I'm being serious (mostly). I've learned a lot from these Trons of Inter.
If you've been reading me for awhile, you probably know I'm one of those humorless feminists who is working very hard to create The Nu Gyntopia. So I've learned a lot about privilege, chauvinism, and "default" people from having a significant online presence. Who are default people? White men, specifically straight white men. A straight white man is the default person. And you know who often made him the default? I did.
When I'd read something funny or clever on the Internet, I nearly always ascribed it to someone white and male. It's just where my mind went. The Internet taught me that often the person behind that thing I thought was so clever or funny was often a woman. Or a black dude. Or gay person. Or a transgendered person. It's one case where I enjoyed coming to terms with my own chauvinism and tendency to go to the default.
I've also learned a lot about the LBGT community. Stuff I'm sure I would not have learned had I not had the Internet--and by extension millions and millions of people who--SURPRISE!--aren't exactly like me-- at my fingertips. Fer instance, I was one of those clowns who thought transgendered people were just "gay people who couldn't deal with being gay." I'll give you a minute to process how obnoxious that is. Well, I'm not gonna get into what being transgendered is, because frankly I'm not qualified to do that, but it sure as shit wasn't what I thought it was. Thank you, Internet, for waking me up and cock-slapping me with my own privilege.
I've also become more aware of the fact that words have power, specifically the power to hurt...greatly. And just because I enjoy using them or don't "mean it that way," it doesn't give me the right to let loose with those words. Sure it's fun for me say someone's retarded. And when I say it I'm not actually referring to a developmentally-disabled person. But if you are a developmentally-disabled person...or the friend or parent of one...that excuse just doesn't motherfucking fly. So it made me think that even though I fucking love that word, that maybe I can be an adult and just not use it in mixed company (or at all). More gettin' slapped in the face with my own privilege. Less fun, but still enlightening. And so I'm thankful for it.
So, thanks, Internet. Thanks for actually teaching me a bunch of stuff I didn't even know I didn't know. And for making me a better person.
Also the free porn.
So I was wondering if y'all wanted to play iTunes Roulette with me. You play like this: put your music library on shuffle and post the first song that comes up. I got:
