Taking Offense to your Taking Offense

Have you ever heard a stand-up comedian's material? Offensive, rude, and downright wrong; jokes sells tickets, and what comedian doesn't want to sell out a show? The ones who buy the tickets expect a good performance and new material. We laugh, we know it's wrong, but we laugh at it anyway. We know that the comedian doesn't truly mean what he says, he's saying out of the sheer joy of entertaining and making people laugh.

It's what they were born to do.

The same can be said for material that you see online. Bloggers want readers, Social Media Managers want Shares and Re-Tweets, and brands want attention in order to drive sales. Coincidentally, it works. We read, we Like and Share, and we buy.

If you take offense to the content or subject, the best way to handle it is by being mute. Angry or threatening emails aren't going to do anything but fuel your own anger, especially when you don't get a reply. The recipients won't even read your feedback, it will be deleted immediately.

The offended somehow think that purging their feelings in an email may somehow change the writer's - or whomever's -  perspective on the issue. In fact, it does the opposite, it fuels their passion to continue on their journey, except this time, they are more popular than ever before because you brought negative attention to the matter.

That's the beauty of the internet. We post things that we care about in order to inform, educate, or entertain the public; if you take offense to it, you're the one with the problem, not the sender.

I take offense to your taking offense.

 

Maria Kang was sent hate mail after she posted a photo of herself on Facebook with her three kids with the caption - What's your excuse. This woman - pictured above - has three children under the age of three, and is a wife, business owner, and a non-profit founder. Her professional and personal profile is impressive.

You can read about her on her website.

Her negative reactions to this photograph were of someone accusing her of "fat shaming". This is a woman, in her thirties, who is proud of what she has become. Her intention is not to offend anyone, on the contrary, she has dedicated her life to helping others.

I take offense to your taking offense.

A local blogger, Nadine Chappellaz, had her stint with bad luck after she posted an informative and educational post on her website about Dumpster Diving. The act of going through others' garbage to find unwanted treasures. Her post was meant to inform the public that it is illegal, in the city of Winnipeg, to go through dumpsters or residential garbage because it belonged to the city.

The severity of her responses are not known but she did tweet that it was her "most controversial post ever".

One of my most controversial posts ever for some reason, made some people pretty angry. What's your take on it? http://t.co/p4SyVM8EMZ
— nadine chappellaz (@couponwinnipeg) October 15, 2013

Here's a lesson to all haters... if you bring negative attention to a matter that does not affect you personally, or professionally, not only will you not receive credit but you will make this person, brand, or post more popular.

In cases such as these, we thank the haters for making these people and posts more public. We need more positivity in this world.

End Rant.