What’s wrong with people?
December 5th, 2009
It’s rant time. You have been warned.
I just can’t get used to how rude and stupid people can be when they post comments on the internet. I’m especially annoyed by the cowards who attack people anonymously.
A very good friend of mine has recently been the victim of some of these internet bullies. Dave Rudin posted a photo over at his blog that resulted in a bunch of people getting their panties in a bunch and taking it out on Dave, who is one of the nicest, most decent people I’ve had the privilege to know. You won’t be able to see the “offending” photo because the model asked Dave to remove it, so he did. I have no doubt that the model was also being subjected to attacks that upset her enough to make that request.
The cowardly attacks are completely wrong on so many levels, regardless of the content of the photo, that I feel compelled to rant a bit about it.
Let’s start with a basic idea. Freedom of speech. It’s in our country’s constitution. It’s a crucial part of the foundation on which all democracies rest. And free speech is meaningless if it is only for speech that I or you agree with. We all have the right to express our ideas. Everyone else has the right to agree or disagree. But they don’t have the right to attack us for our views. I know that isn’t a concept that is well understood in a society where political debates on television seem to be decided by which side can shout with the most volume. But if we all stop standing up for the core right of free expression, we will all lose that right. Dave had every right to take whatever photo he wants to take and post it on his blog without having to endure vicious anonymous attacks on his character.
Of course the issue is “political correctness.” Political correctness is the death of art. The instant an artist starts to be concerned for what “They” will think of his or her artwork, all is lost. The work ceases to be the work of the artist and becomes just an empty regurgitation of the party line. As such it is worthless.
But the mobs are out there and the ability to remain unknown on the internet emboldens them to be much more rude and abusive than they would ever have the guts to be in person. They are despicable cowards and their venomous comments should be dismissed and ignored.
But they have always been with us. The internet just gives them a new way to poison the world. These are the people who burned “witches” at the stake. These are the people who enforced the black lists of the McCarthy era. These are the people who looked the other way while the holocaust took place in Europe. These are the Taliban who destroyed the ancient statues of Buddha.
The religions of the world warn us of the dangers of these people. When Jesus encountered the temptation to go along with the world his response was, “Get behind me, Satan!” Zen warns of it, most famously in the Koan, “If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him.”
The point, simply, is that each artist, indeed, each human being, must listen to his or her inner voice. To be an artist is to express that inner voice for others to see or hear. The world will constantly try to stop that unique expression because it does not conform. An artist succeeds to the extent he or she is able to ignore the static of the world and express that inner voice truly.
And these cowards are doing their best to stop anyone from saying anything that they don’t agree with. They must be ignored.
Now, even though you can’t see the photo Dave Rudin posted, I’ll say that I don’t think it is his best work. I don’t think Dave thinks it is his best work. It was an experiment with a possible new direction…a new idea that came from within. Artists must experiment. Artists must try new ideas. Artists must feel free to fail. Not every new idea is a good one. Not every new direction leads anywhere interesting. But often the only way to find out is to try. Artists deal with enough fear without having to worry about being attacked if someone else doesn’t like one of their ideas or experiments.
I can’t make the cowardly idiots go away. But I can promise to ignore them and I can encourage other artists to ignore them and continue with their work, wherever it may take them. That’s what artists must do. Those who try to tell them otherwise are the enemies of art and the enemies of freedom.
4 Responses to “What’s wrong with people?”
1Shadowscapestudio
December 7th, 2009 @ 11:13 pm
I think you have gotten more posts on this than Dave R got on his.
Life is not fair.
2Dave Rudin
December 7th, 2009 @ 11:55 pm
I just got home from Vegas tonight so it was nice to see your post in support of my little exercise in photographic experimentation – and the right to show it to the world. Thank you.
Unlike some, I am not afraid to hear different points of views regarding things. I just have little respect for comments that are written in an uncivil manner – and their writing that way only makes me determined to do the opposite of what they want.
I may have taken down one image at the model's request, but it doesn't mean that I'm giving up with experimenting in the manner that I did.
And Dave S, some new comments on my blog awaited me when I got home, so mine may now have more than this one – unless this one ties or puts Dave L's over the edge, that is!
3Bill Brauker
December 8th, 2009 @ 8:38 pm
Actually, I prefer no kickers or panties on women, then you don't have to worry whether they are bunched, twisted, knotted, or in a wad.
Dave, your original comment was a classic, as were, that terrific photo and your insightful rant.
4Photo Anthems.com
December 11th, 2009 @ 12:35 pm
I rather like Brook Lynne's comment about the entertainment value of reading everyone else's comments. This has been interesting.
DaveL, I've been making the rounds to let everyone who's linked me on their blog roll lists know that my blog under TNAP is a dead link. Its PhotoAnthems.blogspot.com now.
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