made illegal in the name of democracy."
Reds Under the Beds: "This is all the fault of the godless Communists of [insert political party here]." [A close relative of the Unionbuster, this person may actually be a time traveller from 1955.]
The Baby Boomer: "Kids today are unbelievably selfish, the way they expect to have jobs that pay a living wage," or, alternatively, "When I left school I walked into a well-paying job and stayed in it for 40 years! What's wrong with kids today that they can't do that?"
Generation X: "This is all the fault of the Baby Boomers and Gen Y."
Gen Y: "This is all the fault of the Baby Boomers and Gen X."
Identity Apolitical: "If people didn't walk around being not white/not men/not straight, they wouldn't be subjected to racist/sexist/homophobic attacks! It's easy -- just look at me!"
Abbott's Army: [carbon tax] [refugees] [sexist tirade about Prime Minister] [classist remark about Prime Minister's accent] [something something Ju-LIAR]
Working Class Hero: "Teachers/scientists/doctors/nurses/university lecturers/etc need to get REAL jobs and see what it's like in the REAL WORLD!"
Working Class Hero Redux: "I have no knowledge of this issue beyond what I gleaned from skimming this article, but I work with my HANDS and am thus better qualified than anyone to provide a solution!"
The Victorian Astroturfer: "As a teacher/nurse/librarian/etc, I work six hours a day and earn $80,000 a year. And I could earn even more if it wasn't for the union!"
The Slightly Lost Astroturfer: "All of these problems could be solved if everyone just voted for Ron Paul."
The Foreign Policy Expert: "My reading of right-wing blogs makes me an expert on American politics! [Insert Tea Party talking points/racist remark about Barack Obama here.]
The Foreign Policy Expert Redux: "My reading of left-wing blogs makes me an expert on American politics! [Insert classist remark about Republican voters here.]
Tough Love: "Refugees, the poor, the disabled, these are the enemies of freedom. For their own good they need to be separated from society and confined for their own good, while also not receiving any kind of government support whatsoever."
Sensible Point: "I have a meaningful and non-extreme contribution to this discussion. But good luck finding me!"
no subject
Date: 2012-01-05 06:34 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2012-01-06 02:01 pm (UTC)