Journalist, Author & Syndicated Columnist
I’m not an influencer by any means and I’m not a celebrity. But I have dealt with trolls, starting from the days when they had to mail their vitriol through the USPS — all the way through present day, when haters can harangue you nonstop on social media.
Last week I wrote an article about an incident that occurred to my family when we were new immigrants in the United States. Who knew that such an innocuous essay would stir up the emotions of haters, who deemed us as getting what we deserved for deciding to move here. Of course, they all tapped away anonymously on their keyboards from their homes in the … United States.
I loved “Extraordinary Attorney Woo.” The storylines were compelling and the actors did a fine job in bringing their characters to life. Park Eun-bin has been singled out for her extraordinary portrayal of a highly-functioning autistic attorney. But that’s where my conflict lies. As many autistic people have already pointed out, as good as Park was in her role, it is unsettling to watch a non-disabled actor portray a character who is on the spectrum. Most of my friends and acquaintances who have autistic children said they couldn’t force themselves to watch beyond the first episode, because her portrayal felt like a mockery of what they live through.
These are some of the tweets that people I’ve interviewed have sent … and also some feedback from readers.
Combatting racism isn’t accomplished by whoever makes the first social media post or writes the first article. It’s a lifelong commitment that focuses on the victims —all of them — and not just one specific group that you happen to favor.
It shouldn’t matter what language a group chooses to sing in. And yet, it has become a huge deal in K-pop, with some stans saying BTS are sellouts for singing their last three singles in English. I disagree, just as I defended Monsta X when they released an album sung all in English. But that’s not how some people chose to remember it.
Minority journalists should have the same opportunity as white reporters to tackle prestigious assignments. Maybe their take won’t be better than their white colleagues. Maybe they will. But how will we ever know if they’re not given a chance?
The very nature of Twitter is that tweets roll by and then disappear — or, rather, get hidden by a mountain of more recent tweets. These are some of the tweets that I would like to remember.
Here’s the thing: Mistakes happen. Sometimes they’re our mistake. Sometimes the outlet inputs errors. Sometimes parts of the review or article are cut out due to space issues. It’s not the end of the world. And unless we specifically say that we hate your favorite member, just assume that we don’t, OK?
Chris Pratt’s and Lisa Kudrow’s reactions are my favorites! 😂 They take such glee in reading the tweets, which were intended to mock them. Honestly, that’s how trolls should be addressed — with humor and a little appropriate pettiness.