I got several back and forth concern trolls last night when I stated the common sense “Porn is bad.”
You’d think people wouldn’t be shocked by a Christian writer saying that, but this is the end of 2019, and any statement anyone makes now is ZOMG OUTRAGGGGGGE.
What it told me is a bunch of porn addicts are mad at me. When they’re impotent later because of their brain rewiring, maybe then they’ll listen (it’s science!).
But the point is not to rehash the obvious, the point is the concern trolls who told me “It’s a bad move [to speak “controversy”], especially as an author.”
When I get messages like this it’s INVARIABLY another author who’s not being quite as successful as I am who is lashing out at me because they found an excuse to do so, in this case, this fellow’s frustration about porn, but sometimes it’s a dank meme, or getting angry that I’m getting clicks because I stood up for another author who was banned/cancelled.
Whatever the reason, the message to me is “shut up and stay in your lane.” With the concern following trying to coax me that if I don’t shut up, I will lose readers.
It’s a mindless consumerist attitude (or what we call “coomers” these days) to take this stance. Consumerism is not the end all be all, in fact, consumerism is poison. It lulls people into thinking they can gain fulfillment in their lives through minor possessions and knick knacks. I’m a collector-minded person, so I’m not unsympathetic, but that mindset is ultimately breaking our society.
The end goal is not for people to spend $5 on whatever my next book is and I’ll just be silent, never put anything in my books or elsewhere that “offends anyone”. Someone will always be offended regardless of what’s said in 2019. They’ll always try to silence someone’s opinion because the argument on social media gets them a quick dopamine hit — just like their consumer collecting. It’s another false god.
That’s why I consciously don’t play for likes, but will reinforce the messages that are important. For every 1 commentor, there are 100 or 1000 readers. Those who don’t say anything and understand are far more valuable than those who do say something and flip out for the dopamine rush of social media.
The winners break the programming. And as an artist, it’s important to flex my mind, push the boundaries, say what needs to be said, create TRUTH, because the ultimate beauty lies there, not in another mindless consumer product.
If you want the latter, Disney + is there for you. That’s not me.
If you want real art, start with my Nano Templar series. You’ll be surprised at the depth there.
Exactly. That’s why I’ve bought your book Justified, as well as other cruci-fiction titles. I’ve got Disney+ too, but only because I’ve got a year free with Verizon. Once that year is up, Disney+ is gone. Not paying for it.
Agree with everything except “push the boundaries”. The Death Club or Cult has used that phrase for decades, to destroy or ruin the good, true, and beautiful under the whining excuse of artistic license. Time to set boundaries and cast them out.