“Stupidity is the devil. Look in the eye of a chicken and you’ll know. It’s the most horrifying, cannibalistic, and nightmarish creature in this world.” ~Werner Herzog
Many years ago, I was sitting in my car, waiting to make a right turn. A disheveled man on a bicycle came toward me, and I could see in the distance that he was yelling. As he rode past my car, I saw that he was literally foaming at the mouth. “I hate niggers!” he screamed, spitting some foam.
I have never forgotten this incident. The image is embedded in my brain. It’s hard to describe how it made me feel. It shook me to the core. It was an encounter with fierce, virulent stupidity. It was like staring into the eye of a murderous chicken.
Yesterday, I was confronted again by that chicken, and it was horrifying. I thought we all agreed on basic laws of human decency. How could I forget that frothing bigot?
I don’t believe in censorship but I am against “hate speech.” I love a rousing debate or an exchange of ideas, but I’m not a martyr. I don’t mind insults, even nasty ones, but I’m not here to soak up the free-floating rage of the mentally unhinged. Who would ever think that mocking a spoiled rich kid would invoke an avalanche of crazed taunts about my worthlessness as a human being?
This reign of terror was launched on facebook by a self-avowed friend of the Aldridge women. This friend can’t stop firing off comments along the lines of “You have sand in your cunt LOL LOL, come shop at my store any time!” Today, she’s still at it. Karen Aldridge has been firing off her own brand of histrionic garbage.
I admit that these women scare me. I haven’t been exposed to this level of vindictiveness or indecency. It reminds me of prison stories where the inmates are reduced to throwing their own feces to express themselves. It’s not okay. I would like the good citizens of Texas to get back to whatever they were doing, and to let the Aldridge women fight their own war of words with me.
I did say that Jane’s face is fat. However, it does not rate as an attack worthy of the ones I received last night, to the tune of: “I sucked your son’s cock in hell!” and “I’m glad your kid died.”
Stupidity is a funny thing. At one level, it can be amusing. Max loved to watch Sean Hannity on Fox News during the last presidential election. He chuckled each time Hannity pretended to be making a point. Personally, I love the New York Housewives for good basic stupidity.
But the stupidity of these pro-Aldridge people is another matter. It is the devil. And I’m not letting the devil have his say here. I will publish any and all comments that respect my right not to be taunted about my private parts or the loss of my precious child.
That shouldn’t be too hard, right, chickens? For those people complaining that it used to be more fun here, I can only say, No shit, Sherlock. But we’ll still have fun again. I will, anyway.
The level of vitriol was shocking, to say the least. I am so sorry that you have to deal with such insanity, daily.
Things will be back to normal, Conspicuous consumption of the ridiculous will be mocked, and the haters will tire of not winning.
I love you. I won’t mess it up with more words.
Right on Sister Wolf.
Goddammit, I’m Mad! Honestly, the level of poison being spouted yesterday left me feeling sick. I understand being angry and being defensive, hell, I’m usually angry all the time, but yesterday’s comments were just made of evil. They served no point, and I was just so angry that people thought it was okay, and funny to say the shit they said. You stay strong, there are still those of us who believe in you and your right to express yourself how you want to, and also your right to be treated with human decency. I’m disgusted with the kind of parasites that came out yesterday, and I do hope they go away soon.
Stay strong, I wish there was something I could say to maybe make you forget the pure shit that was spouted yesterday. *eHugs* That’s the best I can do.
<3
Jazmin
I was stunned, i have not lead a protected life, but i couldn’t believe the things that were being said.
Take care of your self Sister Wolf.
XXX.
On reading back I actually think that not publishing their comments is the only way to go. It just sucks that you will still have see them. Im so sorry for you that this is happening, I cant imagine anything could be worse than loosing a child.
“Psychopathy is a personality disorder characterized by an abnormal lack of empathy combined with strongly amoral conduct, masked by an ability to appear outwardly normal.”
Maybe it helps to remember they actually ARE mental cases?
Good for you!! I actually had to stop reading those comments they were so painful and they weren’t even directed at me – I am so sorry you had to go through this.
SW – What was said to you yesterday (continuing into today) was horrifying and disgusting. I’m not sure if it helps knowing that it was coming from people who are obviously unstable; I was frightened by these individuals myself. I am so sorry that you have to deal with them. It may not mean much, coming from complete strangers, but please know that we’re all here, standing behind you (I’ll bring my Boom Stick, if necessary).
reminds me of that scene in Cold Mountain when renee zelwegger’s character breaks the feared chicken’s neck, easy as pie.
that scene is renee zelwegger’s entire career, in my opinion.
fuck ’em man. fuck the lot of ’em.
I’m hardly ever shocked. What I read yesterday was shocking.
I hope that the Aldridge cabal woke up this morning, examined their actions in the cold, harsh light of day and felt deeply ashamed of themselves. I hope that’s what they did…but I doubt it. They’re probably hoping to be rewarded Texas-style for their loyalty. Maybe they’ll receive an invitation to lunch. Maybe their store will get a positive mention on a blog. Meanwhile, they’ve compromised their humanity and behaved like a pack of deranged animals high on blood.
And what was the reason for their attack? I guess they wanted to let it be known that they would let nothing or no one come between a Dallas gal and her love of shoes.
The saddest part of all is that people like that actually exist.
I am confused, I went to the facebook site you linked in your blog and it must be a mistake because Dolly Python has no mention of you on her page. You mentioned she had launched a “reign of terror on facebook” is there perhaps another site you are talking about and if so can you give the link?
Secondly as a psychiatric Nurse, I wonder was the disheveled man who yelled racist obscenities mentally ill. I have looked after so many schizophrenics who have persecutory fantasies about other races or religions who have disinhibited behavior who go around yelling about different races or religions.
Fiona – She deleted it. I was alerted by a reader, yesterday. And of course the man was mentally ill, as is the Dolly Python person and her posse.
Greg – Why did god make them? Or maybe the question is, why did god let somebody mess them up so badly?
I am horrified by those comments you received.
Those people lack boundaries. You’ve never said anything even a fraction as horrible about SOS as those ‘tards yesterday spewed at you. They should be ashamed of themselves for saying such evil things. As I mentioned yesterday, Sea and Mom can stand up for themselves. Those fools with their hateful insults are wasting their energy getting mad and thinking up vindictive garbage. Why don’t they just NOT COME HERE if they don’t like it so much?
I’m behind you SW!!
Jesus Christ, those people. Maybe if they took their heads out of their asses and saw the daylight for once, they would get over themselves and learn what satire is.
What I find laughingly stupid is the fact that these Shoes people pretend to be above it all, and subsequently, “classy”, because they don’t engage SIster Wolf. Yet, they don’t even have the tact and decency to restrain their moronic, mindless followers who spout base vitriol like “I sucked your son’s cock in hell!” and “I’m glad your kid died.” That they engage in this themselves just proves that these people are not very good people at all.
I bleed sarcasm, and I’m crazy, and have very dark sense of humor, but those comments from yesterday don’t make me laugh. They fill me with a deep disappointment that this kind of inhuman behavior still thrives amongst the allegedly “cultured”.
Seriously? Mom of Shoes and Sea of Shoes fucking put themselves on display for the entire Internet to see. Not everyone is going to be an admirer of their “curating”, so they should grow a fucking pair, and learn to be civil if they can’t muster the brain power to formulate an intelligent and witty comebacks. Otherwise, you are free to leave the Internet anytime you want.
I can’t believe we are actually having this discussion. My heart goes out to you Sister Wolf. Keep doing what you’re doing, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise!
I take back what I said yesterday about moderation and comment-editing. These people seem to have lost it COMPLETELY- I don’t give a shit about what they spend or sell, it’s their money and I’m sure the economy needs a boost -but calling your son names because (as far as I can tell) you and other commenters criticised someone’s cockroach necklace? Have they so little perspective, and such thin skins? Or are they too cowardly to fight their own battles? (which, by the way, can be done with civility and decency if they so choose, which they seem not to have done- and that is understating it).
PS: Please don’t be afraid, Sister. Trolls shouldn’t scare you or make you doubt yourself, and especially not these piddly specimens. I don’t intend to say that your worries are trivial, but these creatures are really not worth it.
Ah, the 2012 election is on its way!! I MUST get that satellite dish because Fox is not included in my cable package and the election experience won’t be the same without it.
Speaking of private parts, I just fell in love a little. They don’t make girls like this one in Texas:
Whoa, I didn’t see all those hundreds of comments the other day. As I said, I think people who troll internet forums and blog comment sections are psychologically disturbed as best told in this New York Times story, which I recommend to everyone who has to deal with such issues: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/03/magazine/03trolls-t.html
Giving them any kind of attention encourages such people. I think it’s a great idea to moderate comments, delete trollish ones, and ban IP addresses. Don’t waste any time on mentally ill predators.
I don’t like that you’re censoring comments but I also don’t like when crazy people go on the computer and write such hateful comments. I’m surprised you let it get so far SW and I wish you the best.
Now how about that Alec Baldwin rant you’ve been promising? Time to get back to railing on the celebrities we see on TV!
It’s usually pretty amusing when people, in expressing their anger at someone’s “hateful” views, end up spouting crap that is much more hateful, harmful and downright inhumane than whatever they were originally protesting. THIS, however, was just revolting. Poking fun at someone (who, frankly, is asking to be poked fun at) on your own personal blog is one thing. Taking the trouble to find someone’s blog, determine their most sensitive point and then spew up a whole load of hateful bile, knowing it will really tear open unhealed wounds, is totally another. And all to defend a spoilt rich kid who can’t laugh at herself.
For all your resilience, Sister, you have a right to feel disgusted. I know I do, and none of it was directed at me.
I, too, was rather appalled at the the whole frenzy. What was most disturbing was not the words they used – really, only nasty children use that kind of language and still think they’re being witty – but their dangerous lack of perspective.
J. Aldridge, Dolly Python, et al. have certainly shown beyond all doubt that money cannot buy class.
I’m horrified beyond measure.
And like everyone else will be going exactly nowhere, and will still be here when the fun kicks off again.
xx
Elaine – So: You don’t like me to censor comments but you’re surprised I let it go so far? I don’t see how I can win with you! But I let it go on in the mistaken belief that I am fair game to mock and/or criticize, since I do so much of it myself.
I was so astounded by the barrage of abuse that I didn’t know how to handle it without giving up on free discourse. In the end, I decided that abuse is not discourse.
I’ll get to Alec Baldwin, don’t worry.
CCS – AMEN.
Thank goodness you’ve put a stop to it. I completely applaud you thinking that good would triumph but the abuse was so vile and so disgusting. I actually retract any sense of common decency I might have held towards the Aldridges on the basis of good manners. The fact they did nothing to put a stop to it or extend any empathy – it gave Jane the opportunity to state she’d suffered the same, hence her decision to remove comments? Who knows anything would have made for a break through in human decency.
And I don’t think for one minute that they didn’t know.
Good for you for protecting your being. Abuse most certainly isn’t discourse. And whilst Fiona may have a point, my sister is a schizophrenic and although she has had many episodes of severe psychotic paranoia over a 20 year period, she has never uttered racist abuse whether on colour or creed. That I’m afraid is a product of ignorance or learnt behaviour. Also she has never uttered vile words or specific accusations in relation to a person – again that is nothing to do with mental illness. They are just down right evil and nasty.
I’m so glad you’ve put a stop to it and yes please ref Alex Baldwin can’t wait! We had to put up with his brother on UK tv and he was really odd.
This is truly ridiculous! What are these idiots thinking?Are we adults or bitchy tweens?Sea and mum have absolutely NO grasp on reality. That IS A FACT!!!!!! Anybody that reads their blogs knows that these 2 women are not living the lives of normal people. Curating?winning?shit on ebay, parading around in other peoples offcasts and claiming them to be pieces of art????Pieces of crap is more like it. The “piece” for me was of course the cockroach. What a big load of bullshit! Get real ladies,if you didn’t have 2 cents to rub together and had to work for all this crap you are curating then you may have some form of grasp on reality. Sister you should just laugh all this crap off. What you are going through is REAL,it hurts and it’s fucked but at least when your life comes to a close you will know that you felt and loved and hurt and it was all worth it. These knuckleheads will have storage sheds full of replica insect jewels and ugly clothes that nobody wants to win from ebay.
the stuff that was coming out yesterday was just shocking. I guess this is the worst of the internet’s many gifts – giving ppl an outlet to indulge in the vile and the violent under the cloak of anonymity.
there is just no use in trying to engage with this kind of violent stupidity. As a muslim, who wears hijab, I have dealt with plenty of it, both IRL and online. At the bottom end of the scale, there are the dumbnuts who manage to grunt a barrage of crude insults – they are easily brushed off. But the scarier ones are those who can strung together a few sentences, assume a disguise of reason and rationality, and underneath it all is the most crazed, violent evil ever.
anyway – they’re just not worth it. It was unpleasant to see their total hijacking of this site in the past couple of days, but I know you have the balls to rise above them SW.
‘Murderous chickens’ – ha! I won’t get that image out of my mind.
gah, “string” not strung!
You are full of win with me SW =)
My last comment wasn’t to call you out on censoring. The trolls kept coming back and the comments got unbelievably dirty. There were one too many that called you a horrible mother and for me, I would have started deleting them after the first one. I understand that you didn’t know how to handle such a sudden freak storm.
I’ll admit I DO miss reading some of the more moronic comments. That and the replies they generated from your readers.
i just read through those comments, and i am utterly speechless, and completely horrified. miggs probably said it best, it’s the lack of perspective which is so disturbing.
And since I’m still here and I just remembered I had a similar experience with a foaming racist.
I live in Canada and the First Nations people have a long history of abuse from the “white people” I was on the bus and the first thing I see when I get on is a Native women, keeling over because she was drunk and firing off a slew of hate speech at two Asian girls. “You fucking Chinese. You think you’re all that. You fucking ruined this country.” My parents are Chinese immigrants and the first reaction I had was to knock this woman out flat but instead I sat in my seat clenching my fists and wondering why is this happening.The bus driver, who was also Asian, didn’t tell her to get the hell off the bus. Though several people told her to stop talking, she kept attacking the two girls (I’m pretty sure they were international students) who were at the edge of their seats in fear trying to pretend there wasn’t a woman in their faces.
That woman, even if she was drunk, makes me sick to my stomach. A guy got up and yelled at her the things I wanted to say: that she was the reason there’s a stereotype of Native people being dirty lazy drunks and that she was a disgrace to all my friends who are First Nation. Multiculturalism is a joke when there’s minorities ripping apart minorities.
I love you, and I’m sorry. xo
why are we so cruel. i am so sad for you SW, i am sad for python, ‘for she knows not what she does’. i am sad for humanity. can we not be kind. empathetic. sympathetic. save our hatred for governments and businesses that defraud us. save our hatred for those that are cruel, to fellow human beings and to animals. why that hate? fuck, i can’t bear it any more.
CCS is so right. These people are simply trash with cash. I think they just like the attention of being featured on your blog since no one reads theirs.
To even think of mocking the loss of a child is so sick and twisted, they can’t be right in the head. That just isn’t normal behaviour.
I love your blog, and I think Sea and her idiotic mother are simply jealous of all your loyal followers, and the fact that you have the intelligence to write about something other than footwear.
i missed everything (can’t say i’m sad), but nothing will keep me from enjoying the company of my pack.
we got your back. you do this in good fun, they are resorting to low blows.
Sister, no one should have to put up with comments like the ones you received. I can’t imagine that anyone thinks it’s OK to say that shit, even under the guise of anonymity. I felt sick reading it.
hey I heard on the internet grapevine that the Aldridge’s are going to sue your ass for defamation and they have the money to do it!!!! Fuck you are screwed, I knew your big mouth would fuck you over in the end
I am so glad you’re censoring comments. They don’t deserve to use your blog as a forum for their hatefulness. I think we all can trust that you’ll publish some innocent nuggets of ignorant hilarity for everyone’s enjoyment but honestly, it’s your blog and you can do whatever you want.
I screen all of my comments. For one, the spam filters don’t always work and I’m not allowing myself to be used. Also, I too have been insulted and I refuse to put that nastiness up. You wouldn’t let some creepy salesman or that man on the bike spewing hate into your home. You don’t have to let them on here either.
So sorry you have to read that crap in the first place. It is scary!
Frankly, I think Herzog was grossly unfair to the chicken (this is no time to start a rant about factory farming, so I’ll leave it for another occasion) and deranged animals on blood are not even close to the level of insanity displayed here in the last few days. I find the repeated invitations to visit Dolly Python store interjected into the abuse especially disturbing – she comes across as completely unhinged.
This is all getting so ridiculous it makes me cringe.
Sea you are a rich, spoilt brat and it’s your fault (and maybe your mum’s) for putting it all on show to see.
SW I used to applaud you for saying the things no one wanted to say and writing about it so well. But even you are getting a bit carried away.
And both Sea’s/SW’s supporters and haters are making me uncomfortable.
Shame what the internet has become. I hope everyone stops or continues until they rip each others’ heads out.
Maybe I’m a sycophant, but I have to say, only you could write such a level-headed, eloquent response to the events of the last few days. That’s why I’ll always read your blog. That, and CUNT of the WEEK, and your Refinery Contest entries.
Love,
Marky
At first Gretch/Dolly seemed like a normal shopkeeper pissed off at someone mocking their wares, then she seemed to get into the spirit of things (at which point I momentarily warmed to her), then she went completely fucking psycho.
The Aldridges buy expensive clothes, invite designers to create their living spaces, attempt to cultivate quirks and creativity, and affect this veneer of bourgeois ease and sophistication. This whole ugly episode proves that they are complete and utter trash.
Please print that disgusting comment that Judy Aldridge left months ago about Anna Wintour and her period. I think she was trying to ingratiate herself to you at that time. But even then, the comment was so really off- it was disgusting, bitchy and vindictive. I’d love if somehow that comment found its way to the attention of the woman who put her and her daughter in Vogue and sent the whole family off to the Crillion Ball.
I’ve got your back Sister Wolf.
Off with their heads!
<3,
The Black Queen
woopsy on typos- i’m retarded
I live in Dallas and know people that know Sea. Her mom is an insufferable cunt in real life, too. Jane is really just a puppet that doesn’t really have a single independent thought. Their life, despite the fact that they have far more money than I could ever dream of, saddens me. I’m so sorry you have to go through all this Sister. I love reading your blog and hope that the insanity calms down.
You have been doing the same thing to the Aldridges for over a year and are trying to call it satire? Pshhhhh. YOU’RE INSANE. AND YOU NEED HELP.
Gretchen’s gonna redirect your blog to her Dolly Python page, where she welcomes you ALL to come and have your say, free of censorship.