Beast Boy's (Greg Cipes) song for Terra

The Professor wrote:Well then, get clued in. The show is gone and is never coming back. Everyone here (for the most part) has accepted this fact. If you want any entertainment in Titan form, it's gonna be in comics. So go out and buy some. Who knows, if DC finds that it's becoming popular, they might create a new animated series.

Note: I sad NEW. Not renew the same one as before. NEW. New writers, new concepts, new VAs, hell, new characters even.

Uh...huh. If the comics' sales figures for the past couple of years are any indication, that's an even longer shot than the letter-writing, producer-harassing, DVD-buying and TV-watching campaigns that have been attempted thus far.

From what titanstower.com has been reporting for quite a while now, the only Titan-related comic title that's been generating any real enthusiasm or consistently decent sales recently has been Tiny Titans.

Cylor wrote:From what titanstower.com has been reporting for quite a while now, the only Titan-related comic title that's been generating any real enthusiasm or consistently decent sales recently has been Tiny Titans.

Titans Tower is also run by Bill Walko, whom is very, very bitter about where the franchise - hell, lets not mince words, where DC in general - has gone the past couple of years. Not to mention has an unhealthy hatred for Dan DiDio, a man he doesn't know personally, simply because DC and the Titans aren't going in a direction he likes. So you'll have to excuse me if I take what he says with a grain of salt; he's not exactly what you would call an unbiased party.

Azrael wrote:Titans Tower is also run by Bill Walko, whom is very, very bitter about where the franchise - hell, lets not mince words, where DC in general - has gone the past couple of years. Not to mention has an unhealthy hatred for Dan DiDio, a man he doesn't know personally, simply because DC and the Titans aren't going in a direction he likes. So you'll have to excuse me if I take what he says with a grain of salt; he's not exactly what you would call an unbiased party.

Maybe not, but what about the sales figures he quotes? He doesn't pull those numbers out of thin air. Are you disputing those?

Cylor wrote:

Azrael wrote:Titans Tower is also run by Bill Walko, whom is very, very bitter about where the franchise - hell, lets not mince words, where DC in general - has gone the past couple of years. Not to mention has an unhealthy hatred for Dan DiDio, a man he doesn't know personally, simply because DC and the Titans aren't going in a direction he likes. So you'll have to excuse me if I take what he says with a grain of salt; he's not exactly what you would call an unbiased party.

Maybe not, but what about the sales figures he quotes? He doesn't pull those numbers out of thin air. Are you disputing those?

Any numbers can be twisted, given new meaning.

Cylor wrote:

Azrael wrote:Titans Tower is also run by Bill Walko, whom is very, very bitter about where the franchise - hell, lets not mince words, where DC in general - has gone the past couple of years. Not to mention has an unhealthy hatred for Dan DiDio, a man he doesn't know personally, simply because DC and the Titans aren't going in a direction he likes. So you'll have to excuse me if I take what he says with a grain of salt; he's not exactly what you would call an unbiased party.

Maybe not, but what about the sales figures he quotes? He doesn't pull those numbers out of thin air. Are you disputing those?

I'll bet he doesn't give context.

Titans hasn't had a regular creative team since issue #10. so basically, it's been in glorified fill-in mode, with a different writer each issue. Such does not typically bring in good sales numbers, much less decent. Before that, it was still doing decently; a lot of people hung on largely because Titans had their favorite lineup, even if Judd Winicks writing on all issues but #5 and #6 ranged from servicable to god-awful.

Teen Titans has also been in transition for a while yet. During the height of Sean McKeevers run, the title wasn't doing bad. No, it was not doing Geoff Johns era numbers, but Geoff's a name writer, whereas Sean is known mostly for the assorted "Mary Jane" miniseries over at Marvel. It wasn't bad at all for having almost no name characters, even losing Robin late into the run. Then it was let known that it was to be involved in the Deathtrap crossover and Sean was leaving not long afterwards, with fill-ins coming right after. You can guess what happened to sales there.

Tiny Titans also does not do decently if you go strictly by those sales numbers. It does poorly. It nails the single digit thousands. Yes, it receives praise, but it doesn't set the sales charts on fire.

Also, taking those figures at face value is never a smart thing to do. Those are merely direct market numbers. Not total sales. It does not factor subscriptions and other popular methods, not to mention that the rising popularity of trade paperbacks has brought in another new factor to things. For an example, Amazing Spider-Man in it's thrice weekly form is doing well at ranging in the mid-sixty thousand range every weekly issue, but the title is actually doing even better than that because it's Marvels number one subscription series, not to mention the hardcovers and trades of the series post BND. Now a new factor has been thrown into the mix, as digital versions of comics are just starting to crop up.

Bill's problem is that he has an agenda. I used to have a lot of respect for him, but it's slowly eroded over time thanks largely to his own remarks and such. He's also become a pessimist who see's what he wants. Is he completely off? No, I didn't say that. The Titans franchise is in flux right now - several are moving to the Justice League, Titans is still in fill-in mode and about to have a complete overhaul and the sales numbers of Teen Titans have only gone up to the fill-ins as of now - which often puts sales on ice in general. But he also doesn't give the whole story on what fans reactions are in general. When he says enthusiasm for the current stuff has been low, it's not a complete lie, but there are a lot of fans waiting in the wings for the titles quality to pick up again. Blackest Night: Titans has helped.

This isn't even remotely the worst era the Titans have ever had and the love for the franchise is still there. Some of that enthusiasm has come back as well, thanks to Blackest Night: Titans. It's just a matter of where the franchise is right now.

So yes, I dispute those sales numbers, because they don't tell the whole story and neither does Bill Walko.

Alright then, since sales figures and webmasters apparently can't be trusted for whatever reason, let's back up: are you guys going to get behind The Professor and his suggestion that a few more people buying comics could lead to a new TT animated series anytime in the foreseeable future?

I'll bet not.

Cylor wrote:Alright then, since sales figures and webmasters apparently can't be trusted for whatever reason, let's back up: are you guys going to get behind The Professor and his suggestion that a few more people buying comics could lead to a new TT animated series anytime in the foreseeable future?

I'll bet not.

A few people from here? Well, not really. But every little bit helps.

Would more sales on the comics hurt? Certainly not. Especially with the new restructuring going on with the new DC Entertainment thing. They're looking to take better advantage of DC's popular franchises. The Titans have been a popular fixture for a long time, so it's probably inevitable that they'll get a new animated series, but higher sales won't hurt the chances of a speedier timeframe.

A few people from here sure as hell wouldn't do it though. But hey, I don't discourage getting people into comics. The Professor just has a habit of being... blunter than I would be.

Alright then, since sales figures and webmasters apparently can't be trusted for whatever reason

Actually, those numbers can be trusted for what they are. The problem is that they've been carried off as catch-all sales numbers in here. Which they're not. Those numbers only include Diamond Publishings distribution chain. Meaning, that carries only the direct market. It's an important facet of the industry, but only that; a facet. Especially with the rise in new venues for comic companies; it's not the catch-all ruler for how a title is doing anymore. In fact, if Diamond wasn't a monopoly in regards to the direct market, sales of comics would probably be a lot higher in general.

On the webmaster, well, it is what it is. He's a human being too. Which means he's subject to slants and bias. He takes it a bit too far in general though, so I don't put much stock in what he says.

To be fair, he and Titans Tower are great to go to when you want to look into the past. There's never a problem there. But he gets going about the current stuff... forget it.

the bastard stole my idea!!! IMMA kill him!! nah jokes mine's more of a romantic feel to it

The song is really cute! Did he really do a love confession to Raven in Beast Boy's voice?

SakuraMamiya wrote:The song is really cute! Did he really do a love confession to Raven in Beast Boy's voice?

A couple of years ago, yeah. I'm sure if you tried, you could find it on YouTube.

I can't seem to find it. Too bad no one recorded it.

Azrael wrote:

Cylor wrote:From what titanstower.com has been reporting for quite a while now, the only Titan-related comic title that's been generating any real enthusiasm or consistently decent sales recently has been Tiny Titans.

Titans Tower is also run by Bill Walko, whom is very, very bitter about where the franchise - hell, lets not mince words, where DC in general - has gone the past couple of years. Not to mention has an unhealthy hatred for Dan DiDio, a man he doesn't know personally, simply because DC and the Titans aren't going in a direction he likes. So you'll have to excuse me if I take what he says with a grain of salt; he's not exactly what you would call an unbiased party.

Bill Walko here. I joined this forum for the sole purpose of defending my name, which you've chosen to drag through the mud without cause or reason.

Here's a link to the Sales Watch posts:
http://www.titanstower.com/monitor/?cat=55

I don't make up these numbers... and, surprise! I DON'T WRITE THESE SALES WATCH ANALYSIS posts. They are written by DeTroyes, a poster on ComicBloc. So much for my "bias."

Unhealthy hatred for Dan Didio? Please show me any post where I've said that. Because I know I haven't. I don't agree with his vision for DC in general.. but hatred? No.

Talk to anyone that knows me, and they'll tell you I'm pretty fair and open-minded about different interpretations of the characters. But when there's bad stories, there's bad stories. What haven't I enjoyed? Henderson's Teen Titans, Judd Winick's Titans and Countdown. Which, ask fans, those runs are pretty much derided by everyone.

Really like Sean McKeever's work, and I liked good chunks of his run.

"simply because DC and the Titans aren't going in a direction he likes. " Honestly, I'm a lot more open minded than a LOT of other Titans fans. I'm keeping an open mind about the September relaunch and hoping for the best. We'll see!

So before you go bashing people you don't know, please choose your words more carefully.

Seriously? You go through all the trouble to join our forum just to 'defend your name' from the opinion of someone who hasn't posted on our forum in like, a year, probably more?

And as far as 'choosing words more carefully' you might want to examine your own actions mate. We're just a small fan forum with probably no more than two dozen regularly posting members. So if you just came here to try and get your hate on, I suggest you turn around right now.

If however, you're here to enjoy the 'fair and open-minded' discussion of an enjoyable comic book series and it's spinoffs. Then I welcome you and would like to direct you to the 'Introduce yourself' thread in the Newbie Area.

Also, you do realize that this thread hasn't been posted in for like... a long while, and has little to do with anything you've mentioned.

n8twing wrote:

Azrael wrote:

Cylor wrote:From what titanstower.com has been reporting for quite a while now, the only Titan-related comic title that's been generating any real enthusiasm or consistently decent sales recently has been Tiny Titans.

Titans Tower is also run by Bill Walko, whom is very, very bitter about where the franchise - hell, lets not mince words, where DC in general - has gone the past couple of years. Not to mention has an unhealthy hatred for Dan DiDio, a man he doesn't know personally, simply because DC and the Titans aren't going in a direction he likes. So you'll have to excuse me if I take what he says with a grain of salt; he's not exactly what you would call an unbiased party.

Bill Walko here. I joined this forum for the sole purpose of defending my name, which you've chosen to drag through the mud without cause or reason.

Here's a link to the Sales Watch posts:
http://www.titanstower.com/monitor/?cat=55

I don't make up these numbers... and, surprise! I DON'T WRITE THESE SALES WATCH ANALYSIS posts. They are written by DeTroyes, a poster on ComicBloc. So much for my "bias."

Unhealthy hatred for Dan Didio? Please show me any post where I've said that. Because I know I haven't. I don't agree with his vision for DC in general.. but hatred? No.

Talk to anyone that knows me, and they'll tell you I'm pretty fair and open-minded about different interpretations of the characters. But when there's bad stories, there's bad stories. What haven't I enjoyed? Henderson's Teen Titans, Judd Winick's Titans and Countdown. Which, ask fans, those runs are pretty much derided by everyone.

Really like Sean McKeever's work, and I liked good chunks of his run.

"simply because DC and the Titans aren't going in a direction he likes. " Honestly, I'm a lot more open minded than a LOT of other Titans fans. I'm keeping an open mind about the September relaunch and hoping for the best. We'll see!

So before you go bashing people you don't know, please choose your words more carefully.

You know what the funniest part is?
The only logical explanation for this is that you google your own name, it lead you here and you totally came in to try to save face because you saw someone writing bad stuff about you.

Because I can't see any other way you'd wind up here, so late, so randomly and with no other connection.

That's kind of sad man.

n8twing wrote:

Azrael wrote:

Cylor wrote:From what titanstower.com has been reporting for quite a while now, the only Titan-related comic title that's been generating any real enthusiasm or consistently decent sales recently has been Tiny Titans.

Titans Tower is also run by Bill Walko, whom is very, very bitter about where the franchise - hell, lets not mince words, where DC in general - has gone the past couple of years. Not to mention has an unhealthy hatred for Dan DiDio, a man he doesn't know personally, simply because DC and the Titans aren't going in a direction he likes. So you'll have to excuse me if I take what he says with a grain of salt; he's not exactly what you would call an unbiased party.

Unhealthy hatred for Dan Didio? Please show me any post where I've said that. Because I know I haven't. I don't agree with his vision for DC in general.. but hatred? No.

I believe he was using what's called "hyperbole," my good chum.

The rest of your post is just *wordswordswordswordswordswordswords* to me.

Naked Snake wrote:

n8twing wrote:

Azrael wrote:

Cylor wrote:From what titanstower.com has been reporting for quite a while now, the only Titan-related comic title that's been generating any real enthusiasm or consistently decent sales recently has been Tiny Titans.

Titans Tower is also run by Bill Walko, whom is very, very bitter about where the franchise - hell, lets not mince words, where DC in general - has gone the past couple of years. Not to mention has an unhealthy hatred for Dan DiDio, a man he doesn't know personally, simply because DC and the Titans aren't going in a direction he likes. So you'll have to excuse me if I take what he says with a grain of salt; he's not exactly what you would call an unbiased party.

Unhealthy hatred for Dan Didio? Please show me any post where I've said that. Because I know I haven't. I don't agree with his vision for DC in general.. but hatred? No.

I believe he was using what's called "hyperbole," my good chum.

The rest of your post is just *wordswordswordswordswordswordswords* to me.

Nope.

He makes broad assumptions about me, he outright says I'm "very, very bitter" and says, "has an unhealthy hatred for Dan DiDio, a man he doesn't know personally, simply because DC and the Titans aren't going in a direction he likes. "

How is that hyperbole?

He's making broad assumptions which simply aren't true. I can review a piece of work and separate the art from the artist. This implies I don't, and can't.

n8twing wrote:

Naked Snake wrote:

n8twing wrote:

Azrael wrote:

Cylor wrote:From what titanstower.com has been reporting for quite a while now, the only Titan-related comic title that's been generating any real enthusiasm or consistently decent sales recently has been Tiny Titans.

Titans Tower is also run by Bill Walko, whom is very, very bitter about where the franchise - hell, lets not mince words, where DC in general - has gone the past couple of years. Not to mention has an unhealthy hatred for Dan DiDio, a man he doesn't know personally, simply because DC and the Titans aren't going in a direction he likes. So you'll have to excuse me if I take what he says with a grain of salt; he's not exactly what you would call an unbiased party.

Unhealthy hatred for Dan Didio? Please show me any post where I've said that. Because I know I haven't. I don't agree with his vision for DC in general.. but hatred? No.

I believe he was using what's called "hyperbole," my good chum.

The rest of your post is just *wordswordswordswordswordswordswords* to me.

Nope.

He makes broad assumptions about me, he outright says I'm "very, very bitter" and says, "has an unhealthy hatred for Dan DiDio, a man he doesn't know personally, simply because DC and the Titans aren't going in a direction he likes. "

How is that hyperbole?

He's making broad assumptions which simply aren't true. I can review a piece of work and separate the art from the artist. This implies I don't, and can't.

If TT and FF mean so much to you, then you should build a portal to your imagination and go live there, you know, where people give a crap.

Rain_ wrote:

n8twing wrote:

Naked Snake wrote:

n8twing wrote:

Azrael wrote:

Cylor wrote:From what titanstower.com has been reporting for quite a while now, the only Titan-related comic title that's been generating any real enthusiasm or consistently decent sales recently has been Tiny Titans.

Titans Tower is also run by Bill Walko, whom is very, very bitter about where the franchise - hell, lets not mince words, where DC in general - has gone the past couple of years. Not to mention has an unhealthy hatred for Dan DiDio, a man he doesn't know personally, simply because DC and the Titans aren't going in a direction he likes. So you'll have to excuse me if I take what he says with a grain of salt; he's not exactly what you would call an unbiased party.

Unhealthy hatred for Dan Didio? Please show me any post where I've said that. Because I know I haven't. I don't agree with his vision for DC in general.. but hatred? No.

I believe he was using what's called "hyperbole," my good chum.

The rest of your post is just *wordswordswordswordswordswordswords* to me.

Nope.

He makes broad assumptions about me, he outright says I'm "very, very bitter" and says, "has an unhealthy hatred for Dan DiDio, a man he doesn't know personally, simply because DC and the Titans aren't going in a direction he likes. "

How is that hyperbole?

He's making broad assumptions which simply aren't true. I can review a piece of work and separate the art from the artist. This implies I don't, and can't.

If TT and FF mean so much to you, then you should build a portal to your imagination and go live there, you know, where people give a crap.

The man googles his own name so he can start internet arguments about comic books, I doubt you'll get through to him.

n8twing wrote:

Naked Snake wrote:

n8twing wrote:

Azrael wrote:

Cylor wrote:From what titanstower.com has been reporting for quite a while now, the only Titan-related comic title that's been generating any real enthusiasm or consistently decent sales recently has been Tiny Titans.

Titans Tower is also run by Bill Walko, whom is very, very bitter about where the franchise - hell, lets not mince words, where DC in general - has gone the past couple of years. Not to mention has an unhealthy hatred for Dan DiDio, a man he doesn't know personally, simply because DC and the Titans aren't going in a direction he likes. So you'll have to excuse me if I take what he says with a grain of salt; he's not exactly what you would call an unbiased party.

Unhealthy hatred for Dan Didio? Please show me any post where I've said that. Because I know I haven't. I don't agree with his vision for DC in general.. but hatred? No.

I believe he was using what's called "hyperbole," my good chum.

The rest of your post is just *wordswordswordswordswordswordswords* to me.

Nope.

He makes broad assumptions about me, he outright says I'm "very, very bitter" and says, "has an unhealthy hatred for Dan DiDio, a man he doesn't know personally, simply because DC and the Titans aren't going in a direction he likes. "

How is that hyperbole?

He's making broad assumptions which simply aren't true. I can review a piece of work and separate the art from the artist. This implies I don't, and can't.

"Unhealthy hatred" is hyperbole. Perhaps you should have googled the word.

Enough of this the lot of you.

N8twing: if you really came here just to argue with our members over whether or not you're a well rounded human being then you're ridiculous, further action in reference to this argument will be watch Very Closely by yours truly.

I ask you to bear in mind we are a small fan forum. Many of our members are young, most were first exposed to Teen Titans by the Cartoon. I myself have no idea who you are beyond a Comic Book artist, and frankly I don't care. Right now you're just a member here, I indent to treat you like one.

Rain_: Come on man, you know better. Sure he probably got here by googling his name, and sure he probably didn't spend the 10 seconds it would take to notice that this thread was dead as dust before he posted in it. But Google is a wonderful device that allows people to find the most inane information about the most random of things, and it's a man's god given right to defend his name in stupid childish manners. Best we can do is just shake our heads and frown.

Snake: As usual your comments are almost entirely accurate, but a little too combative. Nothing to be said that hasn't been said before.

Try not to start any fights the both of you.

LOL. Hilarious. You guys have constructed quite the fanfic about me, where I'm googling my name to start internet message board fights. And TheDecieverGod, your mod post contains completely unnecessary insults. But I guess, as they say, "Haters gonna hate."

This will be my last post, and I'm just going to assume you're all very young by the immaturity displayed here.

Just gonna repost this, from Zooey Deshanel, who just sums up my thoughts. It's a good rule of thumb, and something my mother repeated to me often.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE ANYTHING NICE TO SAY…
by Zooey Deschanel
This is an Internet rant about Internet rants. This is a rant about anonymous, unconstructive, Internet meanness. It’s not because I think everyone should be happy and cheerful all the time. It’s just that I think people should be decent and respectful to each other.

Everyone has a right to individual opinions, but just because you don’t like something does not mean that no one else does. So, unless you have some really thoughtful and constructive criticism, why say anything at all? Or rather, why say it publicly? With the advent of the world wide web was born this conundrum; while the Internet has the fantastic ability to bring people of common interests together, it simultaneously gives people the ability to say all the nasty things they want, completely anonymously.

I have the utmost respect for true critics and writers who devote themselves to analyzing and appreciating art; this is NOT who I am talking about. Often the content of comments sections goes something like this (in Mad Libs form):

SouPerP1mp69: I hate (name of an artist/celebrity not in room)! He/she is (unflattering adjective) and (unflattering adjective) and someone should tell her/him that he/she should stop (verb/name of profession)-ing.

Well SouPerP1mp69, you lost me there! If I didn’t like sushi, would I say, “All sushi restaurants should stop making it for other people because I don’t like it”? No, I would not because that makes NO SENSE. If you don’t like a writer, don’t read their books; if you don’t like an actor, don’t watch their movies and so on and so forth. The people who are making art, successfully or unsuccessfully, have a right to do so and I can guarantee you that none of them are spending time making the things that they make for people who hate them.

So, why would someone go on a message board like a weird little sneak and write a bunch of mean stuff about someone? There are certainly artists that I don’t particularly care for, but do I publicly go and say mean things about them? No, I do not, because they shouldn’t care what I think, because they’re not doing it for me and if I don’t like it, then I am simply not their crowd. If people are supporting their efforts then I deduce that they have an audience of people who enjoy what they do.

It’s wonderful that people have different tastes. The word “opinion”, intrinsically, has no “right or wrong”, only “yours and mine”. People can buy into, surround themselves with and immerse themselves in whatever suits their fancy! So why rain on other peoples’ parades?

This leads me to my real point: what I want for our 1-month-old baby website HelloGiggles.com. I think negativity is the enemy of creativity because it stops people and shames people and that is not what I want for our community. I want this site to be a place where people feel comfortable and safe. I want this to be a place where people encourage each other instead of bringing each other down. And mostly, I want this to be a place where people identify themselves and stand up for the things they say and inspire each other to do better; write more, draw more, make more music, create more and share more. I will be darned if we don’t.

I have seen too much cruelty and negativity bring people down – people who do not deserve to be brought down. I want this to be the place that holds people up, fosters creativity and connects like minds. If you want to be negative or if you feel like saying mean things, then this is not the place for you. And although it’s none of my business, I challenge you to not say anything at all, or if you must write something mean, put it in a place where no one will find it.

We think that mean comments are bad. We hate them! We don’t want you be mean to each other and so the interface of this website was designed specifically with that in mind. My awesome co-founders, Sophia and Molly, and I are so lucky to have this opportunity. Ultimately, HelloGiggles is for all of you who read and contribute to this site. We truly appreciate that you share with us and allow yourselves to be vulnerable. We take this very seriously and we want to protect you, so you can grow up to be big and strong and successful at whatever the heck you want to do, to become the artists you want to become and support others in their endeavors.

We are counting on you, ladies and gentlemen, to help keep the love alive! So like your mothers probably told you, if you don’t have anything nice to say, please, don’t say anything at all.

We adore you all. Thank you for being a part of our world (and yeah, I am quoting The Little Mermaid!)

Okay, I said the word “Internet”, like, 60 times in this post, that’s my cue to sign out.

No, I actually just really don't care who you are. First I'd heard of you was in your post up there. I had to google you myself to find out what the big deal was.

You came to our forum to "Defend your name" from a perceived insult of a member who doesn't even post here anymore. Short of googling your own name, I don't know how you could possibly have found this page, let alone the one post in the one thread referencing you. Most of our members don't have the foggiest idea who you are, I only have a vague idea of who you are, and that's only because I googled you, but if you make it habit of stirring up trouble for sleepy little fan forms over something that you admit is pointless, because as your post so eloquently states "Everyone has a right to individual opinions"

Azrael didn't like you. That's his opinion. You could've just ignored it, but instead you decided to make a membership here, and post in response to him. You opened that door.

Frankly, if this is the way you react to criticism, or at very least, perfectly valid skepticism, then I'm inclined to agree with Azrael.

So, thanks for posting a trio of completely non-relevant messages in our forum; next time you decide to argue with someone who doesn't like you on a fan forum, you might wanna check to see if they actually post on it anymore.

n8twing wrote:LOL. Hilarious. You guys have constructed quite the fanfic about me, where I'm googling my name to start internet message board fights. And TheDecieverGod, your mod post contains completely unnecessary insults. But I guess, as they say, "Haters gonna hate."

This will be my last post, and I'm just going to assume you're all very young by the immaturity displayed here.

Just gonna repost this, from Zooey Deshanel, who just sums up my thoughts. It's a good rule of thumb, and something my mother repeated to me often.

IF YOU DON’T HAVE ANYTHING NICE TO SAY…
by Zooey Deschanel
This is an Internet rant about Internet rants. This is a rant about anonymous, unconstructive, Internet meanness. It’s not because I think everyone should be happy and cheerful all the time. It’s just that I think people should be decent and respectful to each other.

Everyone has a right to individual opinions, but just because you don’t like something does not mean that no one else does. So, unless you have some really thoughtful and constructive criticism, why say anything at all? Or rather, why say it publicly? With the advent of the world wide web was born this conundrum; while the Internet has the fantastic ability to bring people of common interests together, it simultaneously gives people the ability to say all the nasty things they want, completely anonymously.

I have the utmost respect for true critics and writers who devote themselves to analyzing and appreciating art; this is NOT who I am talking about. Often the content of comments sections goes something like this (in Mad Libs form):

SouPerP1mp69: I hate (name of an artist/celebrity not in room)! He/she is (unflattering adjective) and (unflattering adjective) and someone should tell her/him that he/she should stop (verb/name of profession)-ing.

Well SouPerP1mp69, you lost me there! If I didn’t like sushi, would I say, “All sushi restaurants should stop making it for other people because I don’t like it”? No, I would not because that makes NO SENSE. If you don’t like a writer, don’t read their books; if you don’t like an actor, don’t watch their movies and so on and so forth. The people who are making art, successfully or unsuccessfully, have a right to do so and I can guarantee you that none of them are spending time making the things that they make for people who hate them.

So, why would someone go on a message board like a weird little sneak and write a bunch of mean stuff about someone? There are certainly artists that I don’t particularly care for, but do I publicly go and say mean things about them? No, I do not, because they shouldn’t care what I think, because they’re not doing it for me and if I don’t like it, then I am simply not their crowd. If people are supporting their efforts then I deduce that they have an audience of people who enjoy what they do.

It’s wonderful that people have different tastes. The word “opinion”, intrinsically, has no “right or wrong”, only “yours and mine”. People can buy into, surround themselves with and immerse themselves in whatever suits their fancy! So why rain on other peoples’ parades?

This leads me to my real point: what I want for our 1-month-old baby website HelloGiggles.com. I think negativity is the enemy of creativity because it stops people and shames people and that is not what I want for our community. I want this site to be a place where people feel comfortable and safe. I want this to be a place where people encourage each other instead of bringing each other down. And mostly, I want this to be a place where people identify themselves and stand up for the things they say and inspire each other to do better; write more, draw more, make more music, create more and share more. I will be darned if we don’t.

I have seen too much cruelty and negativity bring people down – people who do not deserve to be brought down. I want this to be the place that holds people up, fosters creativity and connects like minds. If you want to be negative or if you feel like saying mean things, then this is not the place for you. And although it’s none of my business, I challenge you to not say anything at all, or if you must write something mean, put it in a place where no one will find it.

We think that mean comments are bad. We hate them! We don’t want you be mean to each other and so the interface of this website was designed specifically with that in mind. My awesome co-founders, Sophia and Molly, and I are so lucky to have this opportunity. Ultimately, HelloGiggles is for all of you who read and contribute to this site. We truly appreciate that you share with us and allow yourselves to be vulnerable. We take this very seriously and we want to protect you, so you can grow up to be big and strong and successful at whatever the heck you want to do, to become the artists you want to become and support others in their endeavors.

We are counting on you, ladies and gentlemen, to help keep the love alive! So like your mothers probably told you, if you don’t have anything nice to say, please, don’t say anything at all.

We adore you all. Thank you for being a part of our world (and yeah, I am quoting The Little Mermaid!)

Okay, I said the word “Internet”, like, 60 times in this post, that’s my cue to sign out.

Is anybody going to say it? Can I say it? Okay, thanks.
Dude, you're a geek and a nerd with way too much time on your hands.

Holy hell, that was the most self-righteous, pretentious post that I've ever read by anybody outside of an Evangelion fan forum. I am once again relieved that I am myself, and not some jerk who flies into e-rage whenever he comes across someone saying naughty things about him during a chance Google search of his own name.