Why can't people STFU about conversations not about them? Why do you feel your opinion needs to be heard?

[BossAttack]

Just a quick general rant about something that is prevalent on this forum and real life, people giving their opinions on shit not about them. What am I talking about? Well, you know exactly what I'm talking about. It's generally with regards to discussion about gender or race, like whether something is racist or not or whether something is sexist or not or whether something is homophobic. Unless you are part of the group this affects, why do you feel the need to butt in with your opinion? Why can't you just let people part of that group decide whether or not something is an issue?

I'll give a recent, more harmless, example. When Avengers: Endgame came out there was that scene with all the women heroes which got salty dudes proclaiming that it was "cringey" and/or "pandering." This naturally spawned a whole discussion about whether the scene was actually great or crappy pandering. But to me, my opinion on the scene was simple, "I'm not a woman, therefore my opinion means jackshit" and thus I never felt the need to inject my dumb opinion. And yet, this ability to not interject with your own little take seems to be a rarity on the interwebs. Why? Why can't you recognize that for some shit your opinion is worthless because it has nothing to do with you or your experience? This also applies even when you're trying to support members of the group something affects, because unless there is solidarity then you shouldn't be weighing in on the debate. We'll let you know when we need an assist, until then just sit back and listen. A recent example of that was some article by some white person about whether it was okay for white kids to wear Black Panther masks for Halloween. Like, what the fuck? When did we black people say this was an issue? Chill, we'll let you know when something is up, don't try and get ahead of us.

Seriously, why does everyone have to give their opinion on shit they have no idea or experience with?

 

[Mitch]

FrEe SpEeCh

 

[Keldroc]

Because Twitter is raising a generation of Reply Guys.

 

[vestan]

And yet, this ability to not interject with your own little take seems to be a rarity on the interwebs. Why? Why can't you recognize that for some shit your opinion is worthless because it has nothing to do with you or your experience?

Click to shrink...

The internet makes it super easy to voice your opinion to thousands of people no matter how crappy it is, I think some people get a high from this.

But yeah, I get the feeling that some posters may feel obliged to comment on a particular issue that doesn't affect them at all. That's just the nature of a discussion board at the end of the day.

 

[Deception]

Everyone just wants to be a part of the discussion, whether on here or IRL, it's only natural.

 

[Doober]

I think that's generally a product of the Internet and social media.

 

[Godfather]

This is a discussion board...

 

[WascallyWabbit]

I get what you're saying about opinions of folks who are not affected

But forums are inherently a place people come to in order to give their opinion on any thing that comes across their mind, and when a topic is brought up to them they're going to speak because it's easier for most to say something behind the relative mask of anonymity.
I guess my point is, it's inherent to the nature of discussion boards that people are going to discuss things even if they don't have a valid viewpoint on it. It's not like there's some rule book on this kind of thing.

 

[Bane]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding it but I feel there's two parts to your post.

I'm a white male and believe my opinion matters when I say shit like that female scene was fucking awesome and those dudes should get the fuck over it. Or that the couple in the SUV calling people beaners on the highway are racists assholes and had it coming.

But then in the case of the Black Panther costumes, nah I'm okay with it but if black people say it's a problem I'm not going to argue against them.

 

[-JD-]

This is a forum.

 

[Ikuu]

Seriously, why does everyone have to give their opinion on shit they have no idea or experience with?

Click to shrink...

This place would be pretty dead if people followed this.

 

[hendersonhank]

Because when people "part of that group" "decide it's an issue", those not part of that group are expected to change their thinking and behavior accordingly. So why would the latter not have an opinion or not voice it?

 

[ReAxion]

Because Twitter is raising a generation of Reply Guys.

Click to shrink...

there were things before twitter.

 

[Bane]

Maybe I'm misunderstanding it but I feel there's two parts to your post.

I'm a white male and believe my opinion matters when I say shit like that female scene was fucking awesome and those dudes should get the fuck over it. Or that the couple in the SUV calling people beaners on the highway are racists assholes and had it coming.

But then in the case of the Black Panther costumes, nah I'm okay with it but if black people say it's a problem I'm not going to argue against them and if it becomes a big enough issue will listen and possibly reconsider my opinion.

Click to shrink...

EDIT: God dammit. Hurray for hitting quote and not edit.

 

[PogChamp]

Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Doesn't mean its good or informed, but everyone is entitled to one.

 

[shnurgleton]

pardon me but I couldn't help overhearing

 

[Yerffej]

You expect people to stay in segmented groups for discussions on a discussion board? Good luck with that. You don't have to like everyone's opinion. You're gonna hear it no matter what in a place like this, for better or worse.

Also, the anonymity thing helps people free up them tongues.

 

[JB1981]

I'll give a recent, more harmless, example. When Avengers: Endgame came out there was that scene with all the women heroes which got salty dudes proclaiming that it was "cringey" and/or "pandering." This naturally spawned a whole discussion about whether the scene was actually great or crappy pandering. But to me, my opinion on the scene was simple, "I'm not a woman, therefore my opinion means jackshit" and thus I never felt the need to inject my dumb opinion. And yet, this ability to not interject with your own little take seems to be a rarity on the interwebs. Why? Why can't you recognize that for some shit your opinion is worthless because it has nothing to do with you or your experience? This also applies even when you're trying to support members of the group something affects, because unless there is solidarity then you shouldn't be weighing in on the debate

Click to shrink...

Why can’t a male viewer have an opinion on that scene? They are the target demographic and paid to see the film. Should women not air their opinions on scenes that exclusively involve men?

Like, should they have stayed home when Saving Private Ryan came out and depicted the experience men had in war? I don’t understand your argument

 

[VaporSnake]

I can't have an opinion on a scene in the biggest movie of the year because I'm not the gender of the characters depicted?

 

[Squarehard]

Important issues can't be properly discussed if there was no discourse.

 

[Fulminator]

everyone wants to be heard even if what they have to say is shite

 

[TheDestructiveSquirrel]

Because we are human and are allowed to have opinions on things, whether they are good, bad, uninformed, terrible or whatever.......unless it is hateful or a threat

You are also allowed to ignore people or tell them you disagree or think they are stupid

The internet makes it way easier to spread and amplify an opinion, but you can still ignore it or call them out on it

 

[Baji Boxer]

Online in an open setting, anything is fair game to be commented on unless specified by staff. Of course a lot depends on how you go about inserting into the discussion.

In a private conversation offline, to me it depends on how loud you're being and how you're talking :-P

 

[Deleted member 8861]

I mean, you could acknowledge that the opinions of people who are directly affected/represented matter more but still want to discuss things for your own sake?

This is a forum about video games, nobody owes anyone anything.

Also for more personal discussions, I'd think that having people who understand the viewpoint of the affected demographic chime in on the discussion might help, as the affected people probably see enough of that shit in real life to not always want to debate it online

 

[Tbm24]

Idk, I think it's rather silly to try and box in discussions such as this. I don't feel like there's anything to actively gain if I'm discussing latin american issues and someone not from LatAm wants to offer their thoughts or opinion and I simply tell them no. That's just me however. I've seen you express this desire/mindset in previous threads when discussing minority issues.

 

[subpar spatula]

unless the opinion is rooted in whatever charge you think they are it's fine. i found that endgame scene awful because of marvel's history of representation and how women are generally just girlfriends of the heroes. you even have the oldest and most fleshed our female hero killed off (second woman to be in the same manner to help men) who should have been there. it's not wrong to call things out if you're not part of a demograpgic.

you have a problem with homophobia, racism, sexism, etc and not other opinions.

 

[Deleted member 19066]

Posting on social media or message boards is an inherently self-centered act. You wouldn't make an account and post if you didn't want your opinion heard. You created this topic primarily for your own benefit. I'm replying primarily for my own benefit. The self-centered-ness is baked into the entire purpose of these platforms.

 

[The_hypocrite]

Can I give an opinion about your opinion or do I have to wait until you signal I can give my opinion?

 

[Doober]

I don't think ignorant white dudes should be charging into sensitive subjects that predominantly involve minorities or women with hot takes, but I also don't like the whole, "if a subject even tangentially involves a woman then everyone else must shut up and listen," thing that sometimes get pushed here.

 

[-Tetsuo-]

I'll give a recent, more harmless, example. When Avengers: Endgame came out there was that scene with all the women heroes which got salty dudes proclaiming that it was "cringey" and/or "pandering." This naturally spawned a whole discussion about whether the scene was actually great or crappy pandering. But to me, my opinion on the scene was simple, "I'm not a woman, therefore my opinion means jackshit" and thus I never felt the need to inject my dumb opinion.

Click to shrink...

Wat

 

[PoppaBK]

You seem to live in a strange world where
a) things don't affect certain groups and they can only have their opinion given to them
and
b) all members of a group feel the same way and they have a homogeneous opinion

If a scene in a movie is an obvious male power fantasy, is that the sole preserve of men to comment or have an opinion on?

 

[Jeronimo]

I had a brief discussion with my wife on the abundance of unasked for and uninformed opinions on a certain women's health issue this weekend.

We concluded that there is a very vocal group of people who feel compelled to make everything about them; who believe that their strongly held (yet still uninformed) beliefs are the only ones that matter; who believe that they get to decide what is good for everyone else due to some kind of twisted savior complex; and believe that they have the moral authority, influence, and right to make sure the rules always work out to their benefit and preferences. They have to tell you their opinions on many things, it's part of their deal.

It's like they believe they're better than all others or they were taught that. Strange.

 

[Atisha]

We might have a good take.

 

[BossAttack]

Can I give an opinion about your opinion or do I have to wait until you signal I can give my opinion?

Click to shrink...

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying.

 

[Panther2103]

Everyone forms an opinion about everything no matter what the context or whether or not it affects them. If they decide to interject and try to correct someone who is a part of the group the thing was directed towards or about, then that's a different story. I'm glad that people are able to voice their opinions on things, it allows me to decide who I'm going to reply to or follow or block.

 

[Mona]

I'll give a recent, more harmless, example. When Avengers: Endgame came out there was that scene with all the women heroes which got salty dudes proclaiming that it was "cringey" and/or "pandering." This naturally spawned a whole discussion about whether the scene was actually great or crappy pandering. But to me, my opinion on the scene was simple, "I'm not a woman, therefore my opinion means jackshit" and thus I never felt the need to inject my dumb opinion.

Click to shrink...

this aint it boss

 

[SliceSabre]

On the internet the very nature talking on it means almost every conversation is an open conversation.

 

[Yerffej]

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying.

Click to shrink...

lol

 

[Umbrella Carp]

Quite simply, you don't tell me what to do.

 

[SweetVermouth]

When Avengers: Endgame came out there was that scene with all the women heroes which got salty dudes proclaiming that it was "cringey" and/or "pandering." This naturally spawned a whole discussion about whether the scene was actually great or crappy pandering. But to me, my opinion on the scene was simple, "I'm not a woman, therefore my opinion means jackshit" and thus I never felt the need to inject my dumb opinion.

Click to shrink...

well this thread definitely beat it when it comes to being cringy.

 

[mrmoose]

As others have said, maybe a public message board isn't the best place to get upset about people offering their opinions. I thought this was going to be about people interjecting into conversations they overhear in public or something.

 

[LookAtMeGo]

I kinda get what you're saying but I'm white and if I think someone is being a racist shit, I'm going to call them out. But I'm not about to try and tell someone of another race how they should feel about something.

 

[Grouch Douglass]

I would agree that social media/message boards make some people behave in self-important ways when engaged in real life interactions.

 

[The_hypocrite]

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying.

Click to shrink...

Got it!

 

[Doomsayer]

I'll give a recent, more harmless, example. When Avengers: Endgame came out there was that scene with all the women heroes which got salty dudes proclaiming that it was "cringey" and/or "pandering." This naturally spawned a whole discussion about whether the scene was actually great or crappy pandering. But to me, my opinion on the scene was simple, "I'm not a woman, therefore my opinion means jackshit" and thus I never felt the need to inject my dumb opinion. And yet, this ability to not interject with your own little take seems to be a rarity on the interwebs. Why? Why can't you recognize that for some shit your opinion is worthless because it has nothing to do with you or your experience? .

Click to shrink...

I guess I shouldn't give my opinion of Blue is the Warmest Colour because it's about lesbians and I'm a male.

This way of thinking is very, very strange and troubling.

 

[TheFuzz]

Just a quick general rant about something that is prevalent on this forum and real life, people giving their opinions on shit not about them. What am I talking about? Well, you know exactly what I'm talking about. It's generally with regards to discussion about gender or race, like whether something is racist or not or whether something is sexist or not or whether something is homophobic. Unless you are part of the group this affects, why do you feel the need to butt in with your opinion? Why can't you just let people part of that group decide whether or not something is an issue?

I'll give a recent, more harmless, example. When Avengers: Endgame came out there was that scene with all the women heroes which got salty dudes proclaiming that it was "cringey" and/or "pandering." This naturally spawned a whole discussion about whether the scene was actually great or crappy pandering. But to me, my opinion on the scene was simple, "I'm not a woman, therefore my opinion means jackshit" and thus I never felt the need to inject my dumb opinion. And yet, this ability to not interject with your own little take seems to be a rarity on the interwebs. Why? Why can't you recognize that for some shit your opinion is worthless because it has nothing to do with you or your experience? This also applies even when you're trying to support members of the group something affects, because unless there is solidarity then you shouldn't be weighing in on the debate. We'll let you know when we need an assist, until then just sit back and listen. A recent example of that was some article by some white person about whether it was okay for white kids to wear Black Panther masks for Halloween. Like, what the fuck? When did we black people say this was an issue? Chill, we'll let you know when something is up, don't try and get ahead of us.

Seriously, why does everyone have to give their opinion on shit they have no idea or experience with?

Click to shrink...

This is a forum. That’s the point.

The idea that because you’re not like someone involved with the subject at hand or are different doesn’t mean you can’t have an opinion on it, that’s just silly.

 

[Acorn]

I mean, everything is focused on communication so people are gonna communicate.

Just like real life you'll have dicks but if you're posting in a public place like here you're gonna get replies.

I don't know what you think social media is about. Just you making statements that is then the only truth?

 

[JB1981]

BossAttack

I just started watching When They See Us on Netflix. I am a white male from the suburbs who’s never been racially profiled or had bad experiences with the police. If I enter the OT for that movie on here and weigh in with my opinion on the first episode, is that ok?

Spoiler

The white female prosecutor is fucking SCUM and so are the other male NYPD detectives. I’m happy that fucking lady was dropped by her publisher.

 

[TheFuzz]

BossAttack

I just started watching The Way They See Us on Netflix. I am a white male from the suburbs who’s never been racially profiled or had bad experiences with the police. If I enter the OT for that movie on here and weigh in with my opinion on the first episode, is that ok?

Click to shrink...

Unless he changes his position, no, because your opinion is ‘dumb.’

I really can’t believe he actually means that, because the example he used was terrible. Maybe he will clarify.

 

[Deleted member 56773]

Agree with people saying it's the internet. People often aren't having real genuine discussions in real life, with friends, at work, with family, in politics and the news, etc. People communicate online a lot and it's WAY easier to do so as well, say whatever you want, not read body language, not interact with a human face, etc.

I think the intention with people is usually good but like....you can't read a room online. It's actually kind of a terrible place to communicate. I think if we lived in a healthy world where political/social discussion was, for example, built into our weekly schedule - like imagine if two days a week everyone met with their neighbors and community members to discuss life and society - people simply wouldn't be using the internet the way we do. But we live in a very repressive world, we're all exhausted from working our lives away, we come online, we want to feel connected, we want an outlet for our political beliefs, and unfortunately some of that results in people overstepping themselves. I've certainly done it and I probly will again and I just gotta try in this imperfect world and try to help make it better.