Politically correct nonsense

Social networks may have broken civilization.  Sure, we are all connected, but the fact that anyone can post anything they want means that many things that used to be private, and still should be, now are forever available on the net.  Some issues have become a much bigger deal than they really are thanks to everyone sending things viral.

Take bullying for instance.  In a certain Facebook community that I'm part of, some people have taken it upon themselves to expose and exploit every instance of what they perceive to be bullying.  Notice I said "what they perceive".  Don't get me wrong.  There is bullying going on and always has, and it's terrible.  My definition, and I'm pretty sure the correct definition, is a directed and prolonged attack for the purpose of degrading, humiliating, or tormenting an individual.

In this particular FB community, some adults were found to be acting like stupid mean kids in a private forum, and then mercilessly persecuted to the point of shunning (an archaic practice) and even (rumored) to have cost one of the idiots his job.  At that point, the offended parties looked more like the bullies than the idiots.  Some of the offenders publicly apologized, but that wasn't enough for a couple of the group's founders, they continue to call for blood.  I saw some of what was done, and to me, it was just stupidity.  It was a private forum so the "victims" would never have seen it if another member of the private group hadn't leaked it.  So was this bullying?  Not in my book.  It wasn't a direct attack.  It was just people acting badly.

Now I see bullying apparently also includes any form of rudeness or insensitivity.  Two more things that have always been around.  This anti-bullying group has spawned members looking for any kind of unpleasant behavior, and they are reporting these slights to the group as bullying.  Yeah, it would be nice if everyone in the world could be polite and pleasant all the time, but hey, that's human beings for you.  Not gonna happen.

On another subject...dumb games.  Apparently, there is a bizarre game roving around FB, and I have to wonder what sick mind thought of this.  I've only seen parts of it, but I guess it's a sort of "Lying Game".  Someone is given a list of things to post on their status, and they have to choose from the list.  The list sounds sick!  Like one posted "I'm pregnant".  Concerned friends (not in on the "game") immediately responded with shock or sympathy or whatever they were feeling knowing this person as they do.  My friend played, and her status was so disturbing that I had to call her to find out what the fuck was going on.  When she realized that friends were scared for her, she deleted the damn thing, and promised not to do that again.  From her, I heard a few other weird items on the list.

This is what Facebook as done to us.

Enough of that, I want to talk about TV.  Finally, Dish settled their dispute with CBS, and it's back in my programming as of yesterday.  Bout time.  The shows I watched most have always rerun episodes, so I hope that happens.  One I really missed was The Good Wife.  I'll be so far behind.

The much anticipated Doctor Who 50th Anniversary episode is this weekend, and then the Christmas special where the 12th Doctor debutes in December.  I now have the entire series (Docter #9 to present) collected on the DVR.  It took a while to gather it all, but luckily BBC ran it during the day as well as during prime time.  Everything will be going on hiatus for the holidays, so it looks like a good time for some marathons.

Still loving the Peter Pan arc on Once Upon A Time, and still ambivalent about Once...In Wonderland.  At least I've now got it straight that these are in no way connected.  The Pan character is fascinating and the actor plays it perfectly.  Now we know his backstory, and I didn't see that coming.  Spoilers.

Another of my favorites has taken a dark turn that I didn't expect.  On Haven, William has become really evil, and is somehow connected to Audrey and the Troubles.  He says they created the Troubles together.  Can't say I'm pleased with this twist.  I loved Colin Ferguson as the lovable and funny sheriff on Eureka, and I was hoping he could be a regular in Haven.  Now it looks like he has to die, so that's kind of wrong for me.

I have theories about who William is, and how he's connected to Audrey.  One is the obvious...they were romantically involved.  He has said that she loved him.  But it's so obvious, I'm not really buying it.  Their connection is physical and supernatural, so I'm favoring another theory.  They're siblings, maybe even twins.  That would explain their love and connection.  Or they are one person split into dark and light sides.  This is a bizarre universe so that could happen.  Can't wait to see if I'm right, or if there's something completely different.  It says a lot about a show that when it first aired, I wasn't sure if I'd like it, and now I'm obsessed.

Letsee, what else.  Dancing With The Stars has gone the usual ridiculous way.  Good dancers gone, and clutzy looking people surviving on sympathy votes.  I was really surprised by Snooki's run.  Yeah, that Jersey Shore trainwreck is all growed up and behaving like a responsible adult.  Good on her!  She was a damn good dancer, and a pretty cute package, but then she was gone.  The finale is next week and I don't give a shit who wins.  It no longer matters.  We're not going to see amazing dances (except maybe Corbin), and I expect the Free Styles to be meh.

Oh and can we say Saturday Night Live!  Fabulous!  I saved the one with Kerry Washington parodying "What Does The Fox Say?"  Sooo goood!  Miley Cyrus has been back, and last week it was Lady Gaga.  Someone break Gaga into acting, she can do it!  I loved the skit where they slammed Kimye (you know I hate them!), and Gaga was a hapless Apple employee.  It was just great all around.  You're missing good stuff this season if you aren't watching SNL!


Good morning.