Battling Stepford

It's really interesting how opinions go.
I've complained to a few blogging friends about what I like to call The Stepford Blogs.
These are blogs that are all happy-happy-joy-joy.
They talk about their perfect spouses, their perfect children, and their perfect lives.
Yawn.

Despite their popularity, I'd rather read posts that don't dance around on the surface.
Give me some grit, some reality, some introspection.

That being said, this all changes when it comes to a couple of different topics.
One is music.
If you go through the comments on YouTube videos, for example, people get opinionated, defensive, and downright nasty.
They point fingers, say "you suck", and all matter of juvenile name calling.
I used to write CD reviews for a website, and one particular band must have had a pretty good fan base, because I started getting vile emails.
The review I wrote wasn't even that bad, but the fans were pissed I didn't give five stars or something.
I got cussed at, told I had no writing ability, on and on.
Bizarre.

Another topic that brings out venom, is new mommyhood.
Brand new moms are paranoid that something is going to go wrong, or they won't be perfect enough, or someone is going to hurt their precious little one.
Yeah, that's normal, but some of their reactions are not.

Several years ago, I took a one-day writing seminar at a local university.
The instructor started talking about Disney movies, and the entire class (mostly made up of young moms, for whatever reason) got really animated in their discussion of how much they hated Disney, how the movies were too violent, blah blah blah.
I said, um, I LIKE Disney movies.
I am not kidding when I say my memory is that the entire group turned in unison to me, eyes spitting fire.
One lady asked me if I was a mom.
I said I was not.
"Oh. Thaaaaaat's why". And I was dismissed.

A friend of mine once told me "I hate it when people who don't have kids say stuff to people who do.".
Uh, sorry, but most of what I've said is just common sense.
I see customers at my retail job every day who let their kids walk all over them, and then we wonder why teenagers are so self absorbed and rude? Hello.

I made a comment recently on a blogger's site, suggesting she shouldn't get rid of find new homes for her cats just because she's pregnant.
The reactions from other commenters has been just like that classroom.
I am "self righteous", among other things.

Heaven forbid I have an opinion.
I think, were she to follow my advice, ultimately everyone would be happier.
But her blog friends want to coddle her and let her do what she pleases.
Yes, cat litter, in some circumstances, can be harmful to pregnant women.
Can her husband scoop the box for nine months?
I know many many many cats and babies who get along fine.
And that's cats with their natural claws, thank you very much.
I think it's vital that children be surrounded by animals--they teach them compassion, responsibility, love.
Just sayin'.

But with reactions like that, versus an honest discussion, no wonder there are Stepford Blogs.
And Stepford comments.
I know a lot of bloggers who won't honestly state how they feel.
I don't mean rag on someone's art project, but disagreement on something you feel is important really is okay.

I was at client's house recently, and told their neighbor they really needed to keep their cat in the house at night because of all the coyotes.
They had already lost one cat, and I was concerned about this one.
My clients were mortified I said anything.
But you know what?
The cat has been in the house since.
And that, really, is all that matters.
I may be coming across aggressive and overly opinionated, but in reality I'm pretty meek.
Talk about animals, however, and it crosses my own personal line of ethics, so I have to say something.
I aim to do so in a kind, mature way, though it is not always perceived as such.

I think it's sad that too many people in today's politically correct environment fear stating their opinion.
I think it's sad that so many kids (and adults, who am I kidding?) respect authority so little that they walk around cussing in front of little old ladies, or sharing their phone conversations in the grocery line, or making snide comments to others just for fun.
And no one reacts out of fear of retribution.
It's gross.