muley

Well, I thought hard and long about my first article I would write for this site. After much deliberation, I’ve decided to write about something that has bothered me for a long, long time. It is the social negligence of those who use the internet and hide behind the anonymity of the digital age.

As you know, I have videos online and I leave comments open on there so if someone gets a chuckle out of the show they can reply and let me know. If I can get someone to smile or, better yet, laugh, then what I like to do is worth doing. However, there are those who are socially inept because they have resorted to only living on the internet. These folks post on message boards, text instead of talking, and count their importance in the world based on how many “friends” they accumulate on some social networking website. The problem with all that is these same people forget what it means to be polite and considerate of others’ emotions.

For example, I post my videos on you tube.com where you will find film made during a convention in which Muley gets his “hair cut” by a fellow dressed as the Marvel Comics character Wolverine. It’s a freebie video, of course. It’s silly, and a little funny. I have a chance to see comments and MrGamerChris has posted, “Fail is the 1 word that describes this $#!t.” No reason why. Nothing constructive, just a blatant insult. So, I check his profile to see what he’s about, to see what cartoons or puppetry work he does in order to pass such a harsh judgment.

What I find on his profile isn’t anything creative. It isn’t anything he’s done at all. It is video he’s made of video games. So, this non-talented lump of earth has chosen to comment unconstructively on my creative work. Something that entertains several folks (somewhere) is the topic of his rudeness. What I’d have liked to posted in reply is to quote what he said and follow it up with “…as it is also the word I would use to describe your mother’s attempt to create a good son.”

What I would welcome is the opportunity for the guy to write something constructive if he plans to criticize my work. Or, if he has forgotten how to be a social human being because all he does is post on message boards or waste his life away in front of a video game console, send e-mails, and text people then I pity him and his failure to be a good human being. Or, if he would like to post a message like this just because he is the average, everyday, run-of-the-mill jerk I would love for him to post his home address and phone number so I can respond the way folks raised in Mississippi should reply.

As that will never happen, I would like to offer up some advice for jerks like him that I think would make this planet a little better.

For starters: Learn to talk. I don’t mean that someone should have to learn to talk with proper English, or that someone should have to learn to properly structure a sentence when they speak (that would be nice), but I do mean that someone should learn how to have verbal communication with another person rather than speaking in ‘net talk like saying “OMG!” which they would type for short because they’re too lazy to type out a whole seven letters. I think by being nice, smiling, and saying Hello to strangers will help you begin many ‘real’ friendships, not causing you to settle your own personal merit by how many people you have ‘friended’ on some internet website.

Less typing. It is free to send e-mails--sort of--but, it doesn’t hurt to once in a while write a letter to someone. Even if it is someone you can slip a note into their locker or lunchbox. Something silly, something to bring a smile to someone’s face. It doesn’t really take long, and it’s a good way to learn how to talk to people. You begin forming sentences on paper then you can begin speaking sentences. It is also an opportunity to text someone, “You free?” If they reply, “Yes,” then make a phone call. It will take less time than typing all those words into your cell phone, and you’re now back to the first topic of learning to talk.

Realize. It’s a singular, simple word. Realize that you’re pecking away on your computer keyboard and looking at a computer screen. On the other end of the line--the internet or phone--you are dealing with living people. Not just a computer. Realize that you are responsible not only for your happiness in this world, but that of others. It’s disgusting how many sissies will hide behind their anonymity on the internet to be blatant jerk-aholics rather than learning how to participate in congenial, or at least constructive, ways.

My challenge to you at the close of this article is that you try hand-writing a letter, talking instead of texting, and say or do something nice for someone, especially a stranger. You’ll be surprised at how good you’ll feel participating with the rest of the human race.

Now, I’m going to go back to drawing my talking mule.