Note To All Mean People: Take Your Anger Elsewhere!

“Why do people turn everything into a way to insult someone?” commented astute Charlotte G. on one of our recent Facebook posts. She was referring to a number of nasty comments on this post:

Comments like this: “Gag me, can’t believe you even included the despicable Obamas.” And this: “Get the Obamas off this page!!! Losers!!”  

FabOverFifty is not a political or a music site. We showed the Obamas and the Lennons, not because of their political or musical orientations, but because they’re high-profile couples. As you can tell from the question, we asked women to name couples that inspire them. We didn’t ask which of these three couples inspires you? Yet, a simple photo of the Obamas incited a number of “nasty” women, nonetheless. One women took her aggression in a different direction, writing: “Just for the record, John Lennon was an abusive prick. Abusive to women, but especially to his children. He is not a great example.”

I wanted to scream when I read the gratuitously unkind and malicious comments. So did a number of other women. “I must add how disappointed I am in so many slams against our former president’s marriage or other people who were chosen for this photo post. Clearly your narrow minds and tunnel vision do not see these photos of random couples were to inspire your conversation on the topic, not specifically to choose a photo. I’m not sure I can continue to follow a site that supports this type of bigotry. Whether it’s political, racial, homophobic or religious, it’s HATE and it HURTS,” passionately wrote Laura L.

I wrote this back to Laura: ‘OMG, Laura L, we do not support this type of bigotry at all. Why would you think that? The Internet seems to bring out nasty people. We will be banning all of the mean commenters from seeing our page.’ And that is exactly what I intend to do when I finish writing this blog.

A couple of women commented that we shouldn’t use “controversial” photos in the future: “You should have chosen three random non-celebrity, well- known couples to keep the hate out. I feel that you opened this can of worms to get things going. Why do that? Why not picture, oh, let’s say George and Laura Bush? You should have gone neutral. You asked for this by doing what you did,” Tammy J advised. While I respect Tammy’s opinion, I liken it to someone who tells a woman who has been raped: ‘You asked for it by wearing seductive clothes.’  

We weren’t trying to invite anything but thoughtful answers to a straightforward question: “Which couple, famous or otherwise, inspires you?” If you didn’t have an answer, why not move on? This kind of aggression and anger don’t really hurt anyone but you!