All of what you said tells me that conservatives are acting like spiteful, immature children instead of acting like mature, responsible adults with a sense of self preservation (and maybe social responsibility).
As I tell my American relatives, the general public has been so seriously screwed by declining quality of education and a frozen standard of living from the Nixon years to now that everything in the USA has become “Fuck you, I’ve got mine” or “I won’t support anything that makes everyone’s lives better because of them (insert despised/victimized group here)”.
When I talk with my friend again - most likely in a couple of weeks - I will bring this up with him in addition to my thoughts about agendas. Thank you.
Mixed feelings here. I’ve frequented the subreddit, yeah, I know, I’m terrible. But a couple things to note.
Cheering for someone’s death isn’t cool, not even on r/HermanCainAward. However, mocking the rampant stupidity and insanity that led to their untimely demises is fair game. Seriously, they’re eating horse deworming paste, folks.
Yes, it’s a bit of schadenfreude, and some take it too far, but those who win the Hermie frequently aren’t very nice people. Click on some of those series of screencaps from Facebook, and you’ll see some really racist, misogynistic, homophobic, hateful toxic crap. You don’t want them to die of COVID, but damn!
There are the suckers for anti-vaxx rhetoric, and then there are the grifters. The ones knowingly spreading the nonsense, and profiting from death. And the propagandists, like five conservative hate-radio hosts that won Hermies. I’ll leave it to you to deal with the involuntary schadenfreude…
The most incredible consequence of /r/hermancainaward is posts by unvaccinated people who report that visiting the subreddit and seeing dozens of stories of truly horrible COVID-19 deaths changed their minds and that they are now, or are soon to be, vaccinated.
This is a recent but increasing trend - so much so that it’s earned a name: IPA (“Immunized to Prevent Award”).
It is not hyperbole to say that the content of this subreddit is literally saving lives. That more than justifies any negative vibes due to the content.
Herman Cain died before the vaccine or even the monoclonal antibodies that likely saved Trump’s life were available.
It’s called the “Herman Cain Award” because, in addition to downplaying the significance of COVID-19 and passing along anti-mask propaganda throughout 2020:
(2) His personal Twitter account posted that “COVID-19 is not as deadly as the mainstream media first made it out to be” after Herman Cain died of COVID-19.
So although Cain can’t be faulted for not accepting a vaccine that didn’t exist, he is a poster boy for the extreme denialism that these people exhibit - right up to, and even beyond, the moment that COVID-19 becomes a personal crisis.
For instance - some HCA nominees/awardees continue posting anti-COVID-19 propaganda on social media from their hospital rooms while wearing an oxygen mask. Others continue posting this junk after their parent, spouse, or child - or several of them! - are hospitalized or killed by COVID-19. It’s unbelievably grim, and anything that can be done to shine a spotlight on this behavior and encourage people to stop it is a step in the right direction.
Personally I think it serves a purpose. But the nature of my own depression and anxiety often robs me of schadenfreude as an option so I don’t look at it.
it may wade into the dangerous territory of mocking those who die of Covid. A rule of the subreddit is “Don’t be a dick. Don’t root for nominees to be awarded.”
I mean, cmon. “May”, “Dangerous territory”, “Dont” root for nominees… you yourself “nominated”? Pearl clutch much?
If they are going to mock, mock. But don’t pretend you aren’t mocking.
You might be interested to know that one of the more prominent recent Herman Cain Award winners was Bob Enyart, conservative hate-radio host who, you guessed it, celebrated the deaths of AIDS patients, playing Queen’s Another One Bites the Dust.
There’s a hoist with his own petard for you…
Last time I checked, the sub had counted five conservative hate-radio hosts that won Hermies.
If I were dictator, I’d fucking broadcast live feeds from the worst fucking COVID wards we have, on every channel, and make sure to get lots of closeups of intubations and people just fucking dying.
And every 2-3 minutes show nearby vaccination sites.
Having spent some quality time on the subreddit after the Slate and Vice stories about it, I think it is a valuable public service, for all the snark and schadenfreude and all that. I saw quite a few people posting their vaccine cards in the “Immunized to Prevent Award” category, so there are some literal lives being saved.
But also, I noticed that the psychological effect on me was to make me more cautious about COVID. I have relatives and friends who take virtually no precautions and who are basically fine. It’s helpful to get a visceral and tragic reminder that not everyone is that lucky.
I have difficulty seeing how this is actually helpful. The same way I don’t see schottenfreude as actually helpful. Maybe it’ll get shared around a little, and a few people may get shamed into shifting their thinking? Maybe, but probably not.
I also had those advantages, as did my brother, but somehow he’s decided he’s not getting vaccinated.
His idiot girlfriend has ‘forbidden’ him from getting the jab. Not had a chance to properly lay into him yet, but as soon as I can get him away from her for five minutes…
That’s a good thread, and a good way to view the assholes who are in their ICU beds and still denying that Covid exists. (The thread outlines why I’m allowed to call them “assholes” at that point.)
There are many nurses on the subreddit who have outlined the disgusting way they have been treated by these people and by their families, being told they are all agents of Soros or whatever.
