Is It A Bad Time To Be Male?

Before I go on, it should be important to say that this is not intended to be a men v woman thread, as it's not the purpose, nor is it men's only, which is why I haven't posted this in the Gentleman's Club.

I spent this weekend at my girlfriend's house, during which time, her two year old niece came visiting. This child and I get on really well, as I do with children in general. We were playing and dancing and just having a good time, as you would with any young child. Once the child had gone, we had a discussion about this and I remarked about how bad it must have looked to anybody else - this is a child that is not mine, who I have met only a few times, and yet I am holding her hand, or she is running to give me a hug, or giving me high five.

This makes me sad, because I would think nothing of these things, yet you just know somebody would think it is indecent or that it is wrong. This discussion went on to other things and how there seems to be a lot of socially acceptable discrimination against men - it turns out that in some states across America, men are allowed to work in creches/daycare, but they are absolutely forbidden to change nappies, or assist the child in, say, going to the toilet or helping them get dressed. It seems to be the case in creches over here as similar stories have been mentioned previously. There are seemingly some libraries that won't allow men to go into the children's sections, or to playgrounds, and whatnot. Sure, statistics say that men are the more common abusers, yet I have read somewhere that a high rate of abuse by women are not reported at all, for whatever reason. So we'll likely never know the true facts.

I have heard stories (either on here or in person, I am unsure) about fathers who would take their kids to the park, holding their child's hand or playing, only to hear some passerby mutter 'paedophile' under their breath. This is their child, yet they are not free from it.

Moving aside from these issues ..
I think most men have had those moments where you would be walking somewhere and there would be a woman walking in front of you, that would just happen to be walking in the exact same direction as you. As you're walking, you can tell they're glancing nervously back at you, or quickening their pace. It's one of those horrible moments, where if you slow down, it looks dodgy, if you speed up, it definitely looks dodgy, and if you stay at your normal pace, it still looks dodgy. There's been some times where I've actually changed the way I was walking somewhere, just for this reason.

There are more issues to discuss, but this post is getting long enough as it is, but it does seem like people (be they children or women and men too, I suppose) are being conditioned to think that any man is a potential sex predator, dangerous and for a man to feel scared and ashamed of how society and other people might see them as.

jaffacakesyum

This thread will end well!

Celly Smunt

If i had a child and somebody muttered something under their breath about being a peado towards me in a public place,i'd smash their head off their shoulders.

Frosty McSnowballs

Its a good point.

I parked my car the other day. I wasn't getting out as I was waiting to collect someone. I noticed I was across the road from a playground with kids in it. I said fcuk that and moved the car own the road.

I felt as if I was obliged to move as I didn't "own" any of the kids, so had no business to be there. Plus I didn't want passers by thinking I was a perv...so I put my pants back on.

Links234

You're perfectly right about there being a certain hysteria about pedophilia, and it's been going on for a while. There was a pretty famous case a while back where some lady had pictures of her kid in a bathtub and it kicked up a huge storm in the press accusing her of all sorts of things, you see these kinds of things happening a lot, and it's terrible. Or you heard the one about the paediatrician who's home was vandalized because some idiots thought it meant paedo?

it's something that happens to a lot of LGBT people as well, that people assume if someone's gay they're going to abuse children. there was a girl who was thrown out of her home when she came out to her parents and they didn't want her around her younger sister because they were convinced she'd hurt her. it's sad, and really should be challenged.

--Kaiser--

OP, while I see your point, being a white male in a modern western society (assumption), you don't really have it all that bad

tommyboy2222

It's a great time to be male

Senor Fancy Pants

Senor Fancy Pants wrote: »

Its a good point.

I parked my car the other day. I wasn't getting out as I was waiting to collect someone. I noticed I was across the road from a playground with kids in it. I said fcuk that and moved the car own the road.

I felt as if I was obliged to move as I didn't "own" any of the kids, so had no business to be there. Plus I didn't want passers by thinking I was a perv...so I put my pants back on.

Disregarding the joke at the end, something similar has happened to me. My girlfriend works in a creche and one day I was going to meet her on her lunchbreak. The bus dropped me off near there, so I thought I would wait near there and stood a tiny bit away from there. In my head I kept thinking how dodgy it must have looked, avoiding eye contact with the creche completely, focusing all my attention on my phone instead, and yet some woman still crossed over the road from where she was walking, asking me if I'm OK, before continuing on her walk.

--Kaiser-- wrote: »

OP, while I see your point, being a white male in a modern western society (assumption), you don't really have it all that bad

That's not the issue at all. That's pretty much like saying, "Oh, your job sucks? Well, the Jews in concentration camps had it worse". It's still an issue, and a pretty big one at that. And one that is only going to get worse before it gets better.

--Kaiser--

Deleted User wrote: »

That's not the issue at all. That's pretty much like saying, "Oh, your job sucks? Well, the Jews in concentration camps had it worse". It's still an issue, and a pretty big one at that. And one that is only going to get worse before it gets better.

Oh, I agree, I was more reacting to the title of the piece

Frosty McSnowballs

Deleted User wrote: »

Disregarding the joke at the end, something similar has happened to me. My girlfriend works in a creche and one day I was going to meet her on her lunchbreak. The bus dropped me off near there, so I thought I would wait near there and stood a tiny bit away from there. In my head I kept thinking how dodgy it must have looked, avoiding eye contact with the creche completely, focusing all my attention on my phone instead, and yet some woman still crossed over the road from where she was walking, asking me if I'm OK, before continuing on her walk.

Bar my last sentence, the rest was true.

It's crazy the way we subconsciously act in those situations. Most of the time our actions make us look as if we ARE up to no good.

cormie

Were you the one who first commented on how bad it must have looked? That's part of the problem that people are afraid of something looking bad when there was absolutely no ill intent at all. I understand your concern that you don't want people thinking you're this or that but to quote the man in your signature "Thou shalt not think any male over the age of 30 that plays with a child that is not their own is a peadophile, some people are just nice."

dobman88

I notice the looks and under the breath mutters if I am walking around town with my sister. I'm 24 and she is 16 and we are really close because things weren't easy when she was small. For her 12th birthday I took her shopping and spoilt her rotten and we will still hang out together the odd time but I feel REALLY self conscious when I'm just walking beside her chatting. Its like you can feel yourself being tagged by peoples ignorance, its even worse if we go for a bite to eat, the looks we get off the waitresses and other diners is incredible.

Its as if I must automatically be a paedophile for "going out" with a girl who is clearly very young and it sickens me that I cant enjoy the time properly with my sister. When she was a little kid, there wasn't a problem but it seems people find it "weird" now.

So yes, I agree there is a certain stigma associated with men these days.

cormie

cormie wrote: »

Were you the one who first commented on how bad it must have looked? That's part of the problem that people are afraid of something looking bad when there was absolutely no ill intent at all. I understand your concern that you don't want people thinking you're this or that but to quote the man in your signature "Thou shalt not think any male over the age of 30 that plays with a child that is not their own is a peadophile, some people are just nice."

Thank you for quoting Scroobius Pip - I was going to do it myself.

This time I was the first to mention it, but we have had the discussion before. But you're right though - a lot of it is how we are forced to perceive ourselves.

Links234 wrote: »

it's something that happens to a lot of LGBT people as well, that people assume if someone's gay they're going to abuse children. there was a girl who was thrown out of her home when she came out to her parents and they didn't want her around her younger sister because they were convinced she'd hurt her. it's sad, and really should be challenged.

thanks for that, Links. Was wondering what it would be like in the LGBT community. It makes me wonder that it must be doubly bad - not only would you have the perceived stigma of being male in this circumstances, but this is coupled with the perceived stigma attached to homosexuality in general.

Irish Guitarist

There was a thread here a while ago about men being called paedophiles when out in public with their children. I honestly doubt that's something that happens very often. Maybe a bunch of loudmouth teenagers might say it, but they would be the type of idiots that are just looking for a reason to shout abuse at someone. Any normal adult who sees a man and a child together would just realise it's a man and his son or daughter.

This might be off topic somewhat but I'll tell you what I hate - when a mother wants to stop her child misbehaving and she points at me (or whatever man happens to be nearby) and says "that man is coming to get you if you don't stop screaming". Screw you. If you can't get your child to behave that's your problem, don't drag me into it and make your child afraid of me. This happened once and the child stood in front of me shouting something and blocking my way while the mother laughed.

Links234

Deleted User wrote: »

thanks for that, Links. Was wondering what it would be like in the LGBT community. It makes me wonder that it must be doubly bad - not only would you have the perceived stigma of being male in this circumstances, but this is coupled with the perceived stigma attached to homosexuality in general.

it can be very, very bad indeed and it's not just gay men but lesbian women. I'd share some anecdotes from friends if I thought they'd be ok with it, but I don't know if they would. so not details, but the way even family members treat them sometimes is beyond ridiculous, like even them being around a kid is going to somehow going to do damage.

it's a huge stigma perpetuated by anti-lgbt groups

Links234

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

when a mother wants to stop her child misbehaving and she points at me (or whatever man happens to be nearby) and says "that man is coming to get you if you don't stop screaming". Screw you.

well then you should've come and got the kid and say "you're welcome" to the mum :pac:

woodoo

I get annoyed when men are constantly made out to be the fools in adds.

I hear what you are saying re the peado hysteria. Its a shame that men feel they need to be so guarded now around kids. Children are missing out on interacting with all the normal men that we interacted with growing up.

cormie

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

There was a thread here a while ago about men being called paedophiles when out in public with their children. I honestly doubt that's something that happens very often. Maybe a bunch of loudmouth teenagers might say it, but they would be the type of idiots that are just looking for a reason to shout abuse at someone. Any normal adult who sees a man and a child together would just realise it's a man and his son or daughter.

This might be off topic somewhat but I'll tell you what I hate - when a mother wants to stop her child misbehaving and she points at me (or whatever man happens to be nearby) and says "that man is coming to get you if you don't stop screaming". Screw you. If you can't get your child to behave that's your problem, don't drag me into it and make your child afraid of me. This happened once and the child stood in front of me shouting something and blocking my way while the mother laughed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxQhLZ5bMyQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxQhLZ5bMyQ

jaffacakesyum

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

This might be off topic somewhat but I'll tell you what I hate - when a mother wants to stop her child misbehaving and she points at me (or whatever man happens to be nearby) and says "that man is coming to get you if you don't stop screaming". Screw you. If you can't get your child to behave that's your problem, don't drag me into it and make your child afraid of me. This happened once and the child stood in front of me shouting something and blocking my way while the mother laughed.

Dara O'Briain has this problem

WumBuster

Could be arsed reading your long and whining post but no, its great time to be a male. fast forward a few hundred years and then it could be a different story.

woodoo

woodoo wrote: »

I get annoyed when men are constantly made out to be the fools in adds.

I hear what you are saying re the peado hysteria. Its a shame that men feel they need to be so guarded now around kids. Children are missing out on interacting with all the normal men that we interacted with growing up.

That was somewhat another point I have.

Does anyone remember those ads that were released recently - something like, "don't be that guy" or whatever (probably not the right slogan)? But it basically alluded to the fact that only men were capable of domestic violence. I remember it did cause a pretty strong reaction at the time. So now we have groups painting men as being vicious women beaters as well.

Frosty McSnowballs

WumBuster wrote: »

Could be arsed reading your long and whining post but no, its great time to be a male. fast forward a few hundred years and then it could be a different story.

Good man.

Clandestine

Links234 wrote: »

but the way even family members treat them sometimes is beyond ridiculous, like even them being around a kid is going to somehow going to do damage.

Hence why I'm not saying a thing about my sexuality to my folks until I'm out of the family home. Religious sites have given them bad ideas....

Links234

Deleted User wrote: »

Does anyone remember those ads that were released recently - something like, "don't be that guy" or whatever (probably not the right slogan)? But it basically alluded to the fact that only men were capable of domestic violence. I remember it did cause a pretty strong reaction at the time. So now we have groups painting men as being vicious women beaters as well.

the Don't Be That Guy campaign was actually anti-rape, and had a lot of positive impact too

Femme_Fatale

WumBuster wrote: »

Could be arsed reading your long and whining post but no, its great time to be a male. fast forward a few hundred years and then it could be a different story.

In fairness, the points he's making are in relation to an unfortunately real issue. And the way men are depicted in ads and other media can be appalling. And unmarried fathers who are separated from the child(ren)'s mother are screwed if she won't allow them access. And men experiencing abuse in the home have very, very few supports. Sexual assault of men by women seems to be barely recognised also.
Just because, overall, it's grand to be a man in this society, doesn't mean there aren't specific areas in which men are badly affected simply due to being men.

It's good and important to discuss these things reasonably as the OP has done, rather than it being done in a provocative John Waters kinda way. It would be unfair to compare an approach like that of the OP to the latter.

Links234

Links234 wrote: »

the Don't Be That Guy campaign was actually anti-rape, and had a lot of positive impact too

Apologies, that wasn't the slogan. I can't exactly remember what it was, but it was discussed in the Gentleman's Club to some length. It was about domestic abuse more so than rape.

Tigger

pmcmahon wrote: »

If i had a child and somebody muttered something under their breath about being a peado towards me in a public place,i'd smash their head off their shoulders.

I'd bring the child home do some streches and then smash the kuntz face in

April O Neill

Deleted User wrote: »

I think most men have had those moments where you would be walking somewhere and there would be a woman walking in front of you, that would just happen to be walking in the exact same direction as you. As you're walking, you can tell they're glancing nervously back at you, or quickening their pace. It's one of those horrible moments, where if you slow down, it looks dodgy, if you speed up, it definitely looks dodgy, and if you stay at your normal pace, it still looks dodgy. There's been some times where I've actually changed the way I was walking somewhere, just for this reason.

Have to admit, I've done the nervy female thing at night - last time I did the guy yelled at me "You're not that fúcking special"! I know I was being a bit silly but jeez, that's not the way to deal with it! I don't why I get nervous, but I do!

Links234

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

And the way men are depicted in ads and other media can be appalling.

I've huge issues with those kind of ads, because neither man or woman comes off well in them.. he's an incompitent idiot who should be getting up of his lazy arse, and she's a nagging bitch who can't do anything for herself. those sort of ads should go the way of the dodo

the_syco

There was a thread in the "The Gentlemen's Club" forum about this issue.


Needless to say, due to risk of looking bad, less men are volunteering to be in charge of kids, and I think there are also less male teachers studying. The accumulation of both of these leads to a lack of positive male role models for young males, and thus continues less males. Sad, really.

Just wanted to add that the campaign I was thinking of that more or less alluded to the fact that only men were responsible for domestic violence was called "Man Up" and not "Don't Be That Guy", or whatever - here is the thread on the Gentleman's Club that discusses this issue better.

efb

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pcy_6anmVUc

The ironing is delicious

WumBuster

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

In fairness, the points he's making are in relation to an unfortunately real issue. And the way men are depicted in ads and other media can be appalling. And unmarried fathers who are separated from the child(ren)'s mother are screwed if she won't allow them access. And men experiencing abuse in the home have very, very few supports. Sexual assault of men by women seems to be barely recognised also.
Just because, overall, it's grand to be a man in this society, doesn't mean there aren't specific areas in which men are badly affected simply due to being men.

It's good and important to discuss these things reasonably as the OP has done, rather than it being done in a provocative John Waters kinda way. It would be unfair to compare an approach like that of the OP to the latter.

Ok . Point taken. there is a need to discuss male issues and focus groups concentrating on such are valid. i just dont subscribe to the premise of the thread title that its a bad time to be a male, thats totally innacurate and disproportionate when you consider women issues and sexism in society towards women etc.

WumBuster

WumBuster wrote: »

Ok . Point taken. there is a need to discuss male issues and focus groups concentrating on such are valid. i just dont subscribe to the premise of the thread title that its a bad time to be a male, thats totally innacurate and disproportionate when you consider women issues and sexism in society towards women etc.

Do you normally read just the topic title and post based on that, without reading what was originally discussed?

WumBuster

Deleted User wrote: »

Do you normally read just the topic title and post based on that, without reading what was originally discussed?

depends on the choice of words in the title

FreshKnickers

So, yes then.

WumBuster

WumBuster wrote: »

depends on the choice of words in the title

Then in that case I ask you to go read what was actually said before jumping to conclusions. Maybe then you might be able to contribute something, especially when you have said you essentially agree to what was pretty much just a summary of what I had discussed.

WumBuster

FreshKnickers wrote: »

So, yes then.

he asked a direct question in the title, i gave my answer..

*sigh* going back on topic ...

Does anyone else have any stories they'd like to share about these issues?

A while ago I was walking through a shopping centre, when I happened to notice a young boy, probably no older than 4, walking around by himself and looking seriously distressed. My first reaction was to go over there and try and see if he's OK and then bring him to a security desk - I've been that kid before and it's not fun. But then I realized just how bad that would look if anybody had noticed, so I left him be and continued walking, but kept my eye out for any security guards I might see.

WumBuster

Deleted User wrote: »

*sigh* going back on topic ...

Does anyone else have any stories they'd like to share about these issues?

A while ago I was walking through a shopping centre, when I happened to notice a young boy, probably no older than 4, walking around by himself and looking seriously distressed. My first reaction was to go over there and try and see if he's OK and then bring him to a security desk - I've been that kid before and it's not fun. But then I realized just how bad that would look if anybody had noticed, so I left him be and continued walking, but kept my eye out for any security guards I might see.

Im not trying to to troll you by disagreeing with everything but this wouldnt have bothered me in the slightest what anyone would think i would have just walked him back to the desk.whats the worst could happen?

The Backwards Man

Deleted User wrote: »

*sigh* going back on topic ...

Does anyone else have any stories they'd like to share about these issues?

A while ago I was walking through a shopping centre, when I happened to notice a young boy, probably no older than 4, walking around by himself and looking seriously distressed. My first reaction was to go over there and try and see if he's OK and then bring him to a security desk - I've been that kid before and it's not fun. But then I realized just how bad that would look if anybody had noticed, so I left him be and continued walking, but kept my eye out for any security guards I might see.

I know that it's probably not sensible advice to give, but I just do whatever I think is right and don't think of the consequences. Maybe one day I'll live to regret it, but I just wouldn't feel right doing otherwise.

cheesefiend

Deleted User wrote: »

*sigh* going back on topic ...

Does anyone else have any stories they'd like to share about these issues?

A while ago I was walking through a shopping centre, when I happened to notice a young boy, probably no older than 4, walking around by himself and looking seriously distressed. My first reaction was to go over there and try and see if he's OK and then bring him to a security desk - I've been that kid before and it's not fun. But then I realized just how bad that would look if anybody had noticed, so I left him be and continued walking, but kept my eye out for any security guards I might see.

I watched a documentary a while ago about the 'Bystander Effect' where in public places if people see someone in distress they are less likely to help as there is a diffusion of responsibility. Anyway, one experiment they did was to get a little girl to wait on the side of the road for a long time and see if anyone would try and help her.

A lot of people stopped to see if she was alright, asking her where her mother was, trying to get hold of guards to make sure she got back to her parents etc. Nearly every person who stopped was a female and if men stopped it was usually because they were with a female. The reason most men said they didn't stop was because they were afraid of looking like a perv.

So you're definitely not the only one who feels like this and that's sad.

wretcheddomain

It's a great time to be mail, you get a pass called a 'stamp' and allows free travel around Ireland via the Postman, despite the recession!

Gbear

It's probably muddled together with the media-driven hysteria that violence is rising (and that includes child abuse, kidnappings and the like) when the frequency of pretty much all forms of violence has dropped off a cliff.

"10 ways to spot the paedo hiding in the playground with your kids" sells better than saying "you're probably grand and this is the best time to be living in the entire history of mankind".

SureYWouldntYa

Im 18 and look about 25 and get strange looks, glances and whatnot all the time when i spend time with my 5 and 3 old cousins. Their father died and im their only male role model at this early stage in their lives.

Going to the cinema, bringing them clothes shopping anything i do with them at all seems to be frowned upon by the general public

IvySlayer

Well I'm a male in my 20s, picked up my niece from her school plenty of times, I've never really felt any awkwardness I must say. Although I was walking my dog earlier, and 2 8 year old girls came over to make a fuss of him in the green, I kept thinking 'Oh God I hope no-one is watching me',

I remember reading about a famous Boardsie who was picking his children from school, was told men can't park near the school gates...that is shocking...if a teacher said that to me...

hsianloon

Have to agree. As a young male and non Irish national , I avoid talking to children even if spoken to here. I see mothers giving their children the hush don't talk to the bad man talk. Call it racist or whatever you will, but if you aren't Irish ,you're probably thought of as more likely to be a paedophile or commit genocide.

Frankly its good, I don't want to have anything to do with something that could easily be twisted by people into something it isn't.

Maybe its just a distraction from poor parenting or other miscellaneous social issues. Have to blame someone why not the boogie man called paedophiles.

You'll notice that whenever there's argument about controlling something in society, it gets thrown in. Oh won't somebody think of the children....

hullaballoo

One of the most awkward moments of my life happened last summer when this particular issue slapped me in the face like a bat out of hell.

I've been with my girlfriend for a few years and she has a friend who is a single mum. Her son who is five is particularly interested in dad-like men and craves this attention. As someone who grew up as an only-child with a single mum (my dad died a few months before I was born), I can see exactly why he wants a dad-like man to entertain him.

Anyway, I was being dad-like and taking this fella down to the rocks on Sandycove beach. He says "I need to wee" and I panicked completely because there's no place for him to go. I took him back to where my car was parked and told him to wee against the wheel. He said he didn't want to wee on my wheels, so he wee'd on the wheels of the car next to mine. Lo and behold, the owners of that car came back.

You won't believe it but they were nuns! What the fcuk?! So this 5-year-old cops on straight away that he can't wee on a nun's car and stops weeing. Incredible. But he still needs to finish this wee. So, after the nuns take like 20 minutes to reverse out of their parking space, he finishes his wee on the immaculate Audi beside my car. Never been so proud.

All of the while, I was scared sihtless I was going to be viewed as a paedophile just because I had this little fella who needed a wee!? I was cautious enough that I was on the phone to his mum the whole time this was happeneing. She thought it was fcuking hilarious of course but didn't see why I felt so alarmed!

Afterwards. we went to the shop, bought him super-cool sunglasses and then went on the Wii until Mum and son were too tired to function.

There is nothing wrong with any of the above but I could still be accused of all sorts of things both by the mother and by the authorities. That's what makes men afraid of being near children. Personally, I don't think that's a good thing for parent or child.

clairefontaine

hullaballoo wrote: »

One of the most awkward moments of my life happened last summer when this particular issue slapped me in the face like a bat out of hell.

I've been with my girlfriend for a few years and she has a friend who is a single mum. Her son who is five is particularly interested in dad-like men and craves this attention. As someone who grew up as an only-child with a single mum (my dad died a few months before I was born), I can see exactly why he wants a dad-like man to entertain him.

Anyway, I was being dad-like and taking this fella down to the rocks on Sandycove beach. He says "I need to wee" and I panicked completely because there's no place for him to go. I took him back to where my car was parked and told him to wee against the wheel. He said he didn't want to wee on my wheels, so he wee'd on the wheels of the car next to mine. Lo and behold, the owners of that car came back.

You won't believe it but they were nuns! What the fcuk?! So this 5-year-old cops on straight away that he can't wee on a nun's car and stops weeing. Incredible. But he still needs to finish this wee. So, after the nuns take like 20 minutes to reverse out of their parking space, he finishes his wee on the immaculate Audi beside my car. Never been so proud.

All of the while, I was scared sihtless I was going to be viewed as a paedophile just because I had this little fella who needed a wee!? I was cautious enough that I was on the phone to his mum the whole time this was happeneing. She thought it was fcuking hilarious of course but didn't see why I felt so alarmed!

Afterwards. we went to the shop, bought him super-cool sunglasses and then went on the Wii until Mum and son were too tired to function.

There is nothing wrong with any of the above but I could still be accused of all sorts of things both by the mother and by the authorities. That's what makes men afraid of being near children. Personally, I don't think that's a good thing for parent or child.

Well I am in the US now and can't let my little one wee behind the car or he will get charged with sexual indecency. He's five.

Yet a random old weirdo man in a Panama hat can sing him a love song on a bus. Then engage his attention with magic tricks. But I can't say piss off or he'll walk away complaining about pedo hysteria.

On the other hand your experience shows you how vulnerable a child of a single mom would be to someone acting like a daddy.

IM0

its the price to pay for being the superior sex I suppose. strength wise I mean. its rediculous and like the OP those things do go through my head in those kinds of situations too, but just dont look shifty and its all good, but its horrible the way that sensational 'journalisn' has turned this into a new pheneomonen which it isnt, its always been the way, the only thing that has changed is the incessant expoitation of fear and anxiety of the public to sell ad space on tv and newspapers

I find the whole thing really scummy. there is even a name for the phenomenon, 'mean world syndrome' :mad:

Ruudi_Mentari

Droopy time is a bad time.