This is the last time I am going to say this.
People are still mad at me for comparing my cold to cancer (Well, not cancer - we can rest assured people still think cancer is funny or at least inconsequential) and AIDS. I have now been invited via another blog post to travel to Africa and volunteer with some kind of AIDS prevention and treatment center and then blog about how funny or not funny it is. This, I suppose, will Teach Me A Lesson about Taking Things Seriously.
God.
I DO NOT THINK WATCHING A LOVED ONE OR ANY LIVING THING DIE OF A HORRIBLE DISEASE IS FUNNY. I think using humor to ease a bad situation is, however, funny and HEALING. It’s called gallows humor. Look it up.
And anyway, how did we get to this point? Comments taken out of context and reposted elsewhere, I guess - which by the way is just poor journalism - and reactionary blogging by everyone. I made a twitter comment about my flu, someone reacted to it badly, I reacted to their reaction, my readers reacted to that, and so forth. And that is how you start a war. It’s stupid.
Do these people really think that WE think a child wearing a silly hat who has tourettes and is dying of AIDS is funny? It’s not funny, although typing it did just make me giggle a little. And you know why? Because it’s inappropriate, like laughing in church (actually, laughing in church is the only appropriate thing to do, in my opinion).
I really did not want to talk about this anymore, but then I got called out again and I was all “It is ON” and my fingers were all “Let’s type this shit OUT” and also, no, I do not want the world thinking I’m some kind of hate monger who is evil and wants people to die of diseases so that I can make fun of them. Way to blow it all out of proportion, Portland.
Sometimes, I do not like the internet. I hops it gets the cancer.
Subscribe to my RSS Feed
46 comments
I cannot believe what assholes people are being. I’m sorry this is happening to you.
I hope the internet get ass cancer preferably. Or maybe attacked by the Cylons? That would bring this blog into full-circle hilarity.
p.s. AIDS is the 12th Cylon.
In reality, this is not “all” Portland that is taking your comments to the extreme but a small number of people who just want to kvetch, a behavior the interweb facilitates in a grand way. You might want to ask yourself why you choose to focus on the small minority that is delivering negative energy.
And if you figure that out, let me know how in the hell you did it.
Good point Citizen Gregg…but have you not read my posts wherein I state that I AM A TOTAL BABY?
I do not respond well to criticism.
Gretchen - if the offer stands for commenters then I’ll take it! I’ll even write a completely passive, non-offensive twitter post and/or blog post if it qualifies me. Seriously. I can be ready in a month!
To Kiala - once I was at a party at Charley’s place and I used the word “retard” a couple times. These hippies flipped out and said I was being rude and inconsiderate, etc. I was immediately ashamed because I had no idea they were retarded. Apparently they weren’t! And even though I would never say “retard” in the presence of retards (I even KNOW a retard), me saying “retard” at this party was all those hippies needed to grandstand and jump around and call me out.
Then I realized people like this LOVE it when people say “retard” or “I feel like AIDS” etc. Because they search that out and make grand offers and get self-righteous and feel a whole lot better about themselves. I have a feeling Gretchen might be one of these people.
BUT GRETCHEN - don’t let my opinion stop you from paying to send me to Africa for AIDS work! I’ll even make a little documentary about it and you can put it on your blog and say you help reformed a former “AIDS humorist!”
I feel like I’m in high school.
And I agree with Gregg, you should’ve just ignored her offer.
Posting this just keeps this whole thing going. I know, you don’t respond well to criticism, but still…
But like always, my blog has your blog’s back, so if it goes down Gretchen is in for a world of hurt.
Those Portland peeps need to SIMMA DONNA. Everyone has a pet issue. Odds that they have never said anything offensive about anyone, ever? Unlikely. P.S. I say “retard” like nobody’s business. Whoops.
P.P.S. Free trip to Africa! DO IT.
Ok, I thought seriously about not posting anything, but unfortunately, she used my first and last name and that makes me feel like I need to defend myself. Because I am a “journalist” and it might affect my “career”.
I haven’t been following your little controversy but you did mention that people take things out of contex. So tell me this, should I not be offended at your remark that you “do not like christians”? Or was that taken out of context. I’m a proud christian and I find this quite insulting.
Kelly - not sure if you are joking or not.
But if you are a proud Christian, then some stupid sinner saying they don’t like you shouldn’t offend you, you should just not read their heathen blog.
You would have never stood a chance against the Romans with that attitude!
You can be offended by that Kelly. Have at it.
Robert is right. You should forgive me and then stop reading my blog.
If you don’t respond well to criticism, especially when it touches on a subject that’s a hot point for you, don’t respond. You gotta pick your battles.
Citizen Gregg - You see how I did that? I gave you the ammunition and you shot me with it. I’m like Reagan and you’re Iran. Or the Contra. I don’t understand politics.
Anyway, my point was you made a valid point. I was agreeing with you.
No problem. Thanks for clearing that up. I’m moving on to other blogs now.
Hey, if you’re going to be flippant and say inappropriate things then grow some thick skin cuz you’re going to piss someone off. I personally don’t care what you said (didn’t really bother me) but, sarcastic or not, your blog conveys a certain attitude. Like when you say “the poor” or however you say it. Plus you admit you live in the Pearl and that paints a definite stigma on you.
Take the blog “Pearl Insider” (please, cuz its dying and needs to go away). Early in its life she made a comment about getting back from Hawaii to her favorite Starbucks where they didn’t laugh at her half-caf, extra warm, carmel, no foam, kiss my ass latte. People jumped all over her for it and she got upset. She presents herself as a dumb blond from the Pearl and she gets pissed when people call her that?!?!
Same thing for you. If you’re gonna present yourself as flippant and sarcastic then you’re gonna catch crap from those who take whatever you talk about seriously.
Deal with it. (But please stop bitching about it)
It’s the Puuuor.
Hope that helps.
Starbucks don’t make kiss my ass lattes anymore?!?!
I love you Kiala.
Shoot. I love reading your blog, Kiala, because I appreciate your cleverness and the unexpected route your humor takes. I would want to be your friend and go out for too many drinks and karaoke if we lived in the same town and you didn’t get creeped out by looking out your window and finding me staring back at you. Anyway, the point of this is that it is upsetting to me and strikes me as silly that people, from the safety and anonymity of computer identities, get all indignant by something they don’t agree with and then attack. It’s a way of staying in junior high forever, and I LOATHED junior high for that cattiness and vicious bitchiness.
So. I love the funny that you bring, if that counts!
OMG ladies. It helps. It HELPS.
Ugh. This keeps going on. I read all of the blogs involved and I like them all. The people who write them are all interesting women and it seems everyone’s agenda is getting in the way of just saying, hey, we disagree. Great. Hooray for the internet.
As for my agenda — I made a crack about heart attacks yesterday (not on my blog, but in the privacy of nature) and no one jumped on my ass even though heart disease is the leading killer of women in America. So, please, everyone, do something about heart disease because it’s bad shit.
That, and read my blog. Thanks.
Kiala, I started reading your blog because of your innappropriate comments on Kath’s blog. I haven’t said anything even though I obsessively read everything you write. I don’t know the other blog or blogger. Let me just say I am The Poor, The retard, The Christian and Future skin cancer patient (I’m pale okay?). I don’t have AIDS but my cat might and I think the shitz funny. I’m talking I read your blog outloud to my husband with tears of laughter and joy running down my face. Here’s the thing, the poor can’t afford computers so they don’t know you’re making fun of them, Christians worldwide should all be praying for you, and cancer should be made fun of because when has it ever done anything nice for someone? Screw them! I also don’t deal well with criticism. I think that constructive criticism is something someone made up so they could get away with telling people how much they suck. So just keep your head up and know that the midwest has got nothin’ but luv for ya!
Kiala,
I too started reading your blog thanks to KERF. Since this internet war seems to be dying down, can you start a new one?
Pretty Please.
Kiala, I don’t think you need to grow thicker skin because I think maybe the current thickness of your skin is part of what makes you so funny and unique and your blog so fun and to read.
P.S. Gretchen’s just mad cause you called her a Lesbian.
Oh and Robert, you’re the man. Hippies. Don’t get me started.
Okay - so, Im just going to say this: First - the argument is now and has been flawed from the onset. At the core of this debate lays notion that one is entitled to a life free from offense. For any one to come here and say ‘joking about AIDS offends me, stop’, ‘joking about the poor offends, stop’, ‘joking about christians offends me, stop’ naturally leads one to conclude that if your Christianity offends me (and it does), that I have the right to ask you to stop. Which I clearly do not. The sole purpose of this site is to editorialize. It makes no other claim.
Second - the notion that Kiala was making fun of AIDS is factually inaccurate. It was a joke about disproportionality. The only logical path this argument leads us is that if I say “Im so hungry I could eat a horse” I should expect a call from PETA.
Holy crap - some people! I almost feel bad for Gretchen - It must be horrible to go through life not understanding jokes. My version of Hell really.
Kiala,
I LOVE your blog. Every single post has managed to make me laugh out loud. So I say keep making fun of AIDS and you have my permission to make fun of starving kids in Africa and abortions and severe depression and bad haircuts and so on and so forth.
Christians tend to be easily offended. Much like Republicans. And, clearly, lesbians. No, I like lesbians.
But, seriously - you know your blog is popular when you’re stirring up some controversy and people hate you, so embrace it.
Yay, Justin!
I would make a funny comment, but I’m scared shitless that I will offend someone.
ooops. Probably just did.
I think Married to the Sea sums this up nicely.
You rock on. You didnt do anything wrong. I dont know, people will take offense to anything and maybe it’s up to them, and not you, to thicken their own skin. Or just stop reading something they dont want to read. Do you remember when Ween got shit for their song “HIV” and then vowed to play it at every show, like, for the rest of their lives? Maybe that’s already been covered on these threads; I am a coming here late.
I agree with the lovers out there Kiala. You’re clever and you make me laugh.
You poor thing. Come live with me in Seattle where everything is game. We can ride our bikes downtown naked and the only comments we will recieve are “great ass” and ” the naked bike ride isnt until July.”
OMG. Soooo…that blog no longer exists I guess?
I feel bad. I think. Do I? I don’t know. Maybe not.
We’re like some kind of internet gang. We’re like The Outsiders.
How do we feel about this?
I don’t know about we, or the editorial we, but I feel wicked awesome!
Can I be Sodapop?
Makes me think of South Park…
“This little boy has cancer! In his ass!”
maybe the blog got AIDS…
I feel like the guy who just came running up with a baseball bat and some molotov cocktails only to find out that he’s overslept and missed the [insert one: conflict, clash, riot, race war (not funny)] I also made a brand-new board with a nail through it that’s just going to sit there now.
P.S.: I once got shunned at a party (in Portland, natch) for making fun of … [dramatic pause] … sex offenders.
“Jesus, Charley, is nothing sacred?”
I mean, if you can’t make fun of sex offenders, who the fuck can you make fun of?
“I mean, if you can’t make fun of sex offenders, who the fuck can you make fun of?”
Their victims.
meh. i’m a lesbian (sometimes) and you don’t offend me.
I’ve got The Rickets and The Gay, so you totally offend me.
A great woman once said, “When life gives you AIDS, make lemonaids.”
Leave a Comment