Below is a conversation between me and a reader on Facebook who really felt the need to defend Justin Bieber recent bad behavior, and along the way attack me. Don't worry - I'll be fine... :)
I thought it makes for an interesting blog post. It went in so many unexpected directions. And I'll give the guy this - he stands his ground. Of course, we know how "stand you ground" can end up sometimes. Thankfully, no one is seriously injured in this back and forth between he and I.
To be clear, I have no animosity towards the poster who kept addressing me. I don't know him at all.
But it was interesting that he while he continued to attack me and my character, when I point out his words and tone to him, he suddenly gets "bored" and tells me to take a writing class.
Note his tone throughout. And please note that I never attack him or his character.
I have left out other people's comments since no one else was really in the "line of fire." His first comment came after about seven or eight other readers had chimed in.
Wild night on the old Facebook...
- He's 20 years old. Y'all need to STFU.
How about deporting all the illegal Americans coming across our borders bringing guns and illegal drugs here? Let's talk about your own crap before you start pointing fingers.
With all the backward freaks you have in America, all the problems, this is what your blog chooses to write about?
This is not a very intelligent blog. Why would you choose to follow this. I am outta here...
Oh shoot - Roberto didn't like my blog. Darn... I'm crushed.
Apparently you have nothing better to blog about besides JB. Are you an affiliate of the trash magazines we see in supermarkets?
"Apparently you have nothing better to blog about...." "Are you an affiliate of the trash magazines.."
Have you READ my blog, Roberto? Have you seen that I've spent 3 years blogging about marriage equality, healthcare issues, equal rights for all, and more? Did you even peruse the blog before you wrote that?
And by the way - are you really defending a 19 year old who pisses in mop buckets at restaurants, goes on stage hours late for his own concerts for which he gets paid millions, and throws eggs at his neighbor's house causing thousands of dollars of damage? All these comments here for someone - 19 years old or not - like that?
But you'll attack me for posting a silly thing here? Something the entire media world is talking about.
You have very interesting priorities. I'm not judging you. If defending what in America we would call a punk, and attacking someone who writes every day for years for equality is your sense of fairness and balance, then good on you. You stand your ground.
We all have a voice, and that's how you choose to use yours.
And, just to point out, you came to this post leading with "Y'all need to STFU" - that's a tone you set.
I understand you'd like to contact me privately. If you have further comments, please feel free to share them here. Being a blogger, I'm a "public square" kind of guy. If you basically want to call me "trash" and "not very intelligent" let's by all means do it in public.
What does Justin Bieber have to do with any of the aforementioned above? You're writing about a 19 year old kid that is obviously messed up on drugs, and you, Mr.Stand up for rightness ridicule him? Really? How about showing some sympathy and compassion instead of posting something as ridiculous as you did. I could care less of who you rub shoulders with in Hollywood but I do strongly suggest you should show compassion for all, not just those of who are part of your community or those that are like you. I think you are completely hypocritical.
And as far as your blog goes, you are just reposting things that have already been posted. Show us your writing talent, if you have any. Thats what real bloggers do. You wanted this in public, so here I serve it to you.
"Here I serve it to you" - nice turn of phrase...
Regarding what "real bloggers do," every blogger in the world makes their own rules. There are many variations on what a blogger does. That's the great thing about the platform.
I claim no writing talent. Never have. I share and comment on items in the news cycle of interest to me (and the 100K readers who read my blog each month). I write occasionally about chapters in my life. And I post pictures and videos that entertain me.
Regarding "compassion' for a man/child who causes physical damage to other people's property, who makes millions from other people's "fan-dom" and can't seem to get his crap together, yes - I posted about what a joke he's made of himself. Tons of young artists have made it through early success without the seemingly excessive terrible behavior young Bieber displays.
Do you think Justin Bieber cares for one second about what I post? This is someone who resisted arrest while drag racing down a public street. Surely, I am not even on his list of cares or concerns. The charges against him should rank MUCH higher...
I do stand up for LGBT rights, and I do stand up for equality for everyone - especially those who don't have a public voice. Justin Bieber has quite quite the platform to defend himself. And then there's always the choice to straighten up and stop acting like an idiot.
I disagree that I'm some kind of "hypocrite" because I stand up for millions of folks who don't have equal rights but don't stand up for a punk who makes millions of dollars and can't find the common sense god gave a goat? No - I don't put the two in the same category.
Would you just as vigorously defend a teenager who caused thousands of damage to YOUR home, or damaged YOUR car while drunk driving. Would you say "hey, everyone - give the kid a break - he's young."
If this was a one time thing for Bieber it would be one thing. But over and over and over and over again, he just acts like a punk. And he's allowed to do so because he makes money for a record label.
At what point would you consider that he be held accountable for his crappy behavior? Ever? If the media didn't report on this, and no one ever knew, would that be a GOOD thing? So he could just continue life as a punk? Is this behavior you would be proud to show the world if he was your son?
In the end, Roberto, you get to have an opinion.
And I get to have mine.
Who made you God? Do you have a child or children? I can smell your Hollywood arrogance from here and that you rub elbows with " stars" is quiet evident. Clearly you have no clue, nor compassion. By your arrogance, I am sure you were the perfect child. Never did anything wrong.
I have no idea what you mean by "Hollywood arrogance." I don't live in Hollywood and I don't work in Hollywood.
Was I the perfect child? (We're now calling a 19 year old millionaire recording artist a child?) No - I wasn't. But I never egged my neighbor's house to the tune of THOUSANDS of dollars. I never drag raced down a street putting real people's lives at stake. I never pissed in public on video in a restaurant mop bucket. I was never paid millions of dollars for a concert just to make my fans wait hours. Not sure if that makes me "perfect" but, no, I never did those things.
But seriously, man. If Justin Bieber is your hill to die on, congrats. Defend away. If you think he's great and owns no fault for his actions, have at it. Gee, that sounds like good parenting doesn't it? "He's young." "He's a child." Like any of that would really do Justin Bieber any good.
He needs someone to call him on his crap, and he need to grow up.
In America, we have 18 year olds serving in the military. Surely at 19, we could ask that JB act a little better?
Randy, I am sure you are a great guy but your views are so very different from north of the border. Life isn't always as easy as black and white. Clearly he and his entourage are fucked up on drugs and he can't think clearly. Show compassion instead of judgement. I would look good on you.
From the look of it, this is the only thing that you have posted on your " blog" that has had any dialogue. Interesting,
So I'm clear, let me track this out:
I post a joking comment about an ill-behaved, spoiled 19 year old millionaire who has repeatedly damaged other people's property, acted terribly in public many times and doesn't fulfill his professional obligations in a timely manner.
You enter this post with:
"Y'all need to STFU"
"Show us your writing talent, if you have any."
Accuse me of being "completely hypocritical"
Accuse me of "Hollywood arrogance"
Accuse me of having "no clue nor compassion"
Accuse me of having "nothing better to blog about"
Accuse me of being an "affiliate of trash magazines"
That's all you, Roberto. Not ONCE did I attack you or your character. I don't know you, so how could I? And - I didn't. You enter this conversation demanding that I have "compassion" for JB while you attack me and my character.
Where is your compassion? I saw you commented a post I made on Martin Luther King Jr Day. You wrote "Practice what you preach." Is that what you are doing when you post ALL of those comments and attacks on my character?
Look at all that that you wrote. Those are YOUR words.
Note the absence of any attack on my part on your character or person.
"Practice what you preach." You preach "compassion." Is THAT what you're doing here? Do all those comments from you I repeated above sound like "compassion?"
If you wanted to make a point, you could have said "give the kid a break." You said "STFU." You said "you have no clue nor compassion." You said "show us your writing talent if you have any."
"Practice what you preach?" Is that really what YOU are doing? Again - your words. Not mine.
I'm not going to expound on what I do for charitable causes and folks who need help. Regular readers of The Randy Report know the events and charities I publicize and support. So, since you don't know me, I'll ask a bit of restraint when you call me "hypocritical" and tell me to be compassionate.
And I'll remind you that I, unlike you, have not called you names.
What I HAVE done - other than post a small humorous comment about an ill-behaved teenage millionaire - is keep this conversation open. This is my page. At any moment, I COULD delete your posts, other people's posts, or the whole thread. But I encourage a public discourse. While your language tells me to "STFU" - I'm continuing to have this conversation with you. Without calling names or disparaging you.
Remind me again about "practice what you preach...?"
Okay, you know what? You're starting to bore me. Go learn how to write and take a class on blogging.
No worries Roberto. Let's end on these words of wisdom: "Compassion" "Practice what you preach"
Roberto you have a lot of arrogance and judgement.
ReplyDeleteArrogance and judgement is the least of "Roberto's" problems, believe me....
DeleteArrogance and judgement is the least of "Roberto's" worries, believe me......
DeleteAnd btw, from personal experience..."Roberto" only has compassion if he personally will benefit from it....
Delete