Pushing The Envelope
So, this morning I noticed a little storm brewing on Instagram. I commented pretty early, but now that it’s been a whole day there are over 50 comments on a photo. There was no text other than a hashtag but it apparently got some folks heated.
Now, most of you folks will know who posted the image, and it’s fine if you do. He’s a big boy and can take the heat from the folks on his comments and here too. Also, this is not throwing this guy under the bus by any means, but more of pointing out something that I thought was interesting.
Here’s the image:
I made the little black box over the “U”, but I’m pretty sure you guys are smart people and can figure out what that spells.
So here’s the thing. This guy tries to push the envelope. He tries to poke at the Conservative Christian and that’s why this image was posted. If there wasn’t an F-Bomb in there, it wouldn’t have been funny or worth posting. Simple as that.
Well, one of the first comments was an unhappy follower saying that he was going to unfollow because this was the last straw. Fair enough. That guy has his opinions the same as I do. But this post isn’t about the guy that posted the picture… or the guy that decided to unfollow.
This post is about the 45 commenters that are saying that the guy who posted this is so “honest and real” and the offended should just move on.
Honest and Real? Seriously? A screen shot of wireless networks? Honest and real? How’s that again? See I get being called honest and real when you’re admitting to a struggle in your life and you open up to the public about it. I don’t think it’s always appropriate, but I see it. I get opening up online about a part of your life you aren’t happy with, or something you are deeply hurt about. I get being open about your love for your family, or hate for injustice.
What I don’t get is being called “honest and real” for posting a photo of wireless networks. What about that is honest and real other than him being honest about looking at wireless networks?
See, our culture likes to throw around these words like “brilliant” and “epic” and I think sometimes the words “honest” and “real” get lumped into that. News flash. 99.9% of music coming out these days is NOT brilliant. The shirt hanging on the rack at Urban Outfitters is NOT epic. And sometimes things just aren’t “real”.
So, that’s my thought for the day.
All you commenters that want to attack someone for having an opinion by saying, “he’s just being real and honest and if you can’t handle that you can leave”, that’s ridiculous. There’s nothing honest and real about a photo of wireless networks and the guy that posted this was not opening himself up as a broken human being or anything like that. It was a photo intended to push the envelope and nothing more.
Oh hey, welcome to 2012.
Watch the movie Idiocracy. That’s where we’re heading.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387808/
I totally agree with you brnmbrns. Soon we will be watering our crops with energy drinks. lol
Brody, I tend to agree that this is a non-issue. Us “Christian’s” find weird issues to be cross heavy bible thumpers or somehow deduce something to pure genius when it may have just been some random non-spiritual rant/post . Rarely, do I see us as a group being truly effective.
Side note- I don’t know them personally but had a moment to be near the slight inner circle of Casting Crowns a few months back. Those guys, and I mean even the truck drivers, seamed genuine. Then there is a photog friend of mine who has shot even the likes of the band U-2 and he commented to me that Francis Chan was a genuine guy, and really lived out his faith even at home when no one was really listening.
Brody, I appreciate you bridging the gap.
I don’t pay attention…I’ve got so many non-Christian friends in the mix who tolerate my shenanigans. i will fess up that all the bible tweeters/pastors are lame. how are you building relationships when you are quoting GK Chesterton and Rick Warren all day?
I just saw this, and I have no idea what the controversy is or even how this legitimately leads into a discussion about honest and real. All I know is my wireless network is called “STOP SMOKING” because it makes my apartment smell so bad and when I wake up in the morning, I can’t breathe. Personally, that’s what I take from this. Not legalism. Not edginess. Someone who wants to wake up in the morning and not hack up a lung.
(I have my own personal issues with how ~transparency~ is just so in right now, but maybe I just don’t find cussing interesting in any regard anymore. Not abstaining, not doing it, I don’t really care. It’s a stupid wifi joke, and by stupid it’s actually mildly funny).