That’s true I guess. I typically see boomers as WWII to mid 1960’s, so yeah I guess the first wave of X’ers are in their early 50’s. Anyhow I’m at the tail end of Gen X and I don’t regard myself in the same Generation as this angry mall lady.
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NOOOOOOOO! Shutupshutupshutup! I CAN’T HEAR YOU!!!
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All Xers are in their 30s.
Source: me.
(being in your 30s may need to be redefined before too long)
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That’s a pretty smug way of looking at it. Try eating healthily if you’re working two jobs. Or don’t get enough sleep for any of a whole host of reasons. Or are in one of those relationship abuse situations where any attempt at self-care is used against you as proof you’re being “selfish” and not attending to the abuser’s needs enough.
Yeah, any and all of that shit will take years off your life, but the “you deserve it because you didn’t take care of yourself” part is BS.
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I would have wished her – although she’s a monstrosity – a Merry Christmas… then sung her this song:
Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Feliz Navidad
Prospero Año y Felicidad!!
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Did you know that “purse” was, not all that long ago, was used as a poetic/artistic symbol of a certain sensitive part of the female anatomy? On that basis, you may be right about the location of that wooden spoon.
I didn’t say that, but if I inadvertently implied it, I apologize sincerely. No, I adamantly do not blame people for unhealthy lifestyles. I was responding to another commenter, who mentioned that people seem to age at different rates, on my thoughts as to why. This isn’t academic to me. I’ve lost friends and family early to unhealthy lifestyles. I don’t blame them. I absolutely blame the culture that promulgates the idea that there’s nothing we can do about it. Moreover, our society conflates body image with health - and in fact that fad diets, the useless and even unhealthy “supplement” market, and shit advice taking advantage of consumers exacerbates the problem - causing many to openly resent any calls for a healthier society.
I don’t want to alienate people. But I wouldn’t shed a solitary tear if the entire fast food market ceased to exist. That pseudo-food is a blight on our country and the world. Cheap food doesn’t have to be nearly that unhealthy, but because we allow these cynical industries to overgrow our towns and cities with cheap addictive crap food that makes their investors filthy rich, they’re poisoning the very distressed classes they’re exploiting. We either put a stop to it or we all pay for it catastrophically; that’s not smug, that’s simply what will happen.
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In the hospital after being evacuated from the South Pole.
I wish him a happy, healthy and safe recovery.
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I don’t think anyone’s going to knock you for healthy choices, but it flirts with assigning negative characteristics (in this case actual ugliness) to persons who make different choices.
Perceptions!
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Yes, yes! In this situation, expressed anger from a bystander will make the perpetrator feel validated and their concerns relevant. Laughter not only achieves the opposite but also, unlike anger, serves as a cue for other bystanders to relax and laugh as well. Much more powerful than vitriol.
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That’s a fair criticism. I worded my original comment on the matter poorly, forgetting that it would be seen as tying into to the original topic of the thread. I wasn’t talking about the racist in the video.
Aging isn’t ugly. But we as a nation are on a reckless and destructive path in how we eat, the excesses we indulge in, and the way in which we allow the fast food industry to prey on those without access to sober nutritional guidance or healthy food choices. We can either invest as a nation in nutrition and regulation now, or we can pay for it tenfold down the line. As usual, our country’s answer to systemic cultural problems is to procrastinate until it finally comes down on our collective heads (well, those 99.9% of us who aren’t rich enough to avoid the consequences).
ETA: In trying to clarify what I meant, I went pretty much completely off topic. I appreciate the considerate feedback. I really am sorry to anyone I offended, including @gadgetgirl02 whose comments I’ve enjoyed here for years.
The message I meant to convey and the one that was received were not the same, and that miscommunication is on me. The last thing I want to do is shame anyone for their habits or lack of unimpeded access. What I want is for people to have choices and clear information about food, an awareness that’s even deliberately obfuscated by the food production industry. I do believe we as a nation can improve our nutrition and lifestyle, but it is something we need to do together, and I don’t mean to imply that it’s somehow up to everyone to go it on their own or that they deserve health problems largely outside their control.
That said, I’m dropping it now to get back to our regular programming. If I have more to say about nutrition and the food industry, I’ll make a separate thread.
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Sorry, bro. I have been squatting in your early 30s and have rights.
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Or just start laughing after each sentence that spews from her. Start with a little tittering giggle, on to chuckles, eventually to heavy guffaws and belly laughs.
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Ayup, that’s Kentucky, all right. Jefferson Mall in Loo’vull. The kind of mall where you’ll see parents in MAGA hats walking with their 3-year-old toddler, wearing just a dirty diaper, glaring at anyone who isn’t white.
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That would be exactly what I’d do. Maybe not even intentionally.
If the parents are wearing MAGA hats and dirty diapers, what are the kids wearing?
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I really need to get around to memorizing a couple appropriate sentences in Lakota or Cherokee or some similar language for if i ever encounter this type of situation.
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It’s not fair judging you by arbitrarily labels based upon one inconsequential characteristic of your totality.
You should listen to your wisdom
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I don’t regard myself as being in the same species as this angry mall lady.
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Like others have expressed, I’d like to think I’d say something like “You don’t speak for me, ma’am” if ever in that situation. And I’m pretty sure I would.
But let’s not ignore that not everyone is confident enough, or brave enough, or ITG-enough to do that. Heck, I might not be able to work up the courage if she was a large, male, “redneck” instead.
While I do believe bad speech is best countered by good speech, there might be a better way: not just ignore, but actively ignore her by turning our backs to her. This would deprive her of the attention she wants and reduces the possibility of escalation. Might even make her think about her position.
Anybody can simply turn their back, little courage or bravery required.
This probably sounds like weak sauce to some. But given how few options one might have, seems like the best action to me.
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