Behind the scenes

When I was 18, I went to college and met this obnoxious guy who wouldn’t stop talking, but conveniently rescued me from my overbearing roommate. We were attached at the hip and had a rapport that inspired people to assume we were A. dating and/or B. lifelong friends. They were obviously wrong. But as some small consolation to them, we are now.

I was pretty broken back then, which is saying something considering how broken I still am today. He was always going to conquer the world and was determined to drag everyone along with him. The confidence we lacked in ourselves, he made up for tenfold. 

We’ve had a tumultuous relationship. Sometimes we still do. Before the 2008 election, I would have called myself a pit bull or a, well, not mama grizzly, that’s fucking stupid, but something ferocious and protective. Sure, I’ll probably chew his face off before our lives are over, but until then, I’ll defend him violently to all comers. 

So this week has been hard, as far as these things go. 

Somehow, borne partially of a comment outlining guidelines in basic civility, people have lost their shit. They follow him around the internet lobbing horrible statements at him while he calmly responds and tries to engage them on an intellectual level. Pointless.

What also has come out is that there’s an entire blog dedicated to how he’s the worst human being alive because he doesn’t like Community enough. No, I know. The blog also goes on to viciously and undeservedly attack any number of other television critics for simply doing their jobs. 

I’m trying to figure out if I’m being oversensitive, which is undoubtedly partially the case. After all, I used to be an acolyte of Fire Joe Morgan. Isn’t this blog ostensibly the same thing? Actually, no. It isn’t. FJM had a point of view: it spoke to the accuracy of sabermetrics and the active choice the establishment made to ignore it. Additionally, the people criticism was leveled at on FJM were largely established television personalities, not private citizens (some) working second jobs writing freelance reviews for extra scratch. This new blog is merely focused on how everyone who doesn’t agree with them is wrong and a lesser human being because of it. 

But that’s fine. Some people on the internet don’t like my husband and have dedicated a frightening amount of time to breaking apart his reviews line by line and saying why they find them stupid. What really bothers me about this situation is when the link is sent to Dan Harmon on Twitter and he fucking eggs them on. 

I should be okay with this. I mean, it’s just one embittered, alcoholic, deeply troubled, historically assholish man getting down with his kind. But I’m not okay with it. This man is a fucking deity on the internet, whether anyone likes it or not. He has sway. And his sway has encouraged people to continue denigrating my husband. And I’m not okay with that. I will never be okay with that.

Sure, you’re sad. Sure, you’ve had a bad run. But don’t take that out on someone who’s only ever loved and supported your show, even if that meant leveling difficult, constructive critiques against it. My husband is a big man with an open heart who only wants everyone and everything to be the very best versions of themselves. 

But that’s not me. I’d prefer it if broken, horrid people like you stopped inflicting their own darkness on other people, especially those still good enough to be affected by the spiteful words of dead-eyed, over-praised narcissists who are just running out the clock before drinking themselves to death. 

I’m not the good one. You’ve dealt with him. Now it’s me left. And I’m nowhere near as nice. 

I have been, unsurprisingly, verboten from speaking about this on Twitter or addressing the matter directly with the parties I so wish to throw down with. This post is only being allowed because it means I’m actually writing and being allowed to bitch is evidently a sufficient carrot to overcoming writing paralysis. 

This will probably be deleted before too long. I’m sure I broke some rules in how much I was supposed to say. It’s also worth mentioning that Todd is dealing relatively well with all of this. I’m the one that’s really struggling. Like a dog on too short of a leash, I guess.