Friday 14 October 2011

Nothing Less Than Savage Bullying



How many times have we been told that two wrongs don’t make a right? Sadly we live in a society where turning the other cheek no longer applies. Instead, vengeance is considered par for the course. Well this waitress learned only to quickly how vengeance can backfire! But so did someone, who has built his reputation on the need for tolerance in society.

Last week Friday, a customer left waitress, Victoria Liss, no tip when he paid his bill. Well correction. He left no monetary tip but he did leave another tip, which he chose to write at the bottom of his bill for the waitress: “P.S. You could stand to loose (sic) a few pounds.


Well, the waitress was determined to get revenge on the customer who had also written his name, Andrew Meyer, on the bill. She decided to post a photo of the bill, with the customers name clearly displayed, on her Facebook page. 

Victoria Liss
The virtual manhunt was soon underway and between her and her friends they tracked down Andrew Meyer and published his photo on Facebook. Unfortunately, Victoria Liss and friends got the wrong man, but only realised it when it was too late and the damage had already been done.

This virtual manhunt even drew the attention of the bigoted Dan Savage, allegedly America’s leading relationship and sexual advice columnist, who is renowned for his bullyboy tactics against anyone who has an opinion that differs from his own. In true Dan Savage bitchy, opinionated style, he launched a scathing attack on the innocent Andrew Meyer on his blog, titled “SLOG”. Here is what he had to say:

I'm sure there's another side to this story—maybe you felt your bartender was rude? rude enough for you to stiff her and attack her for her looks?—but however many sides there are, Andrew, however rude a Capitol Hill bartender can be, I shouldn't have to tell someone who works at freaking Microsoft about social media. Bartenders can toss shit up on Facebook too. It's true! And your receipt is all over Facebook. As is your full name, your photograph, your phone number, the name of your employer, the name of your frat, and more. All shit this bartender's angry friends managed to dig up in a weekend. Now bar owners and bartenders are talking about posting your picture—which they also managed to find—at the doors of their bars and clubs and 86ing you from all of 'em.

I decided that it would be best to include the link to Dan Savage’s post on his blog. I tried to find it again on SLOG but surprise, surprise it’s no longer there. It’s gone! Fortunately, for me, though not for Dan Savage, Adam Martins had inserted it into his column so that I could still quote it verbatim.
Dan Savage

Personally, I wonder what Dan Savage hoped to achieve by jumping onto this story before checking the facts. Especially when it was Dan Savage, who so sarcastically quipped, “I shouldn't have to tell someone who works at freaking Microsoft about social media”. I wonder what Dan Savage thinks about his own advice to Andrew Meyer now?

Dan Savage is an expert on the power of social media, especially since he uses it so effectively to bully various people all of the time. Remember what Dan Savage did to Rick Santorum?

It’s time that people like Dan Savage learn to think twice, before using their extensive media resources in such an irresponsible way. Dan Savage had no justifiable reason whatsoever to launch this scathing attack on Andrew Meyer. The only reason that I can see to make Dan Savage do so was to be a lousy bully.

For a man who has built his reputation on fighting against intolerance, he has repeatedly shown absolutely no tolerance towards anyone with differing views to his own. He is undoubtedly, judging by his own actions, nothing more than a bigoted bully himself.

Next time, Dan Savage, when you cry out to Christians to be understanding and less judgemental, why not first consider your own behaviour. Consider whether you are engaging in behaviour, which is exactly what you claim to be fighting, namely savage bigoted bullying.

1 comment:

  1. On what basis is the guy who left the note on the bill an asshole? We only have the waitresses word for what transpired. Maybe she gave shocking service? Maybe she was rude to him? There are a whole range of possibilities that could have led to his note. Until we know, its not up to us. It certainly doesn't merit Savage drawing further attention to the wrong guy and then, without as much as even an apology, just remove his post off the web as though it didn't happen. Its already out there!

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