Last Thursday, for my tutoring work, I located my old copy of MacBeth, which thankfully I had not thrown out and which also thankfully had some notations I scribbled during uni lectures (I'm assisting a student whose class is studying the play). I adore this play. It is my favourite Shakespearean work: corrupt nobility, evil and soulless people, supernatural, gore, and an awesome plot twist worthy of Hitchcock - what's not to like? I sat on my lounge, text in one hand; pen and lecture pad in the other, and re-read the text, making notes as I did so. Even though I was reading for 'studious' purposes, I really did enjoy my day. I remembered the themes, I picked up different points for imagery, and really got to understand what a cold-hearted and high-riding bitch Lady MacBeth was. My friends, I read Shakespeare for the enjoyment! This made me feel smugly superior and intellectually advanced. What a lovely day I had.
But from Shakespeare to twaddle. My elation at reading a classic, and grabbing 'more' from it soon soured. I read something that I am certain caused my IQ to plummet like a busted elevator. I read some article on the Sunrise Facebook page regarding footage of a woman dipping her chicken strips into a cola drink, and then eating them. Who. Fucking. CARES?!!!! I personally would not do this, but if she wants to, then it is her right. What really, really makes me want to stomp on the heads of newborn kittens is that somebody actually filmed this, and shared it online. Why? This is a common recurrence in my whingeing: that people film other people minus their subject's knowledge and consent, and then share it on social media. And the 'hook' is usually something incredibly inane and pointless, like the dining eccentricities of somebody. Unless the woman was eating someone's liver with fava beans and swilling it down with Italian plonk, then it is really not of interest. I don't think I have any eating quirks, but if you think I do, please consider this: if you are going to film me and share footage sans my okay, then you might find yourself enjoying a tasty knuckle sandwich, capisce?
Another person who appears to think it is okay to film and share, minus consent, is Jett Kenny. I actually don't mind this young man. If you don't know who he is, he is the son of Grant Kenny and Lisa Curry-Kenny. He's a model, and did the old 'sparked online smacking debate' about a picture he took of a rambunctious kid in a doctor's surgery, which he shared on a social media with the caption along the lines of 'give your kid a smack'. There was hue and cry from all quarters about the rights of parents to smack, or that parents should not smack, but not many comments I read addressed the pachyderm blocking everyone's view of the television set: he photographed someone's kid and put the photo online! As I said to you in a Facebook comment, Jett: by all means have an opinion on someone's parenting, but putting a photo of the kid online is very, very WRONG! I really rather hope if you pass on those golden genes of yours, you find yourself in a supermarket, and your kid is tired, and screams like an air raid siren before knocking over an entire stand of that week's special: Maltesers, and the packets break, and Maltesers roll everywhere, and everyone in the supermarket gives you the judgemental fish-eye.
Other dumb thing I read: Greens' MP Adam Bandt posted a photograph of himself with his wife on his Facebook page, and captioned it he was out with his 'hot wife'. Oh, that's not what's dumb. If he thinks his wife is hot, then he can say that. What was dumb is the criticism he copped for posting a comment that some deem is in the sexual objectification of women territory. Everyone, cool the fuck down. It's his WIFE! And then, his wife commented to state she was not worried by his comment, but this wasn't enough. The social justice warriors were still squawking like a nest of starving baby birds. Listen, people, Bandt's wife Claudia Perkins wasn't offended by Bandt's comment, so leave it alone already! You're giving us lefties a bad name. Pick your battles. Get some perspective: a man mentions he thinks his wife looks attractive. This is not the crime of the century. This is not rape culture. This is not being sexist. Find another bone to gnaw on, okay?
Well, I'm off now. No doubt I will find more dumb things to read, and wonder if the species is actually devolving.
Note to self: stop looking at Sunrise Facebook page.
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