I don't think I deserved to be called a whore [Archive]

View Full Version : I don't think I deserved to be called a whore

Blanche

08-01-2006, 12:47 PM

http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=382179

I was told that I was being talked about at an off-site board, checked it out, and then posted a question in IMHO to get an idea about how many people thought I was a sock-pupped and why. I had it immediately closed, and shortly after had a note added where I was accused of "blatant attention whoring".

I wasn't trying to drag off-site drama here, obviously the people who are reading my posts and linking to them from this other site are posters here, I was just wondering how common this is - whether a good percentage of the posters here are thinking I'm someone I'm else or whether it's just a vocal minority.

Blanche

08-01-2006, 12:48 PM

Ethilrist

08-01-2006, 12:51 PM

None of us would post here if we didn't want people to read what we had to say.

Beadalin

08-01-2006, 01:03 PM

There is a rule... somewhere... about not dragging other message boards here, and not doing anything to start a "board war." That said, I reviewed the rules and don't see anything prohibiting what you did. I just sort of knew it was against the rules because I've been around awhile. Could someone explain this better than me?

As for the attention whoring, well, it sort of struck me that way, too. I think any thread where you ask people to discuss your merits as a poster are by their very nature self-serving and do nothing for anyone other than you. Plus, calling anyone a sock puppet is against the rules, and you more or less invited those who may think you are one to break that rule.

Miller

08-01-2006, 01:06 PM

The title of this thread is pretty misleading. There's a big difference between being called a whore, and being called an attention whore.

Blanche

08-01-2006, 01:10 PM

Ensign Edison

08-01-2006, 01:10 PM

The title of this thread is pretty misleading. There's a big difference between being called a whore, and being called an attention whore.

Seriously. My bank charged me $1.50 to pull out this twenty. Now what am I going to do for the next fifteen minutes?

Blanche

08-01-2006, 01:11 PM

The title of this thread is pretty misleading. There's a big difference between being called a whore, and being called an attention whore.

Regardless of context, I would not expect the moderators of the board to use the word "whore" or "whoring" in reference to it's (potential) customers. I was a bit taken aback by it, I'm used to a more courteous tone when receiving official messages.

Ensign Edison

08-01-2006, 01:12 PM

hajario

08-01-2006, 01:15 PM

Who are you again?

If starting a whole thread about what people think about you in any context isn't attention whoring, I don't know what is. If you want to know why people in some other place think something about you, go over there and ask them.

JustAnotherGeek

08-01-2006, 01:25 PM

<snip> i.e. my writing style, similarities in interests, location, etc.

i.e. to discuss you. You're aking people to pay attention to you. That's attention whoring.

Regardless of context, I would not expect the moderators of the board to use the word "whore" or "whoring" in reference to it's (potential) customers. I was a bit taken aback by it, I'm used to a more courteous tone when receiving official messages.

<snerk> Not around here, sister. But really, "attention whore" ain't that bad.

Waverly

08-01-2006, 01:30 PM

Uvula Donor

08-01-2006, 01:31 PM

Regardless of context, I would not expect the moderators of the board to use the word "whore" or "whoring" in reference to it's (potential) customers. I was a bit taken aback by it, I'm used to a more courteous tone when receiving official messages.

Sorry, but "attention prostitute" simply doesn't have the same ring to it.

By the way, opening two self-centered threads - especially when the second is merely bitching about the first being closed - is indeed attention whoring. Congratulations. You do deserve it.

Antinor01

08-01-2006, 01:31 PM

And really, starting one thread asking why people might think you're a sock, which is shut down as being a bad idea and then opening another thread in the pit about it do make you look like an attention whoring, footwear accessorizing troll. Just something to think about.

CarnalK

08-01-2006, 01:33 PM

In the two threads about you over there, there was only two posts (including an OP) that made a sock guess about you that I could see. The reason for the suspicion was clearly stated: your background and personality just seems too much a "perfect fit" here. Meh. Not very strong evidence and nobody seemed to care.

You are unlikely to get a useful poll of who thinks you're a sock and who doesn't- social graces and the rules prevent one side from voting. There's a reason people make these WAGs over in the snarkpit. You could always go to the horse's mouth and ask opinions about yourself. (on preview- like hajario said)

Trion

08-01-2006, 01:34 PM

Yes, but what do you think about ME?

Uvula Donor

08-01-2006, 01:36 PM

Yes, but what do you think about ME?

I don't.

;)

D_Odds

08-01-2006, 01:38 PM

If starting a whole thread about what people think about you in any context isn't attention whoring, I don't know what is.By that definition, about 1/2 the posts each day are attention whoring of some form or another.

Blanche

08-01-2006, 01:40 PM

Giles

08-01-2006, 01:41 PM

Some people are not used to having strong words like "attention whore" used against them in real life, and get upset by them being used in this kind of virtual reality. So perhaps Blanche should have been decribed in more moderate terms, such as "attention-seeking". On the other hand, if she is going to have a long and happy existence in a forum like this, she does need to grow a tougher hide.

Ensign Edison

08-01-2006, 01:43 PM

You want to get banned? Start a third thread called "Do you think I'm an attention whore?"

Papermache Prince

08-01-2006, 01:43 PM

There are hundreds of posts with people talking about themselves on practically every forum here, yet when I do it, it's attention whoring and the rats come out of the woodwork to call me names because of it.

I'm glad this came to my attention before I saved up the money to buy a membership. You can go ahead and ban me now.Ah, drama queen to the end! Nobody cares enough about you to ban you. Bet you get a great view from that cross, huh?

D_Odds

08-01-2006, 01:46 PM

FTR, given some of the Attention Whoring masterpieces this board has seen, your original post and this one combined pale in comparison. Your first post, Blanche, had the misfortune of naming one of the boards that shall not be named, and an honest quesiton. It was closed with customary Mod snarkiness, and like many other posters before you, you came to the pit to question the snarkiness.

IMNSHO, you did nothing out of line, wrong, or even worthy of being deemed "attention-whoring", and the SDMB kittens here are just sharpening their claws. Swat them down with a few accusations of goat felching, and they won't flash those claws as quickly in the future.

Uvula Donor

08-01-2006, 01:47 PM

There are hundreds of posts with people talking about themselves on practically every forum here, yet when I do it, it's attention whoring and the rats come out of the woodwork to call me names because of it.

I'm glad this came to my attention before I saved up the money to buy a membership. You can go ahead and ban me now.

Your expenses are already pretty low, living in your parents' basement. How many Whoppers a day are you skipping to "save up" the $15?

John Mace

08-01-2006, 01:49 PM

Apparently the OP is used to depending on the kindness of strangers...

Beadalin

08-01-2006, 01:53 PM

There are hundreds of posts with people talking about themselves on practically every forum here, yet when I do it, it's attention whoring and the rats come out of the woodwork to call me names because of it.
There's a difference between talking about yourself (heck, I've got a thread going right now about me!) in the context of asking others about their similar experiences or opinions on a given topic, and asking their opinions about and experiences with YOU.

It can be a fine line, but it's a line nonetheless. In one, everyone in the thread benefits by seeing info applicable to their own lives. In the other, only the OP benefits because the info is only applicable to themselves.

"Attention whore" doesn't seem that inflammatory to me, but whatever.

woodstockbirdybird

08-01-2006, 01:53 PM

Your expenses are already pretty low, living in your parents' basement. How many Whoppers a day are you skipping to "save up" the $15?

Don't be a fool. Internet addicts who live in their parents's basements never skip Whoppers.

hajario

08-01-2006, 02:07 PM

By that definition, about 1/2 the posts each day are attention whoring of some form or another.

1. I talked about OPs, not posts.
2. Even if I were talking about posts, what you say isn't true. It isn't even true if we restrict it to MPSIMS. My "definition" is posts that specifically solicit opinions about what others think about them, not about situations they are in or opinions that they have.

BrainGlutton

08-01-2006, 02:12 PM

Of course not, my dear. You're an attention courtesan.

Ponder Stibbons

08-01-2006, 02:19 PM

Hmm. You're either incredibly ignorant of common internet phrases, or a troll. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt and assume ignorance.

Attention Whore (http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Attention+Whore) is a common term for someone who is seen to be unreasonably drawing attention to themselves on a regular basis. Use of this term long predates the existence of the SDMB and, as I say, is quite common all over the internet. It may or may not necessarily apply to you, but if it does, it ain't nothin' to get all that worked up about.

Now that you know what it means ...
If starting a whole thread about what people think about you in any context isn't attention whoring, I don't know what is.
By that definition, about 1/2 the posts each day are attention whoring of some form or another.
Sure, there's a lot of "attention whoring" that goes on here. It's just a phrase, Blanche, and it can (and has) been applied to a lot of other dopers besides yourself.

Fear Itself

08-01-2006, 02:25 PM

Apparently the OP is used to depending on the kindness of strangers...Only when she is creating enchantment.

«Ðëëp¤F®ïêd»™

08-01-2006, 02:31 PM

...and the Google ads are for colon cleansing kits.

Perhaps for whores who need a bit of cleaning?

Blanche

08-01-2006, 02:31 PM

Your expenses are already pretty low, living in your parents' basement. How many Whoppers a day are you skipping to "save up" the $15?

I wasn't going to post here, but what the hell are you talking about? I live in a house that is rented by my husband and myself. I do not live with my parents, nor have I for a long time.

And now more people on "that other board" are saying they are me and apparently trying to help me get banned. This is insanity.

BrainGlutton

08-01-2006, 02:34 PM

And now more people on "that other board" are saying they are me and apparently trying to help me get banned. This is insanity.

What is "that other board," and why don't you raise your concerns there?

Uvula Donor

08-01-2006, 02:37 PM

This is insanity.

You're funny, Blanche. Pass the Cheetos.

Blanche

08-01-2006, 02:37 PM

What is "that other board," and why don't you raise your concerns there?

They are getting my email and personal information from here, and they are obviously members here. It's like there's some conspiracy to drive me out.

Left Hand of Dorkness

08-01-2006, 02:39 PM

And now more people on "that other board" are saying they are me and apparently trying to help me get banned. This is insanity.
Blanche, why in the holy hells would you give half a shit about what people on "that other board" are saying? I know that my name comes up every now and then on "that other board*," and I really really really don't care. There are far more interesting things to think about. Just be pleased that people think you're interesting enough to discuss, and move on with life. And quit talking about it, for the love of Christ.

Daniel

* That's a lie: I guess that it comes up.

woodstockbirdybird

08-01-2006, 02:42 PM

I wasn't going to post here, but what the hell are you talking about? I live in a house that is rented by my husband and myself. I do not live with my parents, nor have I for a long time.

Answer the question, Blanche! How many Whoppers have you given up?

p.s. Unless somebody can figure out how to log in as you and post some inflammatory shit here using your name, they're not going to be able to get you banned, so you can tone the paranoia down a bit. Although it increasingly seems you're either cowshit crazy or a troll, so I imagine you'll be able to get yourself banned soon enough, should you so desire.

«Ðëëp¤F®ïêd»™

08-01-2006, 02:45 PM

Syntropy

08-01-2006, 02:51 PM

They are getting my email and personal information from here, and they are obviously members here. It's like there's some conspiracy to drive me out.
BAHAHAHAHAA....I mean. Why don't you just block your email address in your profile, pony up the $15, and ignore them? Your last name wouldn't be DuBois, by any chance, would it?

Attention whore=Drama queen. If no one was convinced before, this will go a long way to helping them make up their minds.

BrainGlutton

08-01-2006, 02:53 PM

What is this other board everyone keeps talking about? There's some board devoted to monitoring/criticizing the SDMB, or what?

Blanche

08-01-2006, 02:55 PM

Answer the question, Blanche! How many Whoppers have you given up?

p.s. Unless somebody can figure out how to log in as you and post some inflammatory shit here using your name, they're not going to be able to get you banned, so you can tone the paranoia down a bit. Although it increasingly seems you're either cowshit crazy or a troll, so I imagine you'll be able to get yourself banned soon enough, should you so desire.

About the equivalent of 4 or 5. I normally pick up something to eat on Friday nights but I chose to cook instead because otherwise I couldn't justify spending the diaper money on it. We normally get pizza or chinese or something, not Whoppers. I feel pretty guilty about it too as the oldest looks forward to it.

Now I have a little extra to spend, so maybe I can make it up to them.

JustAnotherGeek

08-01-2006, 02:59 PM

What is this other board everyone keeps talking about? There's some board devoted to monitoring/criticizing the SDMB, or what?

You won't find any links on this site to that one. (Mods preventing board wars.) There used to be a link in the Wiki page about SDMB.

And to your second question, yeah. I do think it's pretty darn sad, truth be told. I would have never even dreamed that there would be a board with one sole purpose of making fun of the posters on another board. As they say around here, "bizz-aah."

saoirse

08-01-2006, 03:01 PM

I wasn't going to post here, but what the hell are you talking about? I live in a house that is rented by my husband and myself. I do not live with my parents, nor have I for a long time.

And now more people on "that other board" are saying they are me and apparently trying to help me get banned. This is insanity.

Relax, Blanche. What happens on that board stays on that board. No one is going to ban you for something posted anonymously elsewhere. They are not simply mendacious deviants, but are in fact drooling Pavlovian retardswho can barely complete a sentence without wandering into some dimwitted joke about forcible sodomy or self-abuse. The place is a gaseous, festering mire. The only thing to do is stay upwind from it.

Seven

08-01-2006, 03:07 PM

There are hundreds of posts with people talking about themselves on practically every forum here, yet when I do it, it's attention whoring and the rats come out of the woodwork to call me names because of it.

I'm glad this came to my attention before I saved up the money to buy a membership. You can go ahead and ban me now.

1) Write down a 10-15 set of numbers on a small piece of paper. Something you'll never remember.

2) Click User CP

3) Change Password to step 1's 10-15 set of numbers.

4) Eat paper.

5) Change email address to bogus address.

6) Log out.

Done

DrDeth

08-01-2006, 03:14 PM

What is this other board everyone keeps talking about? There's some board devoted to monitoring/criticizing the SDMB, or what?

Yes, I want to know also. Ok, so we cant have a link. But a name? A hint of a name? A link to a Google search? :confused: :D

Beadalin

08-01-2006, 03:21 PM

BrainGlutton:
There's a reason people make these WAGs over in the snarkpit.
Hint hint.

Bippy the Beardless

08-01-2006, 03:25 PM

Shut up attention strumpet!
No one gives a flying fig's uncle.

Giles

08-01-2006, 03:27 PM

Yes, I want to know also. Ok, so we cant have a link. But a name? A hint of a name? A link to a Google search? :confused: :D
It's been mentioned that it used to be in the Wikipedia article on the SDMB. If you are familiar with the Wikipedia, you'll know that old versions of articles never really go away, they are just hidden.

D_Odds

08-01-2006, 03:32 PM

I'm not understanding the vitriol towards Blanche (unless it is coming from the other board's participants). While I don't find her posts to be anything special, I'm sure there are dozens upon dozens who feel the same of my posts. However, here we have the SDMB equivalent of yelling "JUMP" to the guy on the ledge. Reflects much more poorly on the posters yelling than on the OP.

Uh oh, I used I a few times; I must be an attention-whore myself. Doh! Two more, plus a myself. I can't help myself. Doh!2 I did it again. And again. Help me...there's another one...

Fear Itself

08-01-2006, 03:34 PM

Uh oh, I used I a few times; I must be an attention-whore myself. Doh! Two more, plus a myself. I can't help myself. Doh!2 I did it again. And again. Help me...there's another one...Jump, JUMP!!!

clairobscur

08-01-2006, 03:39 PM

And to your second question, yeah. I do think it's pretty darn sad, truth be told. I would have never even dreamed that there would be a board with one sole purpose of making fun of the posters on another board. As they say around here, "bizz-aah."

Actually, I think there is (or at least there used to be) *two* boards dedicaced to criticizing the SDMB and its posters. But I keep forgetting their names, so I can't help with a hint. The link on wikipedia's SDMB page was quite convenient but it isn't there anymore.

Long Time Lurker

08-01-2006, 03:40 PM

When I read the thread title, I expected to read about this post (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7597551&postcount=20).

In answer to the thread title, no, you did not deserve to be (and in fact you were not) called a whore for the post to which you linked in the OP.

Hostile Dialect

08-01-2006, 03:42 PM

The title of this thread is pretty misleading. There's a big difference between being called a whore, and being called an attention whore.

I agree, my idea of what the thread would be about was much different from what it actually was.

I think the biggest issue is what Beadalin mentioned, that if people really spoke their minds then presumably someone (maybe the one who talked about you on the snarkboards) would have stepped forward and told you they thought you were a sock--and that can be explosive.

If I were you, I'd go defend myself on the snarkboards. AFAIK socks tend to ignore allegations that they're socks, because it draws attention to themselves that they don't need. If the snark union believes you, cool. If not, fuck 'em--not your problem.

Regardless of context, I would not expect the moderators of the board to use the word "whore" or "whoring" in reference to it's (potential) customers. I was a bit taken aback by it, I'm used to a more courteous tone when receiving official messages.

"Attention whore" is a lexeme wholly independent from the word "whore". The meaning is totally different although one is derived from the other. The former is a pretty mild Internet label, and you shouldn't associate it with the latter.

I don't say it because I have a strong aversion to the use of the word "whore" as part of any non-literal (by literal I mean someone who literally exchanges sex for cash/drugs) meaning. That doesn't mean that's what mods are calling you. It's a different "word" and you have to understand it for what it means, not the secondary images it conjures up, if you intend on posting on Internet message boards IMO.

There are hundreds of posts with people talking about themselves on practically every forum here, yet when I do it, it's attention whoring and the rats come out of the woodwork to call me names because of it.

Er, no, you weren't talking about yourself. You were starting threads that were all about soliciting other people to talk about you. Not in some tangential or secondary way, like an advice thread, but in an "Everybody look at me!" way. Maybe that's not what you intended, but that's the end result--a thread all about you. That's what "attention whoring" means. Obviously (to me) you're not being malicious or intentionally drawing attention to yourself, but you seem to be misunderstanding what's going on. Hopefully this thread will help you out in that department.

And now more people on "that other board" are saying they are me and apparently trying to help me get banned. This is insanity.

That's just the snarkers snarking. Don't worry about it. The mods have a pretty good idea of who you are by this point and if you're not a sock you have nothing to fear.

It's like there's some conspiracy to drive me out.

Oh, come on. I've tried to be gentle in this post, but get off your fucking cross. This board doesn't revolve around you. Why would anyone care enough about a guest to try to drive them out?

iamthewalrus(:3=

08-01-2006, 03:46 PM

Could someone explain to me what the hell this other board is supposed to be? From the oblique references, I get the hint that it's Not To Be Spoken of here, but maybe someone could email me a clue.

Seriously, WTF?

Happy Scrappy Hero Pup

08-01-2006, 03:54 PM

Blanche, as long as we're talking about you...

are you hot?

Lord Ashtar

08-01-2006, 03:58 PM

When I read the thread title, I expected to read about this post (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=7597551&postcount=20).
Well, what do you know? Blanche really IS a whore. How about that?

Hostile Dialect

08-01-2006, 03:58 PM

iamthewalrus(:3=, they're about talking shit about Dopers. Mostly anonymously. Hopefully someone will email you some more specific info, I don't have links anymore and I lost interest in them pretty soon after I figured out what they were.

galt

08-01-2006, 04:03 PM

Blanche, I would like to add that if someone calls you a drama queen, you are not officially considered royalty.

Fear Itself

08-01-2006, 04:05 PM

Well, what do you know? Blanche really IS a whore. How about that?Don't call her that, or she'll hit you with her bag of quarters.

Uvula Donor

08-01-2006, 04:06 PM

They are not simply mendacious deviants, but are in fact drooling Pavlovian retardswho can barely complete a sentence without wandering into some dimwitted joke about forcible sodomy or self-abuse. The place is a gaseous, festering mire. The only thing to do is stay upwind from it.

You're pretty funny too, saoirse. Want some Cheetos?

The only real difference is that the retards on "that other board" admit they're retards and don't take themselves seriously, whereas the retards here insist that they're "the smartest people in the room."

Blanche

08-01-2006, 04:08 PM

Well, what do you know? Blanche really IS a whore. How about that?

No, I WAS a whore. Or rather, I was rather messed up in the head. I'd gone directly from living with my father to living with my much older ex-husband, who then psychologically abused me and cheated on me. That was over 13 years ago.

Omegaman

08-01-2006, 04:11 PM

Don't call her that, or she'll hit you with her bag of quarters.

Man, that's a lot of whoppers .

Scissorjack

08-01-2006, 04:19 PM

Blanche, there have been problems with that board in the past, with people sneaking over here as "socks" - alternate accounts of the same poster - and "trolls" - those who post only to deliberately try to stir trouble: indeed, they had a campaign of trying to "out" posters a while back, and created guest accounts to stir up trouble here.

That's why there's a certain sensitivity about that place, and linking to it is frowned upon: I'm sure you're quite unaware of the past tension and began your thread in all innocence, but when a guest starts a thread wanting to know "What do you think about me?" and linking to that board, people get suspicious - and I'm afraid, vindictive - about your identity.

Perhaps you should be aware that there are many posters here, including a lot of guests, and few people will have had a chnace to form any impression of you: if the first thing they see is a thread asking them "What do you think of me?", it raises both suspicions and hackles.

I wouldn't worry too much about the phrases "attention whore" or "drama queen"; they're just expressions, and to an extent we're probably all attention whores, or we wouldn't be publically posting. What I would suggest is that you don't start any "Tell me about me" threads: if you do decide to stick around, people will form an impression of you, hopefully a good one, from what you have to contribute.

Take a little time to lurk would be my final advice - read through the various forums and threads and that ought to give you an idea of what does and dosen't work around here: if you have any specific questions or are unsure about a thread you want to start, either e-mail a forum mod - they'd far rather be asked in advance - or ask for advice in the About This Messageboard Forum {ATMB}. Hope that helps, and do stick around.

Case.

iamthewalrus(:3=

08-01-2006, 04:34 PM

My cup runneth over.

Thank you to the many dopers who have shared the link with me. Unfortunately, as that site doesn't seem to have a search engine, I can't satisfy my own attention-whoring by finding out if I'm the subject of any posts. C'est la vie.

DrDeth

08-01-2006, 04:45 PM

C'est la vie.

"la vie"

:p

Bryan Ekers

08-01-2006, 05:10 PM

Yes, yes, that's all very interesting, but how does it affect me?

Giraffe

08-01-2006, 05:19 PM

I wasn't trying to drag off-site drama here, obviously the people who are reading my posts and linking to them from this other site are posters here, I was just wondering how common this is - whether a good percentage of the posters here are thinking I'm someone I'm else or whether it's just a vocal minority.Trying to or not, your thread was exactly the sort of thing that does drag off-site drama here, which is why I closed it. Arguments from other websites should stay on those websites, even in cases where the people involved are members of this message board. Heck, especially in those cases. They don't belong here.

As for your offense at me calling your thread attention-whoring, I have two things to say about that:

1. It was.
2. Don't be such a baby.

Poor customer service? I like to think of it as extra flavor. Although it may make you feel better to know that they cut my pay by 10% every time I call someone a whore or a liar.

Scissorjack

08-01-2006, 05:25 PM

Bippy the Beardless

08-01-2006, 05:27 PM

Uvula Donor

08-01-2006, 05:27 PM

Giraffe, I usually have a lot of respect for your moderating ability, and that last post did nothing to change my mind.

John Mace

08-01-2006, 05:29 PM

Poor customer service? I like to think of it as extra flavor. Although it may make you feel better to know that they cut my pay by 10% every time I call someone a whore or a liar.
It's not a bug, it's a feature! :)

I have to agree that "attention whore" is such a mild accusation, and it's not at all limitted to message boards. If you've never hear that IRL, then you need to get our more often.

Giraffe

08-01-2006, 05:32 PM

Giraffe, I usually have a lot of respect for your moderating ability, but that last post was needlessly inflammatory, particularly towards a guest who seems to just lack experience in board rules and protocol.Perhaps. I was going for a tone of gentle teasing rather than angry disapproval, but I can see how I may have missed the mark.

There's a reason they keep me locked up in the Pit, you know. :p

BrainGlutton

08-01-2006, 05:34 PM

BrainGlutton:

Hint hint.

Interesting . . .

I think somebody needs to start a third board to . . . well, you know . . .

And just to see how many levels/iterations are possible! :)

Guinastasia

08-01-2006, 05:34 PM

Contrapuntal

08-01-2006, 05:38 PM

Perhaps. I was going for a tone of gentle teasing rather than angry disapproval, but I can see how I may have missed the mark.

There's a reason they keep me locked up in the Pit, you know. :pYeah but you can see over the edge of the damn thing. Or is that just during coffee break?

Blanche

08-01-2006, 05:51 PM

Anyone wanting to protect Blanche might want to look at her callous reply to this thread http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=382184
or read this beauty http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=7625952#post7625952

I just don't care about animals much. I don't hate them, and I think people who are needlessly cruel to them are generally messed up in the head, but I just can't understand people getting worked into a frothing rage over animals being killed in some other country, especially when they seem to ignore the fact that millions upon millions of animals are killed every year here in the USA. I kill or directly cause the death of dozens, if not hundreds, of animals every year to protect my family and property, and I can't condemn others for doing the same.

pravnik

08-01-2006, 05:55 PM

I kill or directly cause the death of dozens, if not hundreds, of animals every year to protect my family and property, and I can't condemn others for doing the same.Jesus Christ! Move off the bear preserve already!

Spongemom

08-01-2006, 05:58 PM

If I were you, I'd go defend myself on the snarkboards.
Not a good idea, and if you want to get right down to it, not even really possible.

-This is such-and-such, and the allegations against me are not true.

-That wasn't me up there, this is me. It's all totally true, don't believe any other posts.

-Those two posts weren't me! Stop lying! Don't believe those posts. I'm the one and only such-and-such.

-Seriously now. This is really me. My email address is this@that dot com if you want me to prove it, and I'm naked on my cam.

-THAT'S ENOUGH! THOSE AREN'T ME! I'm telling the truth here, I'm really such-and-such, and my favorite singer is Barney.

And so on and so forth.

Uvula Donor

08-01-2006, 05:58 PM

I kill or directly cause the death of dozens, if not hundreds, of animals every year to protect my family and property, and I can't condemn others for doing the same.

You should never have built that house on the lemming migration path.

BrainGlutton

08-01-2006, 06:14 PM

Say, why does nobody but anonymonster ever start a new thread on the Board That Must Not Be Named? Does no one else have the privilege?

And why does s/he seem to pay attention only to MPIMS and the BBQ Pit? (As a mainly GD Doper I feel a bit slighted . . .)

And why do people who (apparently) don't even post on the SDMB appear to pay so much attention to it?

"Gentlemen! This entire building is on film!" :eek:

Bippy the Beardless

08-01-2006, 06:15 PM

Jesus Christ! Move off the bear preserve already!
I susspect she's talking about insects. Anyway as I'm a strict omnivore I must plead guilty to being an accessory to the deaths of several cows, chickens, pigs, lambs, and the ocasional duck in a year to feed myself. Still not realy similar to killing pets in front of their owners against there owners wishes.

silenus

08-01-2006, 06:17 PM

Interesting . . .

I think somebody needs to start a third board to . . . well, you know . . .

And just to see how many levels/iterations are possible! :)

Only if we call it The "I'm An Anonymous Fucktard With Issues About My Lack Of Penile Size." Because them's the only people who post at places like that. :D

Oh, and Blanche is a whore. But don't worry too much about it, dear. Most of us are at one time or another.

kaylasdad99

08-01-2006, 06:22 PM

DiosaBellissima

08-01-2006, 06:22 PM

Not a good idea, and if you want to get right down to it, not even really possible.

-This is such-and-such, and the allegations against me are not true.

-That wasn't me up there, this is me. It's all totally true, don't believe any other posts.

-Those two posts weren't me! Stop lying! Don't believe those posts. I'm the one and only such-and-such.

-Seriously now. This is really me. My email address is this@that dot com if you want me to prove it, and I'm naked on my cam.

-THAT'S ENOUGH! THOSE AREN'T ME! I'm telling the truth here, I'm really such-and-such, and my favorite singer is Barney.

And so on and so forth.

No, it's possible. You email the admin from your Doper profile email. You can even go a step farther and use your Open ID from Livejournal.

That's what I did. Some stuff needed clarification, I clarified. In the grand scheme of things, I find the place amusing; of course, that probably stems from the fact that I don't put too much value in what random people on the internet say about me- anonymously or otherwise (Oh, and the fact that when I'm tired really childish things like 'no u" make me giggle for days). Blanche ought to take a page out of my book about handling internet snarking.

Or about the real world. Sometimes people say mean things behind your back. It sucks, but it's life. Just like back in highschool, get over it and move on. It isn't the end of the world.

And I, on the other hand, fully admit to my status as an A-1 attention whore. "Attention whore" is much different then "whore" (my status in the latter catagory isn't to be discussed at the moment ;)).

glee

08-01-2006, 06:27 PM

I only opened this thread to say 'narcissist'.

Having done so, I have the urge to say that there is an icecream in Europe called a 'Dame Blanche'.

Thank you - that is all.

Long Time Lurker

08-01-2006, 06:52 PM

I kill or directly cause the death of dozens, if not hundreds, of animals every year to protect my family and property, and I can't condemn others for doing the same.
Any chance of a clarification on this tidbit? I'll ignore the application of this logic to your comment in the pit thread. Unless you protect your family by taking dogs "from their owners and beat[ing them] to death on the spot."

DragonAsh

08-01-2006, 07:30 PM

Perhaps she would have felt better if she had been called an attention companion.

Miller

08-01-2006, 07:31 PM

I'd go with "attention lady of negotiable virtue."

DragonAsh

08-01-2006, 07:37 PM

I'd go with "attention lady of negotiable virtue." :D That's teh funny.

EddyTeddyFreddy

08-01-2006, 07:51 PM

I suppose if she ponies up for a membership she could be promoted to attention concubine.

Happy Scrappy Hero Pup

08-01-2006, 07:55 PM

Blanche still has not answered my question re: hotness.

pseudotriton ruber ruber

08-01-2006, 07:59 PM

The thread title reminded me of Elayne Boosler's bit about a motorist irritated by Boosler, a pedestrian crossing the street, making him slam on the brake. He honked the horn angrily and shouted "Whore!" at her, whereupon she responded. "What a memory!"

That's kind of what I was looking forward to seeing here.

Uvula Donor

08-01-2006, 08:34 PM

Blanche still has not answered my question re: hotness.

Christ, Pup, it's a hundred degrees in the shade! We're <i>all</i> hot.

DragonAsh

08-01-2006, 08:39 PM

Blanche still has not answered my question re: hotness.Have you _read_ any of her posts? She's posted almost 10 a day since joining. Some of them scare me... (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=7634478#post7634478)

Blanche

08-01-2006, 08:42 PM

Blanche still has not answered my question re: hotness.

I posted this in the Rate Yourself thread.

People keep telling me I'm hot, but I just don't see it. Maybe when I was younger. I have the body of a mother of 3 and all that goes along with it.

Rubystreak

08-01-2006, 11:26 PM

Have you _read_ any of her posts? She's posted almost 10 a day since joining. Some of them scare me... (http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=7634478#post7634478)

If Blanche wasn't such an attention whore already, I'd be tempted to Pit her for that post alone. She makes her own child (whose she admits to fantasizings about breaking) cry for the amusement of herself and others. Wow. What a bitch.

What Exit?

08-01-2006, 11:37 PM

If Blanche wasn't such an attention whore already, I'd be tempted to Pit her for that post alone. She makes her own child (whose she admits to fantasizings about breaking) cry for the amusement of herself and others. Wow. What a bitch.
Oh come on, you think she is for real?
She/He/It has been trolling like crazy since it arrived.
I guess it did a good job covering its tracks, because it is still around trolling.
What kind of moron doesn't know the difference between an attention whore and a whore? None. This thread is a very successful act of blatant trolling. Call outs to the nether region and everything else.
Please DNFTT.

Jim {In case anyone did not understand my post, I very strongly believe Blanche is a Troll}

What Exit?

08-01-2006, 11:38 PM

Rubystreak: No hostility meant towards you, sorry if it might look that way. I am just looking forward to when Blanche is gone.

Jim

Uvula Donor

08-01-2006, 11:42 PM

If Blanche wasn't such an attention whore already, I'd be tempted to Pit her for that post alone. She makes her own child (whose she admits to fantasizings about breaking) cry for the amusement of herself and others. Wow. What a bitch.

It must have fucking killed her, though - dropping a huge, steaming turd at the end of the page like that and having everyone ignore it. The Billy Goats Gruff got away! It's no wonder she's been going batshit.

Rubystreak

08-02-2006, 12:56 AM

Oh come on, you think she is for real?

Truth? I had no idea who or what she was until I read this thread. Lots of links in here, all to very stupid shit. So if she's for real, she's a bitch. If she's not for real, she's a bitch. End of story.

Please DNFTT.

Technically, anyone who posts in this thread is FTT. I don't plan to do it again, do you?

Richard Pearse

08-02-2006, 01:05 AM

If Blanche wasn't such an attention whore already, I'd be tempted to Pit her for that post alone. She makes her own child (whose she admits to fantasizings about breaking) cry for the amusement of herself and others. Wow. What a bitch.
I don't see the problem with it. Someone else already dealt with the breaking fantasies (it's normal.)

I think all that Blanche has been guilty of is being too honest and a little naive.

Hypnagogic Jerk

08-02-2006, 03:00 AM

I'm also wondering what is causing all the hostility towards Blanche seen in this thread. I had to do a search on her posts to understand why people have such a negative opinion of her, and while some of them did make me raise my eyebrows a bit (her stance on animal rights is completely different from mine, for example), I still don't see it. I don't think she's a sock, I don't think she's a troll, and I'd very much like What Exit? to explain why he thinks she's the latter. I think she's just inexperienced about message boards in general and this one in particular.

Now for the particular accusations made against her in this thread:

The "awful thoughts", as has already been mentioned in this thread and the other, are completely normal. I get them all the time. I see nothing objectionable about her post in this thread, and in fact, it is the people in that other thread who were creeped out about the whole thing who seem close-minded to me.
The thread about dogs getting killed in China seemed to me to be just another of those "OMG, see what the awful people of [some place] are doing!!!!!11" moral outrage things. I don't agree with taking pets from people and bludgeoning them to death in front of them, but Blanche's post seemed like a way to put all of this in perspective. Especially given the fact that this OP seems quite racist to me.
Now, about making kids cry: while I don't think making children cry is a very worthwhile activity, I don't see it as very immoral either. Blanche says she makes her son cry "for her amusement" by showing him some particular toy. I don't see why this is wrong, except that she was probably too candid in her phrasing. My girlfriend's three year old son is afraid of a lot of things and really dislikes change. I'm sure that more than once I've done something that in all likelihood would result in him crying or screaming, both to see his reaction and to eventually habituate him to change. In fact, my girlfriend recently bought him a plush toy that he doesn't like for some reason. I distinctly remember showing it to him fully knowing and expecting that his reaction would be to scream "NO!" I even sometimes think about throwing this toy to him, or "tormenting" him with it, although I probably won't do it. I don't think it makes me a child abuser, but if you disagree, please say so.

I also want to say that every time I see her name, I think of the song Blanche (http://www.paroles101.com/artiste/michelrivard/blanche.html) by Michel Rivard.

rayh

08-02-2006, 07:25 AM

I'd be an attention whore but no one pays me for it.

Ok, let's be honest, no one ever has paid me for it.

Jackmannii

08-02-2006, 08:06 AM

"That other board"? Sounds like OSU fans talking about Michigan. :dubious:

All the posters who are not Blanche should speak up and end the confusion.

Blanche

08-02-2006, 08:19 AM

It must have fucking killed her, though - dropping a huge, steaming turd at the end of the page like that and having everyone ignore it. The Billy Goats Gruff got away! It's no wonder she's been going batshit.

I posted that example because so many people (I'm assuming you're one of them) think that making toddlers cry is some horrible crime. My best guess is that none of them are parents, or if they are parents they are the coddling "my child can do no wrong" types that raise the little Tylers and Kayleighs that are responsible for most people's hatred of children.

Most parents I've known don't see anything wrong in scaring their kids now and then, and none see anything wrong with disciplining their children in ways that they know will make them cry. Kids cry a lot, especially the toddler age ones. It's one of their best ways of getting attention. As I mentioned before, if I take a toy away from my little boy, he will cry. This means that every night I make him cry because he's not allowed to take all his toy cars to bed with him.

As to the making him cry for my amusement, I feel a little guilt about it but it's so funny. He's a rough and tumble little boy who shows hardly any fear of anything, but there is this one Halloween decoration (a animatronic singing and dancing vampire that's very goofy looking and not at all scary) that freaks him out. We don't know why, but he'll start backing away if he sees it from across the house and will cry if we bring it in the same room. For a while he seemed to lose his fear of it, but a few months later he started being afraid again. We used to keep him under the kitchen sink because it would keep him out of it. If I don't want him wandering around in the kitchen if he wakes up before me, I'll put him on the kitchen counter and he stays away.

It's really funny and I am guilty of bringing out the vampire to show others how he responds to it.

zuma

08-02-2006, 08:26 AM

Blanch is the best troll in a while. "Tylers and Kayleighs" hahahaha

I'll miss him.

Uvula Donor

08-02-2006, 09:20 AM

I posted that example because so many people (I'm assuming you're one of them) think that making toddlers cry is some horrible crime.

Uh, no, I'm not one of them. Of course toddlers cry. I'm not stupid; I've raised kids of my own.

Most parents I've known don't see anything wrong in scaring their kids now and then, and none see anything wrong with disciplining their children in ways that they know will make them cry. Kids cry a lot, especially the toddler age ones. It's one of their best ways of getting attention. As I mentioned before, if I take a toy away from my little boy, he will cry. This means that every night I make him cry because he's not allowed to take all his toy cars to bed with him.

Yeah, normal. Also not what you posted in that thread.

As to the making him cry for my amusement, I feel a little guilt about it but it's so funny. . . It's really funny and I am guilty of bringing out the vampire to show others how he responds to it.

Whatever floats your sick little boat, honey; I'm already on record in another thread as not giving a hot goddamn one way or another how someone raises their fucked up little spawn. I hope you manage to come up with the funds to get a full membership before your guest time is up, too. You're one of the most entertaining trolls to cast a line across this shallow gene pool in quite a while. Maybe you can stick your kid on a street corner and taunt him into crying so people can toss coins at him or something. I bet you could come up with the fifteen bucks in no time.

Jodi

08-02-2006, 09:40 AM

Not that anyone asked, but here's what makes my finely tuned Troll-Detector go off:

"Blanche" is smart enough to lampoon the latest crop of interchangeable ankle-biters as "Tylers and Kayleighs" -- complete with authentic ridiculous spelling -- but when someone tosses out a line about her living off Whoppers in her parents basement -- an obvious stereotype of the no-life-having Internet geek -- her response is "What are you talking about? I live in a house with my husband! I haven't lived with my parents for years!"

It's not out of the realm of the possible that a person could be such a humorless literalist that they would not see the point of the basement/Whopper comment, but that person is not going to herself make the same type of comment about kids. That person isn't going to be talking about "Kayleigh" unless an actual Kayleigh lives next door.

Ergo: Troll.

Blanche

08-02-2006, 09:53 AM

don't ask

08-02-2006, 10:04 AM

I love these threads simply because I have no idea what anyone is talking about. It is like reading a 1930s mystery story.

"On another message board that cannot be mentioned, a poster whose name is known to all of us has posted links to the blog of a former banned, then unbanned, then rebanned Doper whose name we all utter as a curse. I have been misrepresented."

Are there really message boards with posts about the goings-on at other message boards? Why?

Blanche

08-02-2006, 10:12 AM

I also don't get how I'm obviously a troll because I don't act like someone who is new to message boards or the internet in general. I've been on the internet off and on since the mid 90s. I've participated in several message boards, including mrcranky.com, somethingawful.com (before they went to pay), and various anorexia and new mother support groups.

Of course I've heard the term "attention whore" before and I know it doesn't literally mean I'm a whore. That doesn't mean that I, as a woman, shouldn't take offense at the "whore" part of the phrase, especially as the term tends to be thrown at women more often than men and that attention whore accusations are usually followed shortly by accusations of being an actual whore (see this thread for examples). It's not the same as "drama queen" as nobody would be offended to be called a queen - well, maybe men would, and I'd think if someone called a man a drama queen part of the insult would be the insinuation that they are behaving in an effeminate manner.

Giles

08-02-2006, 10:16 AM

Are there really message boards with posts about the goings-on at other message boards? Why?
Yes, indeed, and it's not unique to the SDMB and the other-board-that-must-not-be-named. I've known of a few other cases. Why? Well, people get worked up about things, and they know they can't say what they think on the main board without getting banned, so they say it somewhere else. It's not surprising at all to me.

Uvula Donor

08-02-2006, 10:24 AM

. . .attention whore accusations are usually followed shortly by accusations of being an actual whore (see this thread for examples). . .

Personally, I think it was wrong to label you a "whore" just because you slept with half your ex's family in some sort of twisted revenge scheme. After all, you never mentioned taking money.

don't ask

08-02-2006, 10:27 AM

Yes but everyone else seems to know about theseother boards whilst I have no idea what they are talking about. Perhaps I am slow.

Blanche

08-02-2006, 10:32 AM

Personally, I think it was wrong to label you a "whore" just because you slept with half your ex's family in some sort of twisted revenge scheme. After all, you never mentioned taking money.

That was a post made weeks ago about something I did over a decade ago, and nobody called me a whore because of it until Giraffe primed the pump.

Giles

08-02-2006, 10:40 AM

until Giraffe primed the pump.
Well, Giraffe primed thev pump, but someone else just keeps on pumping. I didn't thinkyou were an attention whore at the start, but you keep on trying to make me change me mind :rolleyes:

Jodi

08-02-2006, 12:20 PM

DONTASK, people are only talking obliquely about the Voldemort Board (i.e., "The Board That Cannot Be Named") because -- well, because it cannot be named. The powers that be have decided not to fan the flames of that alternate forum by discussing it.

But if you e-mailed someone, they would probably send you the link. Not me, though. I'm not being coy, but I followed the link when it was on Wiki and was pretty well disgusted by it -- lots of bitching and vicious anonymous slagging off of Board members, all done in the time-tested method of cowards: anonymously. I logged off and promptly forgot all about it. I can see you wanting to know what the kerfluffle is about but seriously; it's the sort of mean-spirited circle-jerk that really isn't worth your time.

Giraffe

08-02-2006, 12:28 PM

Giraffe primed the pump.<grizzled old prospector>
There's oil in them there whores! Yeeee hoo!!
</grizzled old prospector>

Ensign Edison

08-02-2006, 12:29 PM

I can see you wanting to know what the kerfluffle is about but seriously; it's the sort of mean-spirited circle-jerk that really isn't worth your time.

Not like the Pit. This place is a playground made of candy and rainbows!

The Other Place is a land of ghosts and shadows. Nothing there is real. Just don't light any fires or swallow any seeds, and leave your faith in humanity at the door.

fisha

08-02-2006, 12:37 PM

<grizzled old prospector>
There's oil in them there whores! Yeeee hoo!!
</grizzled old prospector>

Snorts pop through nose. Theme song of Beverly Hillbillies runs through mind.

Rubystreak

08-02-2006, 01:00 PM

First, to What Exit?, no offense taken, and we're in total agreement.

Giraffe is my new favorite mod after this thread.

IAs to the making him cry for my amusement, I feel a little guilt about it but it's so funny.

Just know that, in a decade or two, after he chops you up with an axe and goes on a tri-state killing spree, this thread will be used in his insanity plea....

DianaG

08-02-2006, 01:02 PM

IAs to the making him cry for my amusement, I feel a little guilt about it but it's so funny.
Oh sure, but when we make you cry for ours, you see what's wrong with that.

Syntropy

08-02-2006, 01:11 PM

fisha

08-02-2006, 01:21 PM

"And up through the ground came a bubblin' crude."

Maeglin

08-02-2006, 01:35 PM

I logged off and promptly forgot all about it. I can see you wanting to know what the kerfluffle is about but seriously; it's the sort of mean-spirited circle-jerk that really isn't worth your time.

Be honest: how much booze did it take to induce the forgetfulness?

Fear Itself

08-02-2006, 02:42 PM

I also don't get how I'm obviously a troll because I don't act like someone who is new to message boards or the internet in general.That's not the definion of an internet troll (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll). That doesn't mean that I, as a woman, shouldn't take offense at the "whore" part of the phrase, especially as the term tends to be thrown at women more often than men... That is not my experience. Attention whores can be either gender, and I don't see it applied unequally.

Blanche

08-02-2006, 04:53 PM

That's not the definion of an internet troll (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll). That is not my experience. Attention whores can be either gender, and I don't see it applied unequally.

I think you misunderstood. I didn't say I wasn't a troll because I had internet experience, or because I lacked experience, or whatever. I was talking about how some people are saying I'm a troll because I referred to some universal message board cliches while other things I've said make me seem like I'm new to message boards. They appear to think that I'm supposed to be a dumb housewife and when I make jokes about Tyler and Kayleigh and otherwise show some internet savvy that it's a mistake in my charade. I've NEVER claimed to be new to the internet on this board, so I don't know why they are acting that way.

OneCentStamp

08-02-2006, 05:54 PM

Of course not, my dear. You're an attention courtesan.

Nonsense. She's an attention geisha, and I will gladly pay for her subscription in return for the privilege of her mizuage.

(insert leering smiley here) ;)

Hypnagogic Jerk

08-02-2006, 06:56 PM

Of course I've heard the term "attention whore" before and I know it doesn't literally mean I'm a whore. That doesn't mean that I, as a woman, shouldn't take offense at the "whore" part of the phrase, especially as the term tends to be thrown at women more often than men and that attention whore accusations are usually followed shortly by accusations of being an actual whore (see this thread for examples). It's not the same as "drama queen" as nobody would be offended to be called a queen - well, maybe men would, and I'd think if someone called a man a drama queen part of the insult would be the insinuation that they are behaving in an effeminate manner.Wow. So this is what catsix has been trying to say all this time. It appears I owe her an apology. catsix, if you're reading this, you're not full of shit, some feminists really are this reactionary.
How so? Once again, Blanche is being candid here, but I can see where she's going, even though I disagree with her. I can see how some people might not like the expression "attention whore", since it brings to mind something completely different that is often considered unsavoury. But that's what this word's meaning has evolved to, and while being an attention whore is considered a somewhat negative attribute, most people don't make any link from this to actual whoring, not any more than people associate the expression "grammar Nazi" to actual Nazism. I disagree with Blanche, but there's nothing outrageous in her post, and it would take a lot more than this to vindicate catsix in my eyes.
Just know that, in a decade or two, after he chops you up with an axe and goes on a tri-state killing spree, this thread will be used in his insanity plea....
Okay, explain to me why what Blanche is doing is wrong. She's teasing her son with a vampire toy because she knows that he doesn't like it. Everyone has had their parents teasing them in such ways. It's almost completely innocent. It's not bullying, or anything even close to it. Why is it so wrong in your eyes?

DooWahDiddy

08-02-2006, 07:03 PM

Okay, explain to me why what Blanche is doing is wrong. She's teasing her son with a vampire toy because she knows that he doesn't like it. Everyone has had their parents teasing them in such ways. It's almost completely innocent. It's not bullying, or anything even close to it. Why is it so wrong in your eyes?

You think "I like to make him cry for my own amusement" is completely innocent and not close to bullying?

Hypnagogic Jerk

08-02-2006, 07:30 PM

As I said, she's very candid in her phrasing, and I think that's part of the hostility to her. But reading her description of the whole event, and not only this sentence, I don't think there's any bullying here. She's just teasing her son. When you tease someone, it's usually for your (and their, although maybe not right away) amusement. I'm sure Blanche wouldn't do it if it seemed her son was really traumatized by seeing the vampire toy.

When I was a kid, at supper, my father used to eat his plate faster then me and then put his arms in the air in a "victory" position when he was the first to finish. It always infuriated me to see him do this, but he always did it. He still does it from time to time, but now I laugh because I remember that it made me angry. There's nothing wrong with it.

Syntropy

08-02-2006, 08:20 PM

How so? Once again, Blanche is being candid here, but I can see where she's going, even though I disagree with her. I can see how some people might not like the expression "attention whore", since it brings to mind something completely different that is often considered unsavoury. But that's what this word's meaning has evolved to, and while being an attention whore is considered a somewhat negative attribute, most people don't make any link from this to actual whoring, not any more than people associate the expression "grammar Nazi" to actual Nazism. I disagree with Blanche, but there's nothing outrageous in her post, and it would take a lot more than this to vindicate catsix in my eyes.
Who said anything about vindication? catsix has stated on multiple occasions that feminists are overly reactionary and emotional. I've disagreed with her - loudly- on several occasions. In this particular case, Blanche does a good job of showing precisely the kind of emotional overreaction that catsix has stated characterizes feminists. Personally, I can't see how anyone who claims to be so familiar with message boards could see the term "attention whore" and think it means anything but someone who's addicted to drama. Instead, she focused solely on "whore." :rolleyes: If that isn't revelling in the drama, I don't know what is.

Okay, explain to me why what Blanche is doing is wrong. She's teasing her son with a vampire toy because she knows that he doesn't like it. Everyone has had their parents teasing them in such ways. It's almost completely innocent. It's not bullying, or anything even close to it. Why is it so wrong in your eyes?
Really? REALLY? You honestly see nothing wrong with scaring your child til they cry. It doesn't matter what they're using. Why does using a toy make it okay? She thinks it's funny that she can scare her son to tears. And if you think that's "completely innocent," then I sincerely hope you're incapable or reproduction.

Rubystreak

08-02-2006, 08:28 PM

When I was a kid, at supper, my father used to eat his plate faster then me and then put his arms in the air in a "victory" position when he was the first to finish. It always infuriated me to see him do this, but he always did it. He still does it from time to time, but now I laugh because I remember that it made me angry. There's nothing wrong with it.

And somehow, to you, this is the same as making a toddler cry to demonstrate to your friends how funny his reaction is to a toy? Maybe you and your dad need to have a talk, then.

It's not that she is doing something, just playing around, and it makes the kid cry, and he needs to have a thicker skin. It's not that she's subjecting the kid to some good-natured ribbing, like your dad was. She takes out the doll, on purpose, to make the kid cry, to show her friends for their amusement. And says it on a message board, with nary a blink of the eyelash. Then disingenuously wonders why people think she's an attention-whoring troll. All pretty hilarious, to me.

Maybe the kid won't kill her with an axe and go on a tri-state killing spree. I could be waaaaay off there. Maybe he'll become a serial killer with a vampire fetish instead. :rolleyes:

eleanorigby

08-02-2006, 08:54 PM

Lord Ashtar

08-02-2006, 08:59 PM

Okay, explain to me why what Blanche is doing is wrong. She's teasing her son with a vampire toy because she knows that he doesn't like it. Everyone has had their parents teasing them in such ways. It's almost completely innocent. It's not bullying, or anything even close to it. Why is it so wrong in your eyes?
Because this is the kind of thing that will cause her kid to turn into a goth/skater/punk in his teen years, and we certainly don't need any more of those.

Blanche

08-02-2006, 09:16 PM

Dear god--could she please be a troll or sock. Please? Blanche --I am appalled by your treatment of your son. It is NOT funny nor is it healthy for him (or for you, but I find I don't care so much about your feelings--that kid is helpless and under your control, may god help him). How nice of you to help him in your oh, so special way. Maybe you should write a book on child care and developement--for trolls.

I don't laugh at my kids, nor do I tease them cruelly. Funny how they know how to act in public and treat others well. There's a Rule on the tip of my tongue....something about treating others the way you want to be treated...nope, not coming to me. You could look it up though--look under Golden.

I read this thread because I find myself intrigued by the whole Other Thread That Must Not Be Named--and still don't know where or what it is. I looked into LiveJournal once, and couldn't even figure out how to surf that site. No doubt I have come in for my share of knocks and crap over there (wherever there is)--who cares?

As for the attention whore bit--get over it or yourself, already. I think that along with Maureen, I may catsix a small, narrowly defined apology.....

Sorry to sound harsh on a newbie to the SDMB, but you completely lost any sympathy I had for you with the scaring the kidlet thing. Ugh. Find another way to get your jollies--like picking the wings off flies or something.

What would you do if one of your kids was afraid of a particular toy, throw it out? Hide it and try to keep him from having to see it? Confronting him with it repeatedly serves three purposes. First, it's funny. Secondly, it can be used to keep him from getting hurt (i.e. by leaving it in the kitchen or the garage). And thirdly, he is slowly building a tolerance to his fear of the purple google-eyed dancing vampire toy. At one point he was completely over his fear of the vampire (and I was a little sad because it was a convenient form of area denial), but we put it away for a while and when we got it out again he was afraid of it again, but not as afraid. We're teaching him not to be afraid of inanimate objects. Most of the time when we bring it near him we're trying to convince him it's nothing to be afraid of, i.e. by pulling back it's clothes and showing the plastic machinery beneath, making him touch the plastic eyes and felt teeth.

Richard Pearse

08-02-2006, 09:18 PM

I don't laugh at my kids, nor do I tease them cruelly.
Do you tickle your kids? Do they actually enjoy it? I used to hate being tickled, couldn't help laughing though.

Blanche

08-02-2006, 09:27 PM

Do you tickle your kids? Do they actually enjoy it? I used to hate being tickled, couldn't help laughing though.

Some of the only memories I had of my father until I was reunited with him much later were of him tickling me until I screamed for him to stop, and him continuing to tickle, esp. counting my ribs. "1 rib, 2 ribs, 3 ribs...oops, you wiggled and made me lose count" - I hated it but I tickle the shit out of my kids today and I think it's a good thing.

Syntropy

08-02-2006, 09:30 PM

What would you do if one of your kids was afraid of a particular toy, throw it out? Hide it and try to keep him from having to see it? Confronting him with it repeatedly serves three purposes. First, it's funny. Secondly, it can be used to keep him from getting hurt (i.e. by leaving it in the kitchen or the garage). And thirdly, he is slowly building a tolerance to his fear of the purple google-eyed dancing vampire toy. At one point he was completely over his fear of the vampire (and I was a little sad because it was a convenient form of area denial), but we put it away for a while and when we got it out again he was afraid of it again, but not as afraid. We're teaching him not to be afraid of inanimate objects. Most of the time when we bring it near him we're trying to convince him it's nothing to be afraid of, i.e. by pulling back it's clothes and showing the plastic machinery beneath, making him touch the plastic eyes and felt teeth.
So, what do you do if he's afraid of the dark, lock him in a closet, refuse to let him out and laugh when he screams and cries? Again, I don't care what you're using to scare your kid. The fact that you think it's fun to scare him til he cries makes me hope he can find a good therapist when he's a bit older.

You're right it does serve a few purposes: Permanent scarring, building distrust and fear, and helping you to realize when your mom is batshit crazy so that you can get away from her as fast as possible when you grow up. You're a fuckin loon.

Scotticher

08-02-2006, 09:42 PM

What would you do if one of your kids was afraid of a particular toy, throw it out? Hide it and try to keep him from having to see it? Confronting him with it repeatedly serves three purposes. First, it's funny. Secondly, it can be used to keep him from getting hurt (i.e. by leaving it in the kitchen or the garage). And thirdly, he is slowly building a tolerance to his fear of the purple google-eyed dancing vampire toy. At one point he was completely over his fear of the vampire (and I was a little sad because it was a convenient form of area denial), but we put it away for a while and when we got it out again he was afraid of it again, but not as afraid. We're teaching him not to be afraid of inanimate objects. Most of the time when we bring it near him we're trying to convince him it's nothing to be afraid of, i.e. by pulling back it's clothes and showing the plastic machinery beneath, making him touch the plastic eyes and felt teeth.

I'm not sure you can do all three of those things at the same time. Well, yes....it might amuse you to do the first. I don't personally find it funny, I find it kind of disturbing. But then I don't know you or your child, so maybe something is missing in the translation. But the last two? Either you use it to prevent him from going into areas you deem dangerous for him, or you are trying to teach him that it is an inanimate object so that it isn't something he should be afraid of. Those two things seem to me to be diametrically opposed to each other. And that would appear to be sending conflicting messages to your child.

If my child had an unreasonable fear of something, I would try to do what you have done, show him that is was not "real". If it was a real thing, like spiders for instance, I'd try to educate him about spiders, teach him what he should do when he encounters spiders, educate him about there being some spiders that are dangerous and some that are not.

I can't see how your child can learn to not be afraid of the vampire doll if you are still using it to frighten him.

JMHO.

Blanche

08-02-2006, 10:46 PM

I'm not sure you can do all three of those things at the same time. Well, yes....it might amuse you to do the first. I don't personally find it funny, I find it kind of disturbing. But then I don't know you or your child, so maybe something is missing in the translation. But the last two? Either you use it to prevent him from going into areas you deem dangerous for him, or you are trying to teach him that it is an inanimate object so that it isn't something he should be afraid of. Those two things seem to me to be diametrically opposed to each other. And that would appear to be sending conflicting messages to your child.

If my child had an unreasonable fear of something, I would try to do what you have done, show him that is was not "real". If it was a real thing, like spiders for instance, I'd try to educate him about spiders, teach him what he should do when he encounters spiders, educate him about there being some spiders that are dangerous and some that are not.

I can't see how your child can learn to not be afraid of the vampire doll if you are still using it to frighten him.

JMHO.

He'll eventually get over his fear, but until that day I'll use that fear to help keep him safe.

Scotticher

08-02-2006, 11:00 PM

Good luck with that.

Ensign Edison

08-02-2006, 11:02 PM

No, I WAS a whore. Or rather, I was rather messed up in the head. I'd gone directly from living with my father to living with my much older ex-husband, who then psychologically abused me and cheated on me. That was over 13 years ago.

Should have called the thread "I don't think I deserve to be called a whore anymore", then.

Revenant Threshold

08-02-2006, 11:12 PM

He'll eventually get over his fear, but until that day I'll use that fear to help keep him safe. It strikes me that by constantly bringing it up to scare him, you're slowing down his "getting over it" process. It also strikes me that making your kid cry for shits and giggles doesn't really count under "keeping him safe" - quite the contrary, in fact.

Pixiesnix

08-02-2006, 11:15 PM

Blanche wrote:
He'll eventually get over his fear, but until that day I'll use that fear to help keep him safe.

Bullshit.

You do it for laughs. Don't try to pretend it's for anything else. This whole "Mom the Guardian" defense makes you even more sickening.

As for calling you a whore...you don't like it, but we think it's funny. You'll get over it eventually. And it'll thicken your skin, right?

Rubystreak

08-02-2006, 11:24 PM

What would you do if one of your kids was afraid of a particular toy, throw it out? Hide it and try to keep him from having to see it?

No, I'd take it out when my friends were over so he'd cry and that would amuse the hell out of all of us. :confused:

Confronting him with it repeatedly serves three purposes. First, it's funny.

Honestly, I do not know many people who are amused by a crying baby. Most parents seek to minimize the crying, not provoke it. What do you do when he cries? Comfort him? That must be confusing. OR do you just let him cry, oblivious to it? Either way, you're a fucking jerkoff.

Secondly, it can be used to keep him from getting hurt (i.e. by leaving it in the kitchen or the garage).

So are you using it to help him get over his fear? Or do you want him to fear it so you don't have to supervise him as he wanders all over your house? Again, confusing, but I don't think you exactly have a cohesive child-rearing philosophy going on. Also, ever heard of baby gates? They're cheaper than therapy or a defense attorney for him will be later in life.

And thirdly, he is slowly building a tolerance to his fear of the purple google-eyed dancing vampire toy. At one point he was completely over his fear of the vampire (and I was a little sad because it was a convenient form of area denial),

Not to mention hours of hilarity with your fucking idiot friends.

but we put it away for a while and when we got it out again he was afraid of it again, but not as afraid. We're teaching him not to be afraid of inanimate objects.

First of all, "we"? There's another so-called adult involved in this crackheaded idea? My god.

Also, you're only teaching him that his mother is a whimsical bitch who laughs at his pain. The rest of your rationale is bullshit, but you won't admit that because you think this whole argument is vastly entertaining, don't you?

making him touch the plastic eyes and felt teeth.

Yeah, I can picture you "making him" touch it and it "makes me" want to punch you right in the face.

FaerieBeth

08-03-2006, 12:12 AM

What would you do if one of your kids was afraid of a particular toy, throw it out?
Yes. It's just a stupid toy. Why would I keep it?
Hide it and try to keep him from having to see it?
I've done that, too. In this case it was a baby quilt with the alphabet appliquéd on it. The letters went around the edge, but on the bottom, the lady who made it turned the letters right-side up. This was so that when you looked at the whole quilt the letters weren't upside down. Unfortunately, when my son read his way around the quilt, he turned in a circle while sitting on the quilt. This meant the bottom letters were upside down and backwards for him. It was endlessly frustrating, and he would begin to cry because he couldn't figure out what was wrong. Once I figured out what caused his dismay, I hid the quilt from him. I couldn't throw it away because a family member made it for him, but it stayed tied in a white plastic bag on the top shelf of his closet.

Confronting him with it repeatedly serves three purposes. No, it serves no purpose at all.
I will always have plenty of opportunities to help my child overcome things that upset them because throughout their lives, children will be faced with an almost limitless number of daily frustrations and fears that come along in the natural course of life. Why would I add to that burden by artificially manufacturing scenarios in which I scare my child half to death for fun?
Once he gets to high school and college his friends will do that.

Long Time Lurker

08-03-2006, 12:33 AM

choie

08-03-2006, 12:44 AM

We're teaching him not to be afraid of inanimate objects.

... And instead, to be very afraid of his parents, whom he now knows can't be trusted not to pull out scary fucking stuff to make him cry. Great plan! :smack:

As far as the whore stuff, is anyone else singing the lines from Evita, when she's on her world tour and gets an unpleasant greeting in Rome?

EVITA: Did you hear that? They called me a whore! They actually called me a whore!

ITALIAN: But Signora Peron, it's an easy mistake. I'm still called an Admiral, though I gave up the sea long ago...

Hypnagogic Jerk

08-03-2006, 03:13 AM

Who said anything about vindication? catsix has stated on multiple occasions that feminists are overly reactionary and emotional. I've disagreed with her - loudly- on several occasions. In this particular case, Blanche does a good job of showing precisely the kind of emotional overreaction that catsix has stated characterizes feminists. Personally, I can't see how anyone who claims to be so familiar with message boards could see the term "attention whore" and think it means anything but someone who's addicted to drama. Instead, she focused solely on "whore." :rolleyes: If that isn't revelling in the drama, I don't know what is.
Okay, some feminists are overly reactionary and emotional, I would agree with this without a problem. But to me, "feminism" still generally means nothing more than believing that men and women should be equal, and that's where I completely lose catsix, who has entirely redefined it to mean hatred of men. Plus, she doesn't seem to believe that men and women are really equal, and while some of her points make sense (I would expect to see more male firefighters than female ones), she presents them in the most agressive way she can think of.

As for Blanche, she does claim to be familiar with message boards and to know that "attention whore" doesn't mean anything like "whore", but still doesn't like the word. Yes, I think that's a little silly, and I think her reaction to seeing that she was discussed on snark boards was over the top, but I've seen a lot of worse things on this message board. Everything I've seen of her convinces me that she's entirely honest with us, even too honest (therefore, not a troll), and I don't think her positions are even very extreme. I've all seen them before here.

Really? REALLY? You honestly see nothing wrong with scaring your child til they cry. It doesn't matter what they're using. Why does using a toy make it okay? She thinks it's funny that she can scare her son to tears. And if you think that's "completely innocent," then I sincerely hope you're incapable or reproduction.
Children cry very easily, as I'm sure you're aware, and as was discussed at length in the other thread. Usually it doesn't mean anything, and they'll go back to laughing just seconds later. I'll repeat my earlier anecdote: my girlfriend bought her son a plush toy. He happens not to like it. The toy is usually on their kitchen counter. One time I took the toy and showed it to him. He answered with a "NO!" My motives were to see his reaction, and at the same time to show him the toy in the expectation that maybe some day he will accept to play with it. Does that make me an awful person? I assure you that I only have the little guy's best interests at heart.

I'm sure what Blanche does is quite similar. Her son cries as soon as he sees the vampire toy. Unless I'm really misreading her posts, she doesn't attack him with the toy, or keep him for extended periods of time in restricted spaces with the toy, she just shows him the toy. And he cries. She does that because it's funny -- really, I can't be the only one to see the humour in a young guy who's afraid of nothing starting to cry as soon as he sees a glimpse of a goofy-looking vampire? --, because it helps keep some parts of the house out of bounds to him -- I read the post about using barriers or other things to keep him out, but as anyone can expect, it's not always possible, for various reasons -- and to help him overcome his fear of this object. (I will however agree with Scotticher that the last two goals are contradictory, and Blanche could do well to consider this.)

And somehow, to you, this is the same as making a toddler cry to demonstrate to your friends how funny his reaction is to a toy? Maybe you and your dad need to have a talk, then.
Yes, I think it's pretty much the same. My father used to do this because my reaction was funny. It amused him. And I agree with him, while it's a quite stupid gesture on his part, my reaction was indeed funny. I guess what you don't like is that Blanche does it in front of friends. You may think that this is because she wants to mock her son in front of other people, make them laugh at his son. Unless I'm really misunderstanding her posts, what I understand is that she merely does it because it's cute. This is also how I feel: a tough young guy who isn't afraid of anything, but who cries as soon as he sees a particular goofy-looking toy, is especially cute.

I suppose you're going to consider that I'm an horrible person for this, finding that a crying child can be cute. After all, when they're crying, we're supposed to jump to their help and stop their crying, not find it funny or cute (even if we go reassure them right away, and they start laughing less than 30 seconds later). But the only thing I can offer is my experience with my girlfriend's son. He cries and screams for every possible reason, and the only way to stop it would be to give him everything he wants, which I'm sure you will agree would be awful parenting. Sure, you'll answer, but at least I shouldn't find it funny or cute when he does. Well, oftentimes it ISN'T, but sometimes it's just over the top (as in the aformentioned toy examples, both Blanche's and mine) that it really gets funny. And I really don't think it's wrong to find it funny. The child isn't harmed in any way by being angry at his father or afraid of a toy for a few seconds. It really isn't anything near the order of magnitude of locking a child that's afraid of the dark in a closet, alone, for extended periods of time, as Maureen mentioned. I repeat: it's just showing a kid a toy, leading him to cry a few tears, putting the toy away and then hugging the child. To him, it's equivalent to bringing him to a place where he's afraid to be (happens every day, don't have any choice, since there's so many places in which a kid will feel afraid; in the case of my girlfriend's son it's the street -- many big noisy trucks there -- or home improvement stores -- noisy machines!) and then hugging him and reassuring him.

Another confession: my girlfriend's son is currently in a "no" stage. He tends to answer "no" to anything we ask, often with a smile on his face. I like to make up convoluted or meta-referential* questions to see what his answer will be. I find it cute. I guess I'm going to hell.

*This word probably doesn't exist, but that's the only way I was able to phrase it in a single word. What I mean is that I ask him questions such as "are you able to say yes?" or "are you able to say no?". Usually he'll answer "no" to the first one and nothing to the second. He really understands everything, and just likes answering "no" because we'd like him to do otherwise, as everyone who sees his facial expression will figure out.

Hypnagogic Jerk

08-03-2006, 03:47 AM

Just to add to my previous post, if it was really traumatizing to Blanche's son to be exposed to the scary vampire toy, don't you think she would have realised it? Don't you think he would have, say, continued crying and screaming for a long time after she'd put the toy back in its place and gone to hug him, convincing her not to try this again? Everything she says leads us to believe that he was not scarred at all and went back to do whatever he was doing before everytime she tried this. As I've said before, to him, this wasn't any different than going to a place that scares him (and with some children, this happens every day). In fact, if anything, it was less traumatizing than this, since when a child is in a place that scares them, or with people they don't really like, it usually lasts longer.

Now, for those who think only sick freaks might consider crying children to be cute or funny, regardless on the circumstances, consider this. Psychologically, it makes sense that we should be programmed to take care of children that show signs of distress, since sometimes it means they are in need of us. People usually have a strong psychological reaction to things that are helpless or cute. So, we could say that finding children who cry to be "cute", and being compelled to go investigate and take care of them, is in fact the healthy reaction. It reinforces the bond that exists between the child and its parents: child is scared, cries, is conforted by its parents; parents see crying child (whether they are the ones who made him cry or not), find it cute, are compelled to go see child.

glee

08-03-2006, 05:43 AM

Just to add to my previous post, if it was really traumatizing to Blanche's son to be exposed to the scary vampire toy, don't you think she would have realised it?

She was doing it for her own amusement.

Now, for those who think only sick freaks might consider crying children to be cute or funny, regardless on the circumstances, consider this. Psychologically, it makes sense that we should be programmed to take care of children that show signs of distress, since sometimes it means they are in need of us. People usually have a strong psychological reaction to things that are helpless or cute. So, we could say that finding children who cry to be "cute", and being compelled to go investigate and take care of them, is in fact the healthy reaction. It reinforces the bond that exists between the child and its parents: child is scared, cries, is conforted by its parents; parents see crying child (whether they are the ones who made him cry or not), find it cute, are compelled to go see child.

So a parent following your 'healthy' strategy would continually make their child cry, then comfort them, then make them cry again?
Rubbish.
A normal parent tries to make their child happy, since there is an incredible bond between a parent and a smiling child.
Children benefit form the security of their parent's love, not being taught that their parents like to make them cry (and that the child only gets attention when it cries).

Uvula Donor

08-03-2006, 05:48 AM

Come now.. It's one thing to take an odd stance on a particular issue. It's another to take a borderline indefensible position on just about every topic that comes up. She's either a very disturbed individual or, far more likely, enjoying the reactions.

Exactly.

Blanche, you've been a skilled and effective troll throughout your guest membership. Your own reactions have been pretty predictable when you've been called on your bullshit - you backpedal, and elaborate, and sometimes act stupid or ignore the callouts, and then scurry off to shit somewhere else on the MB. It was pretty funny for a while, but the novelty's worn off now and my short internet attention span demands new meat. Bye!

MizGrand

08-03-2006, 08:05 AM

Oh come on! Teasing a child with a toy is hardly akin to terrorism. I have a 2 year-old boy who's utterly (almost) fearless. He jumps off the side of the swimming pool, he climbs on anything he can wriggle up and he's bonked himself good on the head at times while doing so. It can be funny to watch the highly exagerrated reactions of a small child. My five-year-old boy freaks out if he sees a spider. His dad will, on occasion, chase him around with the smushed spider just to get a larf. It's funny.

Has no-one else ever gotten a giggle at their kid's expense? It's a part of life. I doubt we'd trot out the spider and chase him around when we had company, but we'll tell the story and the company will probably laugh too, since it's just so funny to imagine.

Ensign Edison

08-03-2006, 08:35 AM

Has no-one else ever gotten a giggle at their kid's expense? It's a part of life. I doubt we'd trot out the spider and chase him around when we had company, but we'll tell the story and the company will probably laugh too, since it's just so funny to imagine.

You're saying that you agree with what Blanche does except the part about what she actually does. What do you think of routinely mocking your son's fear of spiders to his humiliation in front of other adults?

Hamadryad

08-03-2006, 08:45 AM

I keep a blood-spraying prosthetic arm in one of our closets specifically because my kids fear it and it will keep them from going in there.

Just saying.

DianaG

08-03-2006, 09:05 AM

J. Walter Weatherman, is that you?

Trunk

08-03-2006, 09:23 AM

That was a post made weeks ago about something I did over a decade ago, and nobody called me a whore because of it until Giraffe primed the pump.I did. Go read the thread again.

Ponder Stibbons

08-03-2006, 09:25 AM

I did. Go read the thread again.
Hey hey hey hey hey!!! Blanche doesn't need any of your ... facts ... messing up her self imposed martyrdom!

Lord Ashtar

08-03-2006, 09:26 AM

My five-year-old boy freaks out if he sees a spider. His dad will, on occasion, chase him around with the smushed spider just to get a larf. It's funny.
Sure, it's funny. Once and a while. It'd be another thing if he kept a plastic tarantula in a drawer, tortured the kid with it until he cried, and it'd be even worse if he did this in front of his friends. That'd be sadistic.

TVeblen

08-03-2006, 09:31 AM

Come now.. It's one thing to take an odd stance on a particular issue. It's another to take a borderline indefensible position on just about every topic that comes up. She's either a very disturbed individual or, far more likely, enjoying the reactions.

Cogent summary.

I'm closing this thread. If Blanche actually is just a misguided newbie then the closure is a rare, one-time mercy killing that might allow her enough slack to redeem herself. If she's just a glutton for attention--any attention, even negative--then this thread is just so muchBlanche chow.

Enough already. Closed.

Veb