Has the number of white people losing their shit in public over trivial and sometimes imaginary violations of either their “rights” or the sort of behavior they expect from other people actually skyrocketed in the last six months, or is it just that, much like police brutality, it’s always been there and the difference is now as soon as someone starts showing their ass in public six people whip out cameras?
I’m not even necessarily talking about covid-related stuff. I’ve seen so many videos over the last couple of week of people just purple-faced and incoherent with rage over absolutely nothing that it’s genuinely shocking, and it’s not like I’m going to look for this kind of stuff. And there have been a number where it’s clearly crossed a line from misplaced rage and landed straight on mental illness. I mean, sure, sometimes it’s funny to watch somebody lose their damn mind at a cashier who clearly doesn’t give a shit because their burger had too many pickles on it or whatever but I’m starting to see a subgenre where by the time they’re done they’re not funny anymore and I just want someone to put the poor person in a place where they can get help.
Theories?
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I have so many theories on this.
The Internet. Given the popularity of videos like this and the many conversations on the topic, people are more inclined to record things they see and post them.
General stress levels in the population are through the roof. So many more people are on their last nerve, making public meltdowns more likely.
Leadership. Being an asshole in public is way more “acceptable” than it used to be, especially if your brand of asshole is privileged, ignorant, and/or bigoted.
So to answer your question, I think it’s both: There have always been people losing their shit in public, but now there are more of them AND witnesses are more inclined to record it.
That’s just my opinion, I could be wrong. 😀
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They were always there … but the current political and social leadership (ie lack thereof) has given them ‘permission’ to come out of the shadows and vent their spleens, and their fears, without consequence, or so it seems to them, because that same leadership has also given it’s blessing to the concept of ‘blame the ‘other’.
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