# Don't look at the comments! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 28, 2012, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-look-at-the-comments/617090 "2012-03-28T22:25:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-look-at-the-comments/617090/81 "2012-04-10T13:49:36Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > Pull up any article about the shootings in Tulsa right now. It’ll make you wonder what decade we are in, and weep for our future. The comments on the latest Trayvon Martin story yesterday were just flat out, blatantly racist. I was dumbfounded. (My favorite: “the NAACP is just as racist as the KKK was back in the day”. Yeah, because the NAACP is famous for dragging white men out of their homes and hanging them for whistling at black women.) ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Antibob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Great\_Antibob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Antibob)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-look-at-the-comments/617090/82 "2012-04-10T14:40:10Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > It is interesting that you say that when I’ve acknowledged that there are nutters on both sides. Emphasis on ‘both’. Which means that I acknowledge that both sides do indeed have them. Oh boy, I hate you guys. The ones who say, “Both sides have people like this, so both sides are equally guilty”. It’s the worst kind of equivocation. Unless you’re talking about Canada or one of them librul parts of the world (i.e. not Texas, the Deep South, or certain parts (but not others) of the Western US), it’s not true. Hell, it’s not even true in those Yankee states. There’s no shortage of stupidity anywhere. Take my hometown newspaper, as a case in point: [the Houston Chronicle](http://www.chron.com/). Maybe it’s a “liberal bias” but I dare anybody to claim that the wingnuts who comments on articles to that paper are even remotely evenly divided between conservative and liberal nutters. It shouldn’t be a surprise that commenters to a Texas newspaper slant deeply conservative. ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-look-at-the-comments/617090/83 "2012-04-10T22:59:31Z")
> [@Anaamika](#): > > youtube is the worst. Every Bollywood video, for example, inevitably descends into a Hindu-Muslim flame war. Really, people??? If you’re really bored, here’s a fun game. Click on a random YouTube video but cover the top half if the screen so you can only see the comments. Now try to guess the subject of the video. Seriously, 90% of videos, regardless of the content, end up with comments to the effect that Americans are fags, no, people from country X are pussies, no we’ll kick your asses, etc ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [April 10, 2012, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-look-at-the-comments/617090/84 "2012-04-10T23:41:56Z")
I saw a clip from a movie with a gay character. Most of the comments are not about the clip or the movie. Most of the comments appear to have been written by teenaged girls anxious to assert that the actor playing the gay character is NOT GAY and is in fact HAPPILY MARRIED. Some of the comments suggest that the other character in the clip, the gay man’s friend, is ALSO GAY or would like to be, because why would you ever be friends with somebody gay unless you were also gay? A few comments talk about the other movies the actor has appeared in and how he was TOTALLY NOT GAY in these other movies. A very few comments mention the quality of the acting and writing. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Colophon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f05b48/32.png) [@Colophon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colophon)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2012, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-look-at-the-comments/617090/85 "2012-04-11T02:03:49Z")
> [@a35362](#): > > I saw a clip from a movie with a gay character. Most of the comments are not about the clip or the movie. Most of the comments appear to have been written by teenaged girls anxious to assert that the actor playing the gay character is NOT GAY and is in fact HAPPILY MARRIED. > > Some of the comments suggest that the other character in the clip, the gay man’s friend, is ALSO GAY or would like to be, because why would you ever be friends with somebody gay unless you were also gay? > > A few comments talk about the other movies the actor has appeared in and how he was TOTALLY NOT GAY in these other movies. > > A very few comments mention the quality of the acting and writing. > > :rolleyes: dude wateva u r like so gay lol ---
**Author:** ![gamerunknown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6bbea6/32.png) [@gamerunknown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gamerunknown)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-look-at-the-comments/617090/86 "2012-04-25T07:09:02Z")
Dear Lord, I can’t [help myself](http://i.imgur.com/NntWZ.png). I’m not being totally unreasonable there, am I? Other than the awkward phrasing in a few of those posts. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2012, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-look-at-the-comments/617090/87 "2012-04-25T13:36:52Z")
> [@gamerunknown](#): > > Dear Lord, I can’t [help myself](http://i.imgur.com/NntWZ.png). > > I’m not being totally unreasonable there, am I? Other than the awkward phrasing in a few of those posts. I think you might be misunderstanding the sort of comments being complained about in this thread, because that exchange looks like a parliamentary deliberation by comparison. And bcuz ur a fag!!!lol ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-look-at-the-comments/617090/88 "2012-04-26T16:25:55Z")
I read the comments when I am feeling dumb, and feel a need to be able to point to someone and say, “They’re dumber than me”. They very rarely disappoint. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-look-at-the-comments/617090/89 "2012-04-26T20:08:48Z")
ABC asked Michelle Obama if she ever thought about running for president… That’s red meat for the howling spittle-flecked boobocracy. Common themes in the comments are cow, Moochelle, monkey, wookie, extravagant vacations, and shopping. (There does seem to be a right-wing talking point, that the Obamas take extravagant vacations on the taxpayer’s dime. Not sure I grasp what the hell they’re babbling about.) ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-look-at-the-comments/617090/90 "2012-04-26T20:46:09Z")
> [@SenorBeef](#): > > I’m sure they’re the ones passing along the gigantic network of right wing bullshit glurge e-mails too. Actually, **that** process is [much more highly organized than you would think.](http://www.thenation.com/article/new-right-wing-smear-machine) ---
**Author:** ![dngnb8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@dngnb8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dngnb8)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2012, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-look-at-the-comments/617090/91 "2012-04-26T23:01:47Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > This is more mild grumbling than Pit-worthy ranting. > > I’ve developed a compulsion to click on the comments section at the end of online news stories, and it has caused me to despair for the future of our Republic. > > Illiterate, unintelligible, meandering ranting. 90% tea-party ditto-head talking points; virtually any topic will generate a comment bashing Obama and/or all the crooks in congress (term limits seems to be the panacea that will solve our nation’s ills). > > It’s like only the troglodytes have computers. > > Well, except for me. Thats funny, I see liberal ditto head rantings as well. Funny how you only mention one party. NB4 there are more of them then us response ---
**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-look-at-the-comments/617090/92 "2012-04-27T17:49:17Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > It is interesting that you say that when I’ve acknowledged that there are nutters on both sides. Emphasis on ‘both’. There are always more than two sides. ---
**Author:** ![Uzi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/91b2a8/32.png) [@Uzi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uzi)\ **Post date:** [April 27, 2012, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-look-at-the-comments/617090/93 "2012-04-27T23:38:46Z")
> [@BrainGlutton](#): > > There are always more than two sides. Somethings are black and white. Crazy covers the whole spectrum, unfortunately. ---
**Author:** ![lavenderviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/cdc98d/32.png) [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2012, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-look-at-the-comments/617090/94 "2012-04-28T20:49:15Z")
> [@Uzi](#): > > It is interesting that you say that when I’ve acknowledged that there are nutters on both sides. Emphasis on ‘both’. Which means that I acknowledge that both sides do indeed have them. I have no idea why you think I am defending one side’s actions over another unless you think I agree with them, which I haven’t indicated that I do. Until I posted, though, it was a pretty one sided conversation. I agree with you that there are just as many left wing lunatics as there are conservative ones. I think it’s easy for people to ignore the nutters on their own side because they think “Yeah, I kind of see where that guy’s coming from” even if they think the person takes things too far. This problem is not limited to political stories, by the way. I see a lot of really ignorant comments on health stories. Just last night I was reading a story about early onset dementia where several people posted nutty comments along the lines of how dementia doesn’t really exist and in fact these symptoms are caused by Lyme disease. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2012, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-look-at-the-comments/617090/95 "2012-04-28T20:59:01Z")
> [@lavenderviolet](#): > > I agree with you that there are just as many left wing lunatics as there are conservative ones. I challenge you to find and link to a news story on a non-idealogical news website where the comments are equally balanced between left and right. The righties always outnumber the lefties by four or five to one. Always. ---
**Author:** ![Bosstone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2012, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-look-at-the-comments/617090/96 "2012-04-28T21:06:53Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > If you pre-moderate everything, your response won’t show up right away, and most people are going to just leave after that point, never to come back to the article. The ones that do come back can cry all they want to, but their cries won’t ever be seen. The only people I would wish that job on are the ones who write idiot comments in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![Boyo\_Jim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/87869e/32.png) [@Boyo\_Jim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boyo_Jim)\ **Post date:** [April 28, 2012, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-look-at-the-comments/617090/97 "2012-04-28T21:08:08Z")
> [@lavenderviolet](#): > > …This problem is not limited to political stories, by the way. I see a lot of really ignorant comments on health stories. Just last night I was reading a story about early onset dementia where several people posted nutty comments along the lines of how dementia doesn’t really exist and in fact these symptoms are caused by Lyme disease. :rolleyes: Do you have any evidence that these kind of nutcases are from the left? I have no idea, though I tend think people who deny science are more likely to be right wing fundamentalists than leftists. Remember Michelle Bachmann and her anti-vax bullshit? ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [April 29, 2012, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-look-at-the-comments/617090/98 "2012-04-29T01:37:02Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > I challenge you to find and link to a news story on a non-idealogical news website where the comments are equally balanced between left and right. The righties always outnumber the lefties by four or five to one. Always. I concur – in the Michelle Obama for President story I mentioned above, the right-wing racist nutjobs outnumbered the “I think she’d be a good president” by about 100-1. However: it may be a case of selection bias. I may not be opening articles and looking at comments for stories that would tend to attract left-wing nutjobs. ---
**Author:** ![Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/43a26b/32.png) [@Pine\_Fresh\_Scent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pine_Fresh_Scent)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2012, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-look-at-the-comments/617090/99 "2012-05-01T04:04:38Z")
One of my favorite posters on another board only contributes quotes from You Tube comments sections. I don’t know how he finds the time or strength to wade through that swamp, but his posts always read as “let’s ask the man on the street for his opinion (then laugh at him).” Bless you, **Reposted Youtube Comments**. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dont-look-at-the-comments/617090.md?page=4)