Well, well, well. I never would have expected this. It seems I’m the center of a tiny little firestorm on the world wide web. The controversy began with my comment last week on the cartoon mash-up Jersey Circus which brought together the Family Circus comic with quotes from the TV show Jersey Shore. I didn’t much like them. And said so. And some people are very cranky with me because of that.
First let me note that the nicest, most intelligent response I got was from Liz Laribee, a contributing writer at Jersey Circus. Her response was witty and to the point. Liz made me go back and think about what I said and how I said it. I’m not backing away from my opinion of the work. It doesn’t appeal to me. Someone suggested that it was satire. Ok, even as satire it just doesn’t work for me. I don’t find much amusing, compelling or though provoking about the folks on the show Jersey Shore. I’m disturbed as someone who works with young people by the number of youth who seem to find these folks role models. So I’m pre-disposed to dislike the comic meme I guess.
What bothers me most is that Liz seemed to feel that I was calling her and her collaborators perverse and dumb. Not my intention. They went where their creative muse directed them. I have nothing but the highest respect for the creative process. When you put your work out in public though it’s open for criticism (just like this commentary). Some folks aren’t going to like it. I’m quite certain that Liz understands that.
I’m not so sure some of the commenters do. A variety of folks (a fair number of whom posted anonymously. My rule is that I pay very little attention to folks who won’t put their name where their mouth is. My name is at the start of every single program) chose to question a wide variety of my personal traits. I was told to lighten up, told that I was a crank. The defense of Liz’s right to make her commentary on society was not accorded to my commentary. But that seems to be the way of it. Sadly too much of what passes for discussion these days takes the tack that “I’m right and you’re an idiot”. Happily the creators of Jersey Circus are better than that. And whether I like it Jersey Circus or not it has created the chance for a deeper discussion.
At some point I probably owe Liz a beer.
Call that the View From the Phlipside.
(The cartoon is from the BRILLIANT xkcd - a web comic of romance, sarcasm, math and language. If you are not a regular reader you should be!)
"The View From the Phlipside" airs on WRFA-LP Jamestown NY. You can listen to WRFA online HERE
Copyright - Jay Phillippi 2010
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