Reference: Acerbic Bitches

Apparently this “web commentary” dedicates itself to “Making You Feel Bad About Yourself”. No really, I’m not joking, that’s what it actually reads. Anyway, in the attempt to do this, there are many articles written that basically flames websites that are generally from the graphics-making community.

For a random example, let’s consider their article on website tips. While most of the “tips” given were intuitive and practical to do with readability and browser sizes etc, look at #10. How is “I don’t like bright colours” even considered a tip and not PURELY a personal opinion? I weren’t able to pick up how such a statement can be generalised to most people in any way. And people who can’t do what they PERSONALLY like should “leave the community”?

The site is otherwise filled with random insults like “idiot”, “chimp” and just general controversial entries about one graphics site owner stalking another etc etc. How does any of that even fall under the banner of “web commentary”? And it’s sad because there are some things said in many of the articles that do have a point but the presentation just downgrades everything they say to having the vibe of immature 12-year-olds who just discovered that “bitch” is loosely associated with “speaking your mind” and so ran full speed with it.

Because you know what, “bitch” doesn’t equal “opinionated”. People like Jem and Kudarania are opinionated and it never once crossed my mind to associate them with being “bitchy”. Why? Because they are reasonable, if they have something controversial to say, they’d say it, but back it up with reason.

However, to be a “bitch”, in one sense, suggest that said person is whiny/irritating (i.e. note the use of the word “bitching”) and how is that EVER a positive thing? To say something deliberately offensive, without a good reason (like suggesting that people should leave a community because they don’t blend right) IS bitching but it’s NOT a good thing. What is the reason behind “making people feel bad” (presumably for the sake of it) if not as a show of outright immaturity? How does that not reek of “we’re better than you because we say so”? Helloooo, primary school mentality.

This doesn’t apply exclusively to Acerbic Bitches, I’ve seen (with much irritation) how some personal sites have owners proudly parading the fact that they are “bitches”. That’s a SUCKY fact, not a good one. It doesn’t make you any better than those who don’t “state their minds” if all you do is say whatever you feel like, whether negative or positive, without having sound backing to it. Once you do have an actual rational and logical argument behind what you say, please pass go and collect $200 (and… start building houses of reason?) as you have reached the realm of “opinionated”.

Note: Please don’t throw me the line “if you don’t like it, just leave it then” because (as attributed to having been stated by Edmund Burke) “the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing” and I think more people need to view their site while critically thinking about what “bitching” is. Besides, as I said, their site isn’t totally without merit, it’s just a shame that under the heinous label of “bitches” they felt they did not need to provide more sound reasoning to what they say.