Anybody spend much time in the Lounge?

[Eloriel]

Out of sheer boredom tonight I clicked in there, and immediately encountered this. Was it a complete waste of time to alert on it?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=3603842&mesg_id=3603842

[undergroundpanther]

1. I stay out of the lounge

Because there are bullies and trolls there, They happen to be popular bullies on DU,people are "amused" by them..So they get away with doing their disgusting games under the cover of"fun" Just like most bullies do to excuse verbal abuse.

If these lounge assholes were not popular in the lounge as regular "characters" they might not be so tolerated. If DU decided to really try to live up to being a"big tent " party they'd have to have boundaries, to make a welcoming place for all kinds of people they'd have to do something about the deliberately verbally abusive fuck heads who contribute nothing but quips and pithy snotty commentary in the lounge amusing themselves to death..Being a big tent party does not mean you have to go tolerating bullies making a mess.And tolerating different people with a million POV,and encouraging heated debate is not the same thing as tolerating bullies who get off on belittling others for fun .Eventually people are going to have to distinguish a bully making fun from a off color comment and when someone says something for"humor" and if you object they say You are too sensitive.. It's clear to me, they are unwilling to admit they may have hurt you with their words and are unwilling to take responsibility for their own callousness..Bullies want to tell you how bad you are allowed to be hurt by their hurtful words.That is what bullies do..to excuse themselves and create a culture that tolerates that kind of bullshit.

[BlueIris]

3. Yeah. It took me a bit to figure all that out about the Longue.

The bullying and the "he/she is just being cute" tolerance for the abusers and the misogynists. Some of the threads they start sometimes reflect such ignorance--and I love it when they disrupt threads discussing anti-female sexism and gender-based discrimination to "point out" all the ways in which men are the victims of inequity and unfairness in America. Reminds me of shit my ex used to do. Sorry to take it to that place, fellow DUers, but that's why their attitude enrages me so much--when other people with that attitude polute my life, I remove them from it. Because that attitude is unacceptable. But in the Longue, it's the norm.

[zippy890]

8. Yes - I agree with you

I don't understand how the overt sexism can be so tolerated - but you explained it well " he/she is just being cute" -plus they do bully others sometimes.

I get the feeling they are frustrated younger men - kind of an adolescent attitude.

And why is it ok to post naked photos of women with huge chests.
I go to the lounge sometimes because its entertaining, but the sexism goes unchecked.

[smirkymonkey]

11. I have a theory that regular posters in the Lounge have an

average age of 12 and an IQ that is even lower. A few of the posts are actually interesting, but by and large they are extremely puerile.

[MuseRider]

2. Apparently

it was worth your time to alert because it is gone now. Good job.

[Eloriel]

5. Hot Damn!

I'm impressed. BIG grin here. :thumbsup: Maybe DU is changing for the better, ya think? BOY, that would make me happy. THAT could make me a monthly (tho small) donor. Again.

On another note, there are some days when I feel like the sexist police. Damn near every thread I open (well, too many threads I find) needs an alert or several. Do ya'll encounter that as well?

[efhmc]

4. I think I replied to this one also. Looks like you did some good.

I personally think that this group of "boys" should have another site to run these types of threads. Something very far away from DU.

[Eloriel]

6. Yes, you had several posts in it -- very good ones, btw.

But the whole premise was sexist on its face. (I think this was a poll about why some women are Playboy models...and some of the poll choices were very sexist, and many of the responses were very sexist.)

[efhmc]

7. Well, surprise, surprise. (I know it's hokey but whenever I say that and

picture Gomer Pyle's face, I have to laugh.) Anyway unhappily, it is totally par for the course for many threads that there were sexist comments and replies on anything that has to do with women and women's bodies. So sad.

[Lisa0825]

9. curious...

I missed it. What was it about? Who posted it?

Thanks

[PassingFair]

10. The lounge....

is usually the last place I go before I shut down...
The folks in there...and I really don't mean to slam them, remind me of the kids on the yearbook committee in high school.
You really didn't KNOW them, but when you look at the yearbook, there they are, on almost every page.

[alarcojon]

12. I will continue to alert on stuff like this

This one and another one you mention have gotten deleted, so DU might indeed be changing for the better. Stranger things have happened.