If people call you bitchy, you probably just are

This remarkably inane comment was in response to a post where I dared to blame men for the twisted world they have constructed. So there we have it. Women who speak out are shrill, hysterical, bitchy, lying, navel-gazing fruitcakes. Men are not bitchy when they comment on the world they live in. No. They are angry. They are speaking their mind. They are saying it like it is.

So, I have some questions for you. When women speak up and talk about their experiences, what would be so bad about listening for a change ? What is so hard about thinking about what they are saying? How about NOT jumping in with your words of wisdom like “feminism is outdated” or “you have an inferiority complex” or “men have it just a bad” or “get over yourself” (whatever the hell that means)? How about trying to understand what is being said? Or asking questions? Or finding out more?

That was the serious bit. Now for the fun. I wrote some new guidelines…

SHOULD YOU COMMENT ON THIS BLOG?

If you think that sexism/racism/homophobia is over, do not comment.

If you have ten or less standard responses to sexism/racism/homophobia, do not comment.

If you cannot see anything beyond the colour of my skin or my gender. do not comment.

If you are going to call me by some demeaning endearment like cupcake, baby or darling, do not comment.

If you feel so threatened by me that you need to become a big-mouthed bully, do not comment.

If you feel compelled to write the same comment on many different blogs, do not comment.

If you have read 5% of what I actually wrote and made up the rest, do not comment.

If you get a kick out of putting people down, do not comment.

If you are going to go away and write a feeble, insulting post about me and then try and advertise it here, do not comment.

If you disagree with what I say but cannot cope with people responding, do not comment.

Got any more anti-troll guidelines ? I feel better now. End of troll fest.

UPDATE: Laurelin in the Rain has her own rules of engagement which I agree with completely. Lots of similar issues as here and a wicked sense of humour. Biting Beaver gets the award for the most concise sentence ever written about commenting on blogs: “If you are NOT guilty of the things I post about then I’m NOT fucking talking to you.” Thanks Laurelin, you reminded that I had read “Da Rules” before but forgot where I’d read them!

Technorati Tags: deviousdiva, homophobia, trolls, racism, sexism