My Wrong Opinion | Teen Ink

My Wrong Opinion

March 11, 2010
By magic-esi PLATINUM, Hyde Park, New York
magic-esi PLATINUM, Hyde Park, New York
27 articles 0 photos 231 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one."
"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light."


How ever so sorry am I; that I dared speak my mind. Did that rhyme? Oh, so sorry yet again. I hope there wasn’t too much sarcasm in the last sentence to insult you, my dears. For if my readers were offended I shan’t have lived with myself.

These thoughts run through my head as I read the comments on my Teen Ink article, which retains its place on the front page of Love/Relationships Opinions due to everyone hating it. Let’s give a little background for those of you who haven’t read the article, “Happy Endings Aren’t Real; Live With It”.

My point of view, while writing this: “You know what, I think I am giving a refreshing breath of reality. All these media people talk about happy endings and fairytales, but if you take a step into the real world, you’ll notice that people pay attention to looks, not whether you care or whatever. Sure, maybe this article exaggerates a little, but I’m sure people will enjoy the slight humor and the contrasting reality.” Was I ever wrong. The article was chosen by the editors as an opinion article to stay on the front page. I’ve, so far, had nine drastically rude comments, and I am expecting more.

The typical reader’s point of view while reading this, gathered from the comments: “Stupid name for an article. Why don’t I read it so I can get mad at the writer? And lower her self esteem too. Wow, how dare she insult my heroes Stephenie Meyer and Taylor Swift!” (gasp) “How could she say I’m not pretty enough to get a boy!” (at point where I say that I, yes, I, the writer, am an ugly nerd) “I have a boyfriend and the whole school worships me! I love guys! Guys are cute! FAIRYTALES RULE! HAPPY ENDINGS ARE REAL! Let me call her a series of rude names in my misspelled comment and pretend like she has wreaked havoc on this universe! Quick… 1 out of 5 star rating! And another one! As many as I can to ruin this author’s name!”

Is this article, or is it not, classified under ‘Opinion’? Am I not entitled to my own opinion? Were you to write an article about, say, how you like Twilight, and I had disagreed with you in such an ugly fashion, you would immediately start treating me like dirt off your shoes. It’s not a big deal, really, to me- first of all, you’re online readers and I don’t know you, and second of all, people I really do know all treat me worse (don’t say this is because I’m ‘so mean’- it’s because of my non-straight hair and my non-makeup face). However, if you get used to going off at people for having an opinion as simple as mine- that guys don’t like ugly girls, which is true- in such a horrifically rude manner, you will never get a job, and you will have a tough time making friends, I can assure you. Fast-forward ten years (I’m guessing here, people, don’t get insulted) when you walk into your first serious job and the boss makes a comment on how he doesn’t like some fashion company you mildly think is half-decent, and you start yelling at him for being a disgrace to this universe. Um, bye-bye new job. And how about things more important than money, like friends. If you talk like this to people you’re not going to get any friends.

I express ‘radical’ opinions online all the time, dangerous comments like ‘Justin Bieber sings like a girl’ and mean, mean things like ‘Great comment, but you spelled a word wrong- just pointing it out!’ It just goes to show what little crybabies we all are today that these comments- written online! By someone you don’t even know!- hurt us so deeply. Get over yourselves! I don’t pretend like I don’t get a little insulted if someone shoots off their mouth at me the way about nine people did at my article, but I’m not going to cry myself to sleep over that. No! I know my writing is good, so I don’t care. In the same way, when you read that article, I want your comment to be like this: “Even though I don’t agree with you, you are entitled to your own opinion. I personally love Taylor Swift and Stephenie Meyer, but it’s OK if you don’t.” And then maybe something on my writing style- that is, you know, why I posted this here- not to get lots of shouting and rudeness, but to get feedback on my actual writing.

There are so many people out there with much, much worse opinions than mine. Not that opinions are ever wrong, but the opinion that people should be murdered for their religion, ethnicity, or sexual orientation is not as nice as the opinion that happy endings are a media joke. Save your shouting for these people.

It got to the point where I had to post warnings every time I wrote something. On a social networking site I used to go on before the school ultra-blocked our laptops, I once replied to a girl surprised at Kristen Stewart’s newest romance, “Celebrities are insane. You never know what they’ll do next. I just like watching them from over here in the Normal People side of the world.” I got a horrified response from some person I didn’t know who yelled at me for daring to say that I was normal. “Is anyone normal, in this world of ours? You’re probably a closet weird person. You just keep on pretending that you’re normal, because one day weird nerds will rule the world, and your insulting them won’t help.” People, I am the farthest thing from normal there is. If I were normal, I would not be spending hours editing a novel and listening to the song ‘Hamster on a Piano, Eating Popcorn.’ Okay?

So when I wrote a comment that I thought Ke$ha made herself look dumb in an interview, and I’d added that I liked her song TiK ToK and I was 13, I had to write at the end, “Please do NOT judge this comment by the words ‘I do like TiK ToK’ and ‘I am 13’. [There’s a lot of age discrimination on that site.] And please can you use your functioning brain cells to reply to this?” Needless to say, I was talking to the wrong audience- I was soon attacked by a rabid Ke$ha fan. I am a Ke$ha fan myself! I love Ke$ha! She is an amazing singer! I just didn’t like one stupid interview she did, that’s ALL!

Is it maybe the mask of the Internet that draws us in to speak like this? I know that most of those people wouldn’t dare talk like that even to a nerd like me if they were meeting them face-to-face. It’s rude, plain and simple. Maybe the fact that you can’t see them and they can’t see you makes you feel invincible to say whatever you want. In a way, this is a form of cyberbullying- only ten times EASIER than it, because you don’t know them personally, so it’s harder for the ‘victim’ to track you down. Now, like I said, I usually just laugh at someone who wastes their time with flames, but people who get offended quickly- of which there are too many- will not find your comments so amusing. Just because you are hidden behind a screen, it doesn’t mean you are hidden forever.

P.S. Could you please use your functioning brain cells to reply to my surely wrong opinion?


The author's comments:
I'm sure tons of other people go through the same thing. Oh, and if you're one of the people I mentioned, DON'T BE INSULTED. Please.

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This article has 12 comments.


on Feb. 28 2011 at 3:15 pm
magic-esi PLATINUM, Hyde Park, New York
27 articles 0 photos 231 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one."
"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light."

This is the author: I feel like that more and more every time I re-read this. Very well-worded comment, and I'm not just saying that so I don't appear insulted. It's true; the article was very immature-sounding, made over-the-top points, and while it's not really horrible, I still don't get why it's top voted. Still, it was good compared to some of the other stuff I wrote back then.

Anyway, thanks for being honest.


Daydreamish said...
on Feb. 11 2011 at 6:40 pm

Well, you can't really expect to completely control what people write. Freedom of print and all that. Readers are entitled to their own opinions, just as you are entitled to yours.

Incidentally, I find it interesting that this article was one of the top voted in its section given the apparent fact that it's really just an author's response to others ranting about her "wrong" opinion.


on Jan. 7 2011 at 2:08 pm
KunaiNinjaFighter SILVER, Monticello, Arkansas
7 articles 0 photos 67 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Think left and thing right, Think low and Think High, Oh the thinks you can think up, if only you try!" Dr. Suess oh and "Two things are infinite: The Universe and Human Stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe.'- Albert Einstein

I completely, utterly, agree with you on the opinion thing. I put stuff like that out there too, and boy do I get bashed. I hate Twilight, Justin Beiber (did I spell that right?) does sound like a girl, and Taylor Swift's voice sounds alot like squealing tires. 

AMP1 said...
on Dec. 23 2010 at 9:44 am
Jeez you sound like a really angry person. No, there is no such thing as a perfect relationship. But I also believe they are not completely based of of looks. Chill your probaly not ugly. I just think the way people have reacted to you have made you angry and sad.Which is unfortunate. But you have to understand you have offended some people by saying you think there relationship is completely based off of looks. You're going to get some negitive feed back when you insult somone like that.

on Oct. 17 2010 at 2:56 pm
toxic.monkey SILVER, Tashkent, Other
6 articles 0 photos 210 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Homo homini lupus"

VEEEENT no i keed. i agree that some people are total dog-women when it comes to their favorite talentless writer, actress, or singer. as well as anything that doesn't adhere to the standard empty-headed idiotchick opinion. (gosh i'm feeling odd). anyways we're with you.

on Aug. 10 2010 at 6:16 pm

this was a good article, a bit long and repetive, but still good. your right about how people can get so mean with their comments over nothing. They can't stand critism and opinion. Its like asking someone to edit your story but getting mad at them for fixing anything.

 but not to be mean and or offend you, but you were a bit harsh while voicing your opinion. You were getting mad at people for being mean while being quite harsh yourself.

still you have a great point and i totally agree with you. I have always thought about how peple can be so mean while i read comments on this site.

 

ps: sorry for all the mistakes.


on Jul. 18 2010 at 9:34 pm
Vexa_Rave SILVER, Mt. Clare, West Virginia
9 articles 0 photos 57 comments
omg i love this article!!!!  i'm a very outspoken person and i almost always speak my opinion, and i don't care if someone disagrees, but i HATE when someone puts down my opinion.  there's a huge difference between, "You like My Chemical Romance?  Uh, I don't really like them," and "You like My Chemical Romance?  Wow, you have horrible taste in music."  why don't you choose the nicer way to say it?  now, if you're talking with someone who agrees with you, you can be as extreme as you want with the hatred.  but if it's someone who disagrees with you, you shouldn't be so mean about it.  now, if i may say so, i kind of disagree with the whole "guys don't like you unless you're pretty" thing.  i have tons of guy friends and i'm not that pretty, if that's what you meant.  if you mean dating liking, every girl probably has at least one guy that likes her throughout her high school career.  but there's such a thing as STANDARDS, which means the guy that likes you might not be someone you would like back.  there's a difference between any guy liking you and a decent guy liking you.  that's why i've gone about a year and a half without a boyfriend.  i've had multiple guys like me and ask me out, but none of them were "decent" enough to date in my book, and i'm going to wait for someone who is.  and girls shouldn't go out with just any guy to get a boyfriend, they should wait for that decent guy as well.  but that's just my opinion.  :)

on Jun. 2 2010 at 1:27 pm
krazykathleen BRONZE, Edwardsville, Illinois
1 article 0 photos 99 comments

Favorite Quote:
"7/5 of all people do not understand fractions." -Unknown

This is totally true and it's ridiculous how worked up and mad people get on this site. I also loved your title- that drew me to your piece right away. You are an excellent writer. Great job on getting your point across and standing up for yourself.

on Mar. 30 2010 at 7:54 pm
pinkjello1994 BRONZE, Ocala, Florida
4 articles 0 photos 13 comments

Favorite Quote:
"Never regret what once made you happy"

I couldnt agree more! You are so right, i cant stand my twilight obsessed friends who only want boys who "sparkle" and play to their every whim. People can be so harsh on these sites for no reason then ill concieved ideas that they learned on tv.

Please keep writing! Im now a big fan :)


on Mar. 28 2010 at 12:29 pm
White-pallet GOLD, Havelock, North Carolina
13 articles 51 photos 9 comments

Favorite Quote:
"When there is snow on the ground, I like to pretend I'm walking on clouds."

I loved your essay. I know exactly what you're saying for I have been rabidly attacked for having an opinion. I agree with you and I must say that some just think their opinion is a definite fact. Which leads me to ask "How can you expect a person to listen to your own opinion when you kick out other's"? Anyway, good job :)

on Mar. 23 2010 at 10:25 am
magic-esi PLATINUM, Hyde Park, New York
27 articles 0 photos 231 comments

Favorite Quote:
"The mark of the immature man is that he wants to die nobly for a cause, while the mark of the mature man is that he wants to live humbly for one."
"Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if only one remembers to turn on the light."

Thank you! It's great to hear positive replies.

on Mar. 23 2010 at 7:41 am
ThatGirl.. GOLD, New Delhi, Other
10 articles 0 photos 38 comments

Favorite Quote:
Those people who say they know everything.annoy those of us who do..!

heya ms.sarcastic..,

loved the article...keep writing....