Monday, June 08, 2015

Online Manners

Few days ago, I made a comment about an article someone wrote about  the "Sharon Au SEA Games saga" ... when TheOnlineCitizen posted that article on their FB feed

Apparently, many were calling Sharon Au "racist" because she tried to imitate how indians talk when engaging with an indian audience in the show. She apologized afterwards for it.

http://images.allsingaporestuff.com/styles/big_within_article/s3/field/image/sharonau_seagames_racist_indian.jpg?itok=W6wQJmJD
Image from allsingaporestuff.com


The comment I made just asked people to forgive and forget lah. We are one "family" mah..

I wrote:
Actually the indian girl din say she was offended wat.. It was the reporter who covered the event who did.. And the people who read and commented who did.. Anyway.. This is singapore.. Just say sorry and we forgive and forget lah... She say sorry liao... And precisely sg 50.. We are already a "family" for 50 years... Let's move on.. There's a Chinese saying that between family.. There shouldn't be any grudges left overnight... :) Granted she may not have been professional enough but it's over already, isn't it?

I made this comment cos thought it is strange that people reacted so strongly to it and condemned Sharon so vehemently. I thought it is likely an honest mistake lah and she also apologized right after.  Not very professional and maybe not a good call but nevertheless, I felt all the online attacks at her were uncalled for.

When I was living in Dubai and was a minority amongst the majority indian, filipino and ang moh society, our indian friend told Max tat they actually have a nickname for Chinese people called CHINKY.. hahaha... I was slightly uncomfortable when I first heard it but not enough to not laugh at it and forgive and love our friend anyway. I thought this is what being Singaporean and embracing the multiracial singapore is about... PLUS.. actually after living in a majority indian community for a few years, our heads actually naturally bob when we speak to indians or order in indian restaurants!

Then people started responding to the comment that I made..


 Someone bothered to spend time to upload 6 pictures of people pulling their lids to create "slitty eyes" and asked me.." Angel Peng, does this offend you - since you have the same kind of slitty eyes, and you're bak bak too.?"

I dunno what about my being chinese has got to do with the fact that I am fat.. hahaha :) And she looked like she was trying VERY hard to get my attention.. so I responded by just asking her one question... "Are they my family?"

Anyway, Patsy, if you really have to know... I actually think my "slitty eyes" or what my mother calls "phoenix eyes" are one of my better features.. hahaha... PLUS... even with "slitty eyes", I have had people come tell me that I look like an ang moh or that I must have european or american blood in me. (Even though I have also been mistaken to be Korean, Japanese and PRC Chinese too). But my dear girl, comments on my "FATS" have hit a sore spot.. Hahahahaha...

Then, someone else by the name of Serene Chew decided to join in the discussion and asked me, "So going with your logic next time a murder victim never say that they are offended then we shouldn't treat murder as a crime?"

I don't understand why she thinks it is logical to compare a MURDER to a slip of tongue. But usually I dun like to waste my time on trolls besides, when you are on the topic of LOGIC.. the fight will go on and on...cos "logic is like the whore who follows the man with the highest price.." and so I just asked her if one can compare oranges with apples...

And then, she took offense to my ONE question and said, "The logic is consistent thou to what you are saying. Maybe you are not good at thinking or using your brain."

To be quite honest, first thought that came into mind when I read this was..."What a bitch/asshole/piece of shit!"

I decided that I will pick THIS battle and will respond...

Ace happened to be beside me as I read the comment and was bz trying to reply... he asked me what I was doing and I asked him not to disturb me because I am trying to “骂人".... as I was still mighty mad then.

"Mummy, just a gentle reminder... please don't write what you will not say face to face to the person.. cos that is what you taught me..."


Good that Ace gave a reminder! hahahaha... Or I might have typed something like "YOU ARE AN ASS!!!" hahahah.. Ok, actually I wanted to do something more along the lines of... "Yeah, right, and you are so smart but got no manners... mother never teach you issit?"

Anyway, I explained to Ace that someone called me STUPID and I need to respond to this one... And then he asked to read the comment and so I explained to him what happened and showed him the comment and then.. he got mighty upset...  He said he is going to shoot his nerf gun at that person and I reminded him that I do not condone violence. I merely wanted to let the person know what she said is not right because it is actually a pet peeve of mine for people to call me stupid.

Because of Ace's reminder, I decided that I will say what I would have said to her in person if she had said this to me...

"Serene, that was totally uncalled for. It is rude and offensive and it makes me wonder why you seem to have need to prove ur opinions are better/smarter/ or better thought out by demeaning others. It's ironical... U seem to imply Sharon making that inappropriate remark is very wrong till we shouldn't forgive and forget but u calling someone dumb is right... Hahaha!!!"


Actually, Ace was mightly angry at that Patsy person too... and it got me thinking about why I did not respond to Patsy but responded to Serene... Ace also asked me  why I did not walk away from this online bully (see, even a child can tell they are bullying.. hahaha) when I told him he should walk away if someone tries to bully him., I explained to Ace that sometimes in life, we have to pick our battles...Sometimes you choose to walk away.. sometimes you choose to stand up for yourself.

For Patsy..  I still can give her benefit of doubt that she was, in the spirit of discussion, trying to make a point across..

But partially I didnt want to bother because she tried too hard. (I mean 6 pictures uploaded seperately leh.. jiak bah too eng or wat???) I noticed after she also go and comment about other pple.. awhile complain about their name.. awhile ask why another commenter calls himself a self employed entrepreneurs when all entrepreneurs are self employed... which gives me the impression me she actually bothers to check people's profiles to find points to attack them.. so leh, dun waste time, dun say so much to her. I think she is just a bored, nasty person pretending to be very good(I KPOed and looked through her profile and she was always speaking up for some sort of cause... BUT also always picking on people and even called sharon a cunt!)

But that Serene person was a totally different matter. She was doing a personal attack that was uncalled for. It was RUDE and it was ARROGANT and it was BITCHY!  Cos it was a personal attack so I explained to Ace, I decided to pick THIS fight... and stand up for myself.

But leh, I also explained to Ace this is the last I will comment to her lah. Cos after I wrote and posted the comment, I also realized how stupid and bad she must feel inside to have to say tat to a stranger over nothing to make herself feel better... so... no point continuing to debate with her. Plus, I don't really think she has any other "logical" points to make other than just attack if she needed to stoop as low as to do a personal attack. And even if she does, she doesnt really know who she is going up against lor:) wahahahaha... She see tiger still think is a Hello Kitty lor...

 I don't know if I showed Ace a "good example"... and if he understood my rational...But I hope he gained a lesson  or two about behaving decently online...

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