I'm Not Minion Material
Sometimes I see people call their followers/fans: minions, tribe, or street teams. Tribe or street team isn't too bad, but minion annoys me. The one I hate the most is when they call their followers 'bitches'.
In what world is that okay? Where I come from we treat the people who love our work or follow us loyally like friends--treasures. They should be esteemed, not relegated to grunts who rise up at the call of their master.
I realize some people use this ploy to be funny but it's always had the opposite effect on me.
Maybe I'm too old. Maybe I lack a funny bone. Well...too old anyway.
It's all perception, I suppose. If I follow an author, blogger, or artist, it's because I'm an aficionado of their work. Don't treat me like a flying monkey.
Remember, flying monkeys can poop on your head.
Has a label ever bugged you--even if it was meant in jest?
In what world is that okay? Where I come from we treat the people who love our work or follow us loyally like friends--treasures. They should be esteemed, not relegated to grunts who rise up at the call of their master.
I realize some people use this ploy to be funny but it's always had the opposite effect on me.
Maybe I'm too old. Maybe I lack a funny bone. Well...too old anyway.
Attribution to Gentle Giant |
It's all perception, I suppose. If I follow an author, blogger, or artist, it's because I'm an aficionado of their work. Don't treat me like a flying monkey.
Remember, flying monkeys can poop on your head.
Has a label ever bugged you--even if it was meant in jest?
Comments
I've unfollowed a couple of blogs and Twitter accounts for calling their followers unsavory names.
I wish people would grow out of that high school mentality. I'm surprised it's lasted as long as it has.
I think it's the members of street teams that are called "minions" or whatever, so I'll just stay clear of those. Not like I have time to be on anyone's street team anyway!
A fan or following has to develop organically. You can help it, but you can't inflate it artificially--not for the long term.
I do call my friends bitches, but it's meant out of humor and love. And my dogs of course, because two of them are bitches, and i love them to death
I've called hubby a few names I can't repeat in public. But it's all said with love. LOL! No, really.
The same with my closest friends. I can say things to them I would never say in a public forum. And I get away with it because I know where all the bodies are buried. ;-)
But I get your general objection. Bitches is always offensive.
Now the bitches one? I honestly didn't know anyone was doing that one -_-
That definitely would make me remove myself from that particular blog. It's rude and derogatory. I think you might be right, it may be a younger generation thing.
And I think it's something people need to consider when they start these things.
But that proves my point about whether something is amusing. Minions are inoffensive in cartoons but not necessarily in real life.
I'd rather see my readers as people with fascinating back stories. The 'funny' stuff I save for intimate friends--as some of them well know. :)
I need more readers.
:O)
Labels have their place, while they may create a generalization. But who had time for specificity?
I should be writing.
But life is like a pendulum. What seems cool and edgy in one decade comes off looking foolish and faddish in the next.
I have always disliked labels in all aspects of my life. I don't mind 'peeps' or what not, but anything derogatory and I'm outta here.
It's a good thing we were young and unflappable back then. If it happened today I'd probably be a nervous wreck.
It all ended well though. They caught the real bank robbers and they let us go to tell this story.
We will definitely have to go back to Canada someday. If only for another wild story.
I've never seen this movie with the yellow cartoon characters. Maybe my perception would change if I had.
But I do know a few bloggers who refer to their followers as nasty-names-inserted-her. I've unfollowed them because I'm too old to be treated with anything less than common courtesy.
I'm not here to lead, only to share and relate.
But I'm game. Canada is on my bucket list--when it warm up again.
I call my followers awesome, and I'm attempting to make them some swag whenever we meet in person.
And you're right. Followers are awesome. They could go anywhere, but they chose to visit you. That makes them aces in my book.
I usually call them friends. As for bitches or minions
I've never used the terms. Sounds distasteful.
I dislike the b word. In fact I stopped following a couple people because of it. I don't know anyone in real life who refers to their friends that way so I'm not sure why it's okay online.
I come from the old school.
Re: b word
It must be a younger generation thing. Not cool, despite what they think.
A bitch is a female dog. Period.
Now,to me the word minion conjures up those little yellow guys from the Despicable Me movies and they crack me up, so when I hear the word I'm likely to start giggling.
Minions will always be the evil flying monkeys to me.