Why is EVERYTHING so stupid?

[Scalded Dog]

Originally Posted by Taco Time

... If you haven't seen the movie Idiocracy I highly recommend it. It's basically a documentary, but for the future...

"Idiocracy" was funny when I first watched it, but I see our world--- and our country--- actually, really, genuinely following the same path that the movie suggests. The movie is set in the future (I don't remember... 500 years maybe?), and the human race has permitted such a dumbing- down of EVERYTHING that, well, everyone is just dumb. It all started with "tolerating" dumb stuff way back in the 20th Century, and progressed from there.

This movie should be required viewing for all. Entertaining, funny, but holy smokes... it's got some real warning in it!

[kevint]

Originally Posted by Spartan01

Actually, the word "everything" is all encompassing, regardless of the amount time spent, or amount of logical thought put in.

You are making the assumption that I was not including myself in the title.

I wish I was stupid. I really do. If I were, silly, trivial things such as grammatical errors on publications wouldn't bother me.

In the case of Time's Person of the Year, "Person" is used under some weird form of artistic license to represent more than a singular entity. I don't know the rules of writing, but I imagine there are a lot of really talented writers at Time who know what they're doing.

[Spartan01]

Originally Posted by Scalded Dog

"Idiocracy" was funny when I first watched it, but I see our world--- and our country--- actually, really, genuinely following the same path that the movie suggests. The movie is set in the future (I don't remember... 500 years maybe?), and the human race has permitted such a dumbing- down of EVERYTHING that, well, everyone is just dumb. It all started with "tolerating" dumb stuff way back in the 20th Century, and progressed from there.

This movie should be required viewing for all. Entertaining, funny, but holy smokes... it's got some real warning in it!

Yes, the movie is kind of prophetic.
We allow weakness and stupidity to fester and become commonplace, rather than grabbing it by the throat and drowning it in the tub.
But don't worry, it won't be like Idiocracy at all.
The Chinese will take over long before that.

[trashmanssd]

[trashmanssd]

[Spartan01]

Originally Posted by trashmanssd

Nice!
I was wondering if anyone else would get the reference about the Chinese taking over...

[Manbearpig]

Originally Posted by hrpiii

because the world has gone overboard with "political correctness" and no one wanting to be accountable for their own actions.

In the most recent news (I say that meaning over the past 25 years), apparently every one wants to forget or ignore the facts and go right to the "it wasn't his/her fault, they were innocent".

Political correctness is why stupidity runs rampant in this country at least.

I also hate it due to PC being the proverbial nails in the coffin for satire, satire being something that combats stupidity extremely well.

[Spartan01]

Originally Posted by Manbearpig

Political correctness is why stupidity runs rampant in this country at least.

I also hate it due to PC being the proverbial nails in the coffin for satire, satire being something that combats stupidity extremely well.

Agreed!
The issue stems from PC, and into special interest groups.
"Oh no, we can't say that about [Gay/black/muslim/women/old/etc. ad nauseum]"

As soon as one special interest group is established, said group is entitled to special treatment.

I look at it from a human perspective:
Is the member of said group a human being?
Then they should be protected simply because of that factor, and not because they belong to subgroup [Gay/black/muslim/women/old/etc. ad nauseum]
However, belonging to the human race, while entitling you to protections
(see above,) also entitles you to unfiltered, and unhindered, merciless, and scathing mockery at the hands of your fellow humans. This is the price of admission.

In fact, there is only one special interest group that deserve any recognition beyond that of human being:
Disabled Veterans.
I say this for two reasons:

1.) Disabled Veterans were not, in fact, born that way. EVERY other special interest group is, in fact, born that way.
Disabled veterans, conversely, were distinctly made that way by their service. They literally earned their distinction.
AND
2.) I belong to this group. I am a disabled veteran.
The rules do not apply to me.
Therefore I, along with every other disabled veteran deserves extra special treatment.
So HA!

[punkindave]

"Person of the year" is prob a copyrighted award and cannot be changed to suit grammatical needs. If they changed it, perhaps it would have legal or trademark implications.

[kevint]

Originally Posted by punkindave

"Person of the year" is prob a copyrighted award and cannot be changed to suit grammatical needs. If they changed it, perhaps it would have legal or trademark implications.

Plus, people would be asking, "When did they change it from Person to People?"

[Spartan01]

True, but in 2011, the TM PotY was "The Protester."
While they are describing a bunch of people they did, in fact, make the title singular.
They could just as easily have written The Ebola Fighter.

[Spartan01]

the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office has officially ruled that Tamir Rice died from a Gun Shot wound to the torso.
4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, and a 4 years residency, all to be able to tell us what we already knew. Your time was well spent sir, well spent indeed.

[Mutant Racer]

I'm surprised they didn't name Bill Cosby as POY knowing Time's track record.

[Scalded Dog]

Originally Posted by Spartan01

the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's Office has officially ruled that Tamir Rice died from a Gun Shot wound to the torso.
4 years of college, 4 years of medical school, and a 4 years residency, all to be able to tell us what we already knew. Your time was well spent sir, well spent indeed.

Headlines, and breathless reporters, announced that Rice's death has been ruled a "homicide."

Duh. Even that was pretty clear ahead of time. My issue with the "shocking" announcement of this being "homicide" is that the word is not synonymous with "murder," as the media is IMPLYING. "Homicide" is simply the killing of one person by another, REGARDLESS of legality, reason, intent, or justification.

Plugging Osama Bin Laden was homicide. Putting a needle in Timothy McVeigh's arm was homicide. Navy SEALS committed homicide when they rescued Captain Phillips, and when Saddam Hussein had his neck snapped, that was homicide. Even Vince Neal and Laura Bush have committed homicide.

Announcing that Tamir Rice's lack of vital signs has been ruled a homicide is just barely more informative than announcing that this has officially been declared as a death.