I want to be delicate with this post because there are real people, with real feelings whom I have pissed off in Kansas City's blogosphere.
Apparently, the author of
"Well Hell Michelle" was offended by something I had written on the occasion of Greg Beck's death.
I noted that he was the token Black guy of KC's blogosphere (not by his choice but because of the condescending, elitist, exclusionary and supremacist attitudes among the small collection of Kansas City bloggers who like to hang out at bars) . . . I haven't changed my mind about that passage and if a few e-mails the guy sent me regarding blogger meetups are any indication . . . I don't think he was too excited about Kansas City's blogger clique either.
But the truth is, and I've written this many times before,
I didn't know the guy.
This Michelle broad did,
but I don't know her either . . . So the fact that she seems to be personally offended by something I've written seems to be strange, given the fact that we're strangers.
And all of this relates back to my glory days as a communication theorist.
I can't help but see some manifestation of the
Uses and Gratifications Theory in media within the cadre of middle-class white people who claim to represent Kansas City blogging. These are folks who are mistakenly using the Internet to build personal relationships with strangers and they aren't really that much different than the people who troll craigslist looking for anonymous hookups.
Let's make one thing clear: Just because you read someone's blog, e-mail them or have followed their web presence for years . . .
THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU KNOW THEM!!! From what I gather, this Michelle broad had a real world relationship with Beck, they hung out . . . Meanwhile, so many more Kansas City Internet denizens attempted to turn the guy into a mascot and seemingly wanted the dude to be their long lost uncle simply because they read his web page . . .
Obviously, this doesn't apply to Beck's real life friends but as a popular local media figure there were, in fact, many people who mistakenly believed they knew the dude because they read his blog and talked with him a few times - I contend, without apology, that nothing could be further from the truth.
As for the comments which offended this Michelle broad . . . I was heretofore unaware that her sensibilities were so delicate that she's unable to accept any criticism regarding the content both she and Beck offered to the public. My bad.
But the thing is . . .
TKC ISN'T INTO THIS BLOGGING THING TO MAKE FRIENDS!!!In fact, it's just the opposite . . . TKC is about taking literary and metaphorical potshots at media personalities, politicos and everything else related to the culture of KC.
Both the online content of Beck and that Michelle broad fall under one of those categories . . . If they don't (didn't) want the criticism, then maybe their blogs should be set to private. Heaven knows you d-bags don't feel the least bit guilty about sending your bile this way and I don't sit around and cry about it - TKC fires back or simply ignores the many douches who are my most loyal readers.
Personally, I don't care. Rather than simply e-mail me and ask that her link be taken down, this Michelle lady chose to write a hit piece against my blog. That's her prerogative and I don't know the lady nor do I care to understand her motivations.
I can only note that she knew what kind of blog this was back when she asked for her link in the first place.Nevertheless, It's more important that TKC dedicate time and resources to chasing white women who are not so uptight.
In the final analysis, I think all of this relates to the coarse, contentious and sometimes hateful discourse that's commonplace among blogs. Anonymity and the rise of the amateur have given way to a much meaner, darker discourse when it comes to culture and politics . . . I couldn't be happier with that when compared to the Candyland offerings by the corporate media or the groupthink lovefest among the lonely locals looking for friendship online.
Still, even though the tech is fascinating, it's not a substitute for human interaction, real relationships or the realization that the Internets is nothing like the real world. To wit, Michelle can pout over what she seemingly feels is a personal slight but to claim that any of her or the late Greg Beck's publicly offered content is beyond reproach is unfair and reprehensible in its restrictive attitude toward free speech. Bloggers need to understand that
EVERYTHING published to the web is fair game for criticism and pouting because your particular demographic is held up to ridicule is not only unproductive but a clear indication that a blogger has mistaken the online world with reality.
It's blogging, it's not personal.
