Actually, this won't matter in five minutes. But I'm gonna write about it anyway! ;o)
Reactions to other people's reactions to "The News":
"Americans are so dumb! NEWSFLASH: You're not going to die of Ebola! Stop panicking!!"
We know that. Being interested in developments in the Ebola story is not the same as panicking. It's only reasonable that people want to know what's happening-- including our country's plan for dealing with it. Also, the cute comparisons of Ebola and the flu are everywhere. We've seen them all, now. You're not impressing anyone, so you can stop.
"How come people only care about Ebola now that it's in the U.S.? (Racists...)"
Of course people will pay more attention to a very deadly disease when it is in their own country than when it's contained to an entirely different continent. That doesn't mean we don't care about the people in other places who are dealing with it-- but come on. Are you really this dense-- or are you lying to yourself?
"People need to shut up about Renée Zellwegger's face! Why can't you let women age in peace?! This is all YOUR FAULT, Western society!!"
Does it "really matter"? No. Is R.Z. free to do whatever she wants to her own face? Obviously. But she's a famous actress, and as such, she's opened herself up to comment. That said, few are saying that she's unattractive, now-- or even that she looks much older. ("Ewww! She's not in her 20s anymore. That's so gross!") People are simply shocked that she doesn't look like herself. Her face has completely changed-- and like it or not, that's kind of odd. Especially since in the photos I've seen from just a year or so ago, she still looked very young. It's just... strange for a woman (in this case, one who was known for a certain very distinctive look) to want to change her facial structure so drastically that she's no longer recognizable. Maybe she had medical reasons for doing so. Whatever her reasons, it's her right to make whatever changes she wanted-- but I'm not going to feel guilty for noticing and being confused by the transformation. (I think it's sad that she no longer looks like herself. She had an interesting face, and now that's gone.)
"Cis-gender this. Cis-gender that."
(This one seems to have faded somewhat in the past couple of months. For good, I hope.)
My only comment at the moment: UGH. Go away-- and never come back.
"Slut shaming! Plastic surgery shaming!"
Oh. My. Gosh. Please! Can this just stop?
I hadn't heard about "plastic surgery shaming" until today, but "slut shaming" has (sadly) been impossible to avoid for quite some time.
Believe it or not, I don't go around telling people that they should be ashamed of themselves for this, that, or the other. It's not my place, I'm not that confrontational, and I don't want people telling me about the things I should be ashamed of. (I am already aware of more than a few of them, thank you very much.) However, I can't help but think that this "slut shaming" crap is a glaring example of the recent trend of thinking that no-one should be judged/shamed/blamed/held accountable for anything, ever. (Unless they're accused of racism... or are politically or socially conservative...) How dare you presume?! You don't know me! You don't know my life!
Judge not, lest ye be judged? Yes, I know. But I think most of us need to feel at least a little afraid of-- or at least worried about-- being "judged" by our fellow man (or God). It's that bit of incentivizing kick-in-the-rear that keeps you from sliding into worse trouble.
But no. You can't have people feeling ashamed of bad behavior. You might hurt someone's feelings-- and you're no better than anyone else, anyway. We're all just relatively intelligent animals in clothes, right? Or-- wait... Maybe we're (mortal) gods, now? I can't keep up... It gets confusing, sometimes.
...So... Is "slob shaming" a thing, yet? 'Cause that could save me a ton of housework...
