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Floyd Mayweather vs. Emma Watson: the many uses of popularity
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Hi Die,Thank you for sharing how you felt after reading this sexist statement by someone prominent.
I,too,like you have known Mayweather since his fight with McGregor.The fact that he even said something like this,only reflects upon his views of the entire female faction as no more than objects of appeal.
It's shocking that even when we are walking into the mid 21st century,such mysoginistic attitude is dormant in a place from where most of the influences are borne.
It surprises me,how he could even state such a thing,knowing that there'd be young boys who would idiolise him and since we like becoming like the people we admire,it won't do any good to those young boys.As they grow up,they might take things as casually as their idol and years of stepping forward would only seem like a tread mill stuck in time.
While I despise such important people who defy the power of any and every of their resources to do good,I am truly inspired by how Emma Watson uses her powers for the goodwill and welfare of the people.
I truly admire her,because she has always had the correct balance of power and it's ability to turn masses of people towards equality and world peace.
It goes without saying that,because most of the people have grown in ages with her,she is an inspiration to billion little girls and boys,millions of elderly people and many many celebrities of her own league.
This is exactly what the world thought leaders look like.And I would never be ashamed of the fact that I wish to be like Emma Watson,even though I completely despise the split personality celebrity world.
Only if we had more people like her,Trump wouldn't have been president.But Alas!there are miles to go before change and miles to go before change.
Thanks again for bringing this up for discussion.
:)
Well, Mayweather isnt really a guy anyone would admire considering his long history with domestic violence. But that goes without saying. As to his comments?
Very worded in poor taste but he isnt wrong about stuff like strip clubs not going away. There will always be a demand for men and women to view erotic dancers because not every human agrees or sees things on the same spectrum. So as long as the men and women involved have a choice of profession i have no problem with people viewing them. The reality is sex sells in many capacities.
But do not confuse this with condoning sex trafficking or unhealthy prostitutional practices. Those are entirely separate cases from what im talking about.
While i dont necessarily agree with everything in this article (Rhonda has every right to defend herself verbally if someone attacks her credibility) it does point out that Mayweather is not that well educated and grew up in a home where his mother struggled with drug addiction.
https://www.sbnation.com/2015/9/4/921...
So unfortunately for Mayweather his upbringing has a lot to do with how his life took shape to begin with. The same cannot be said for Emma though, and as great as she is their upbringings were massively different. So while Emma is a great role model i dont think using Mayweather as the counterpoint is entirely fair given the circumstances. The two could not be more different in terms of how they were raised.
It is simple: no matter how rich or famous they are, there are people who want to make a world a better place, and the others are busy exploiting the flawed nature of humankind for their personal interest. The celebs you compare have chosen different paths, and I don't need to explain to you who took the first and who took the second.
Ashna wrote: "Hi Die,Thank you for sharing how you felt after reading this sexist statement by someone prominent.
I,too,like you have known Mayweather since his fight with McGregor.The fact that he even said ..."
Hi there Ashna:
"...how he could even state such a thing, knowing that there'd be young boys who would idiolise him and since we like becoming like the people we admire,it won't do any good to those young boys.As they grow up,they might take things as casually as their idol and years of stepping forward would only seem like a tread mill stuck in time".
You conveyed the idea in discussion way better than me. I was quite surprised when I read his statement. Really, what year is this?
There´s still so much to do in too many different fields, and it never ceases to surprise me that there´re still some people who waste the opportunity to use the range of their voices for good purposes.
Take good care of yourself and your beloved ones.
James wrote: "Well, Mayweather isnt really a guy anyone would admire considering his long history with domestic violence. But that goes without saying. As to his comments?
Very worded in poor taste but he is..."
James:
I do agree with your statement regarding the fact that he isn´t really someone anyone would admire, but I think that the following he has is outstandingly big. Just take a look at all the fuss and attention this single fight generated in the media. Right now he has a level of popularity that just a handful of people have.
That´s exactly the point I´ve been aiming to: his popularity and the influence he has on the thousands of persons who follow him.
Indeed, sex does sell greatly, and I´m not trying to condemn an activity that has been around for a very long while, but one should not make mistake about it: acknowledging the fact that this activity in particular refers to a whole way of doing business gives someone the right to express in the terms Mayweather did?
I highly doubt it.
Finally, and regarding their upbringing: even if he allegedly had a harsh upbringing when he was a kid, does that justify in some way his actual behaviour? There are countless examples of people who went through similar upbringings and still have shown something he clearly lacks: empathy, tactfulness.
That´s why I briefly alluded to the wide variety of circumstances that can propel someone to obtain celebrity status. It´s clear there´s not much sense comparing Floyd and Emma (they are oil and water actually), but they both have something in common: their popularity, regardless of how they obtained it.
Emma wrote: "Mayweather's gross statements are horrible but they do reflect how our society works today...Still it is making me shudder every time I read that awful sentence."Hello Emma:
Indeed, they were disgusting. They are both a reflection of the actual state of society and of how much there is still to do.
Robin wrote: "It is simple: no matter how rich or famous they are, there are people who want to make a world a better place, and the others are busy exploiting the flawed nature of humankind for their personal i..."Hi Robin, how are you?
Yes, it´s such a pity though. I just learned he even has 2 daughters.
Die A. wrote: "acknowledging the fact that this activity in particular refers to a whole way of doing business gives someone the right to express in the terms Mayweather did? "Does he have the right to express his thoughts? Yes. I will always advocate for freedom of speech no matter if i agree with what is being said by whomever. There are those who want EW to shut up about feminism but i will always argue vehemently her right to say what she feels right or wrong. While i might find Mayweather's comments stupid and ignorant he still has a right to say what he wants.
I know your point is about how it affects his followers but my biggest advice in the regard is while its ok to admire and be inspired by someone of celebrity status be careful not to deify them to the point of believing everything they say or do is the right thing to do. After all, they are humans and just as fallible as we are.
"Finally, and regarding their upbringing: even if he allegedly had a harsh upbringing when he was a kid, does that justify in some way his actual behaviour? There are countless examples of people who went through similar upbringings and still have shown something he clearly lacks: empathy, tactfulness."
Its not about justifying his behavior, only providing an understanding as to why he thinks like he does. You stated at the end of your comment here about empathy. I see that word get thrown around a lot in this book club but at times see members show very little of it when it comes to people they dislike or disagree with.
Im not normally one to try and defend a guy like Mayweather but maybe, just maybe this book club is rubbing off on me in some way. We have discussions about mental illness, education, and upbringing in other discussions. Here you have a guy who had a troubled upbringing, has a very poor education, and more than likely has some sort of mental illness considering that boxing deals with blows to the head.
No, im not trying to justify Mayweather's behavior. But maybe im trying to show that he became who he is because of some other factors compared to a guy say like? Donald Trump. I cant say how many people actually idolize Mayweather to the point where they want to actually live their lives the way he has. I have yet to meet anyone online or otherwise that think that Floyd Mayweather is a great role model for anyone.
To be honest, when it comes to children i think their best role models should be their parents. Not some person on tv, movies, music, etc.
But, thats just my opinion. :)
James, I'm with you buddy.It's super easy to be judgmental against an "other" but the ideal of feminism is to embrace everyone one as an equal, and that includes empathy and sympathy to people you would initially greatly dislike or disagree with.
Mayweather isn't a good role model. He's very flawed as a person, and frankly not the most educated or humble, and kind of just an ass.
And it's super easy to judge him against your moral bar. "He ought to use his fame for x, y, z. Support this and that, help who and what."
But I can understand his background would not incline him to be the most politically correct or kind or feminist ally. I accept the flaws, ignore the bad, and still can even be extremely impressed as a flawless 50-0 bower, even at 40!
I can even acknowledge his correctness in "Ass, titties, pussy, liquor and music will never go out of style". It's not a pretty way of saying it, but he's 100% right. Basic human desires/sins are a great investment strategy and yeah there's always going to be a premium on looks.
What I think is, whereas lots of Goodreads posters are really willing to look at the worst in people we deem "other", I'm very capability to use empathy to understand the "other's" perspective and if not excuse their behavior, understand it.
Obviously, I don't agree with Mayweather's attitude towards women, but neither am I so bothered that I can't see what he got right, or to an extreme of hating the man.
anyway, peace, love, positivity ya'll.
James wrote: "Die A. wrote: "acknowledging the fact that this activity in particular refers to a whole way of doing business gives someone the right to express in the terms Mayweather did? "Does he have the ri..."
I never said he doesn´t have the right to express himself. He totally does. What I specifically condemn is the use he´s making of that right, which I feel anyone in here agrees is a bad one.
Even if everybody is entitled to their own opinions and the ways they eventually choose to manifest them, that shouldn´t make someone feel entitled to belittle others openly (in this case, the female gender in general). But then again, I think it´s quite clear that, whenever there´s a particular right, there´s always a good chance someone will make an abusive and unjustified use out of it.
Nevertheless, there´s something about your comment that got my attention, and it´s about the "empathy" factor I mentioned. I honestly can´t tell if that particular comment was deliberately aimed at something I said, but anyway, seeing things from the perspective in discussion, I guess there really isn´t any need to bring that up. I don´t know if it´s just that I´m not seeing it the way you are exposing it yet, but then again, I haven´t been able to understand it.
I can understand that this particular personality may have had a difficult upbringing in general terms and has a poor education. Both circumstances are pitiful, but still, nowadays we can see different efforts aimed towards a change for that specific kind of mentality (this book club being one example). When someone as popular as him comes out with such a statement, that someone is doing nothing whatsoever to establish a tangible change.
Now in 2017 there´s a lot of information around regarding this matter, and lots of ways to get access to it also.
So, from my humble opinion, there´s no excuse. After all, it doesn´t take a college degree to tell this particular statement was, indeed, a hideous one.
Keith wrote: "Whilst I understand the gist of the thread, I like, James am not sure you are being altogether fair to Mayweather. Further, although I hate to say this, I’m not sure you’re being that fair to Emma ..."In a similar sense, like I said before, all we have gotten from Emma during these years is just a pinpoint of her life, a projected image. We all have flaws and virtues, but given the fact that they both have a massive following in their respective fields, I guess one can agree that it would be better for our generation (and the ones that are coming) to have someone that popular to be aware of the reach that his/her influence as a public person could have in the end on people in some degree or another.
Like James said in the final part of his 2nd post, in an ideal world, parents should be the main role models in the life of anyone; unfortunately, it´s common to see that´s not always the best.
In my particular case though, I´m fortunate enough to say both of my parents have been wonderful role models to me, but that doesn´t deprive me necessarily of looking up to others for different reasons: Johnny Marr, Julio Cortázar, Terry Fox, Joni Mitchell, Emiliana Torrini, Lhasa De Sela, Isabel Allende, Leonardo Chacón, Kara Goucher, Gustavo Cerati, Pablo Aimar, and many others.
To summarize it all: to be responsible, prudent, conscious.
I agree with Keith and Winston although they probably explained things far better than i did. LolNever the less, i hope you did not take offense Die A. as i was not trying to condemn you or anything with your topic. Only trying to bring another perspective in that maybe you had not considered. As i kind of stated before, had you posted that question back when this book club first started i probably would not have hesitated to agree with you on all accounts. But having spent time reading and conversing with people on here i have tried to not look at everything with a specific lense and open myself up to other viewpoints of any given subject matter.
a Slytherin will never be a Gryffindorthe Harry Potter series are just movies that tend to remind us of what good is
Mayweather considers good what he is doing and doesn't know why people are beeing mad
I'm really disappointed that his domestic abuse has been glossed over by just about everyone in this thread. I suggest you guys (yes emphasis here, no I'm not being sexist) look up these offenses. His fame affects more than you think, one of his sentences was postponed so that he serve time in jail AFTER a fight. His fame influenced a judge to think he isn't THAT dangerous even tho the man is famous for beating people... and what does the postponed (and short) jail sentence show for a woman's worth... it's the same reason why r Kelly is still selling albums and selling out venues. Same reason trump was elected. Why football players are known murderers and wife beaters yet Colin Kaepernick was the one whose jerseys people burned and was left without a job this year. People do such mental gymnastics to support whoever they want to that they separate the person from the persona or their craft so they can throw money at it all day, therefore silently supporting and funding the abuse yet still sleep at night. Need more names? Woody Allen. Roman Polanski. Bill Cosby. Casey Affleck. Louis CK. Chris brown. There are plenty of talented people who don't beat/rape/molest people that we can pick to support, no matter the entertainment. We shouldn't be rewarding abusers with power money and fame.
In my opinion this threat is to vague. There is no correlation between the two subjects. I would suggest archiving the thread and re-create it using a more general themeSuch has "fame and the uses it can be put too" thereby letting the discussion provide the examples.
Laura wrote: "I'm really disappointed that his domestic abuse has been glossed over by just about everyone in this thread. I suggest you guys (yes emphasis here, no I'm not being sexist) look up these offenses. ..."Hey Laura and Die A,
I'm not here defending Mayweather's actions. But I am defending the fact that he can say/do what he will, and that as famous as he is, as much responsibility he has as a role model; there is a difference between what he should do and what he can do. He, based on upbringing, based on his attitude, based on his demeanor, is not going to take the moral high ground.
I have some empathy to his difficulties and do not expect him to have to adjust to my moral bar.
Does that mean he's my role model on the issues? No. Mayweather is not someone I form my opinions on, even as I can acknowledge what he has right [there is a long term value in women's bodies, alcohol and music. He's an extremely, extremely talented boxer.]
Furthermore, as Laura expanded on, as a society we ought to be better at judging/picking our collective celebrities.
But I hesitate to again limit this collective understanding to just men. Chris Brown and R Kelly have rapid female fans bases too that are just as blind to their abuses.
How we chose our celebrities is an unclear and frankly, impossible field to manage, subject to the whims of collective conscious. While I'm trying to make better decisions [also, I'm not much a celeb gossip anyway] it's a bit of a leaf in a hurricane to judge who's on the cover of US weekly or whatever.
Essentially, boils down to, you get to make choices on how much this affects you and how you carry it into the world. You don't really have an ability to judge or change a celebrity.
Laura wrote: "I'm really disappointed that his domestic abuse has been glossed over by just about everyone in this thread."Dont be disappointed, we didnt gloss over anything in fact we all stated pretty plainly that he isnt a role model and a good character person. We only pointed out that there is a cause and effect with some people on how they were raised. Here are some examples in case you missed it,
Me:
“Well, Mayweather isnt really a guy anyone would admire considering his long history with domestic violence. “
Me:
“Its not about justifying his behavior, only providing an understanding as to why he thinks like he does.”
Keith:
“Again, like James, I will never condone his actions and, truth be told, I find it difficult to have any empathy with him at all. “
Winston:
“Mayweather isn't a good role model. He's very flawed as a person, and frankly not the most educated or humble, and kind of just an ass.”
"Why football players are known murderers and wife beaters yet Colin Kaepernick was the one whose jerseys people burned and was left without a job this year. "
This is not entirely true, im a big football fan and pay a lot of attention to the sport itself and i can say without a doubt that CK doesnt have a job because he simply is not a great QB. The fact that he created a distraction with his protesting only added another reason why teams will shy away from him. No teams want to deal with the distraction it brings. If he was a better player than he would of been able to overcome the distraction.
But the NFL has been coming down harder on players since the Ray Rice fiasco a couple of years back. RB Elliot for the Cowboys is currently going to serve a 6 game suspension (although he is challenging it) for allegedly assaulting a girl. The courts actually found him not guilty due lack of evidence but the league itself has decided that he is guilty and suspended him anyway.
"therefore silently supporting and funding the abuse yet still sleep at night. Need more names? Woody Allen. Roman Polanski. Bill Cosby. Casey Affleck. Louis CK. Chris brown. "
Oh yea, good ol' Polanski.
Hey did you know that one of Polanski's good friends is a director named Darren Aronofsky? Didnt he direct "Noah"?
Check out this wonderful list of directors and celebrities who support guys like Polanski. It really is quite amazing.
http://jezebel.com/5370356/letters-fr...
I actually agree with you when it comes to fandom supporting individuals such as you listed and making them millionaires and glorifying them but if you look deeper (see article above) a lot of these same people are protected by people in their own industries. They not only protect and defend them but they dont even call them out when they commit crimes. In fact, they are the ones who actually gloss over this stuff.
Laura wrote: "I'm really disappointed that his domestic abuse has been glossed over by just about everyone in this thread. I suggest you guys (yes emphasis here, no I'm not being sexist) look up these offenses. ..."Well said. I don't think we should let anyone get away with this type of abuse and continue to treat them as celebrities
James wrote: "This is not entirely true, im a big football fan and pay a lot of attention to the sport itself and i can say without a doubt that CK doesnt have a job because he simply is not a great QB. The fact that he created a distraction with his protesting only added another reason why teams will shy away from him. No teams want to deal with the distraction it brings. If he was a better player than he would of been able to overcome the distraction. "I think my issue with Kapernick isn't that he isn't playing but that the owners don't acknowledge the hatred against him that stems from the racial disconnect, and much like the concussion issues, brush them aside as opposed to being part of the solution. It also discourages other acts of solidarity. Though I will agree CK isn't that good at being a QB and also he immediately invalidate his opinion when he said he didn't vote even though the millions he's donated is really good. Vote! God damn man! If you want ot make change, literal step one is voting.
Also the Giants kicker, I forgot his name, like definitely some domestic abuse going on there, but they keep him on pay roll anyway. I don't like that.
Anyway, I feel like between the sports focus, Keith, James and I, we're sort of pushed out the dissenters so I'mm just summarize, and then avoid posting much more, but keep reading other opinions.
Mayweather is an asshole, a domestic abuser, and all around not a good role model. But, as I try to do with anyone I know/meet/talk to, I try to separate the person from his actions and even try to learn/appreciate what she does well and in Mayweather's case, he's an incredible boxer, generational legend.
Two other points. Mayweather himself has a very difficult background, so it's understandable how he isn't very woke.
I also don't try to have him work at my moral bar
because he's his own person and how he uses his fame and platform is his right [minus the domestic abuse or any sort of violence/abuse against another]
and while his life/actions don't affect me much, I can see him being a poor role model for other people. But I do not have much of an understanding of how to tangible affect that. We as a society totally need to improve who we make celebrities, but I have no idea how to do that.
Mod
While we have talked about upbringing we haven't really hit on culture. Mayweather is the top player in a hugely machismo sport. A sport that panders and relies on these sorts of remarks and actions. The sport is changing a bit... specifically with women MMA fighters. And Joe Rogan does a great job cutting through some of the crap, but bs and penis contests are always going to be part of fighting.
To all those who find disgust with these comments: good. you're giving them the exact response they want. you're not a fan nor believe in his celebrity: Fantastic! You're helping to create more of the "boys club" by calling it gross and keeping your distance.
Freedom of speech does not mean you can say stuff unchallenged. It just means that no one can force Mayweather not to say these things; he can't be imprisoned or killed or publicly lynched for his opinions, nor should he be.But you can still say thay what he said was wrong, and that he should think more about the thousands of young people, especially boys, that look up to him. You do have a responsibility towards them, to try and affect the way they think of their female classmates.
And it's not the first time a famous man have gotten away with sexual violence, just because he was famous. We have to take a stand here.
James wrote: "I agree with Keith and Winston although they probably explained things far better than i did. LolNever the less, i hope you did not take offense Die A. as i was not trying to condemn you or anyth..."
No James, not at all. That´s why I asked really. I thought you were offended. I totally get what you tried to say now (maybe the fact that english is not my native language tricked me at first).
I also understand what you mean by "(...) having spent time reading and conversing with people on here i have tried to not look at everything with a specific lense and open myself up to other viewpoints of any given subject matter...". It´s about broading our perspective through what we learn from others.
I truly feel that´s one of the foundations of this bookclub.
santerro wrote: "a Slytherin will never be a Gryffindorthe Harry Potter series are just movies that tend to remind us of what good is
Mayweather considers good what he is doing and doesn't know why people are beei..."
Hi there Santerro:
That´s such an interesting way to look at it. Even though I have to confess I´m not the biggest Harry Potter fan around (Emma wouldn´t be proud, I´m afraid), I totally got the reference.
I don´t really know if Mayweather even considers what he says or does. Given the popularity and the wealth he has (let alone his exploits and the attitude he portrays), I think there´s a good chance he´s just another one of those people who speak first and think second (if they ever stop to think about what they say, of course). Again: there are countless examples of this kind of people.
Like the phrase that was printed on a shirt once worn by one of my favorite musicians: "Raw power can destroy a man".
Take care of yourself and your beloved ones, ok? :)
Emma wrote: "Felicia wrote: "Freedom of speech does not mean you can say stuff unchallenged. It just means that no one can force Mayweather not to say these things; he can't be imprisoned or killed or publicly ..."i know an example of people beeing harassed and excluded for what they say and when they leave eveybody want them back.
Die A. wrote: "santerro wrote: "a Slytherin will never be a Gryffindorthe Harry Potter series are just movies that tend to remind us of what good is
Mayweather considers good what he is doing and doesn't know wh..."
it has to have fun sometimes in life
i don't think it's the worst things ever said, he didn't talk about hatred
Keith wrote: "Die A. wrote: "I´m clearly aware that anything we have gotten from her through the media in all these years is just a pinpoint of her life, it definitely ia not the whole picture, you know?"My si..."
Keith:
I´m so glad you mentioned that, really. And I´m so glad you have taken the situation in that way too.
In my case, like I said, I was fortunate enough to have good parents. Nevertheless, I come from a family that doesn´t know what union, loyalty and support mean (from both sides). So, I can say my family is quite large in terms of blood, but very short in affective ones. I never had grandparents, cousins nor uncles.
This is why I tend to have issues trusting anyone. I´m painfully wary of people; it´s not easy for me to give people emotional access to me, and that has affected the way I interact in social situations in general. In trade, I learned from a very early age what unloyalty is capable of doing so, trying to look at it from an objective perspective, I consider myself a very loyal person.
So, I brought this up because it clearly reflects that one is capable of drawing something positive from a bad influence.
So, having said that, I don´t really know what Mayweather represents to people in general. However, what I know is that he has a massive following, thus his words and actions have a wide range. Sure there must be people who hold him in high regard due to his records and things alike, but there´s a good chance there are people who may think the statements he issues every once in a while makes him "cool" or "sly" also. I´ve certainly read comments through the media (Youtube, Instagram and sites alike) of people who, in some way, find such comments amusing or original.
So, in the end, I think it´s a matter of educating people. Now, don´t get me wrong: not that they aren´t, but educate people in order to realize that there really is something wrong about statements like the ones we are discussing here.
Laura wrote: "I'm really disappointed that his domestic abuse has been glossed over by just about everyone in this thread. I suggest you guys (yes emphasis here, no I'm not being sexist) look up these offenses. ..."Laura:
I totally understand your annoyance regarding that particular aspect. In my case, like I´ve been saying in previous posts, I´m not a fan of boxing. I´ve heard Mayweather´s name before certainly, but it wasn´t until now that he truly got my attention.
Truth to be told, I´ve been learning new things about him as this discussion goes on. The aspects you mentioned (specially the one about the alleged sentence that was postponed) are very eye opening. This demonstrates that he, indeed, has an important relevance, one that is not fully aimed at positive things.
I also agree that it´s not necessary to be very explicit or expressive when it comes to support someone: sometimes it just takes a laugh at one of his statements, or investing money in an activity regarding their craft, etc. So, in the end, I think it´s fair to say there are too many people that are part of the problem, and sometimes they don´t even realize it because they seem not to detect it.
That´s why I just said in my previous post that it´s a matter of educating people.
Finally, when you said "We shouldn't be rewarding abusers with power money and fame", I totally agree. Unfortunately, it happens often, and that´s why I decided to start the discussion putting Mayweather in one side and Emma in the other: extremely polarised persons, clearly, but they both are very famous and influential for different reasons.
Ross wrote: "In my opinion this threat is to vague. There is no correlation between the two subjects. I would suggest archiving the thread and re-create it using a more general themeSuch has "fame and the use..."
Hello Ross:
I´m aware of the fact that placing Mayweather and Emma in the same thread is not a very logical thing to do at first glance. But, since both Mayweather and Emma have become symbols (literally) in their respective fields and in their own circumstances, I thought about bringing all this up for discussion. And, so far, I think the discussion has been great.
I do agree that the title wasn´t that good after all but, what the heck? :)
Cheers.
Die A. wrote: "Ross wrote: "In my opinion this threat is to vague. There is no correlation between the two subjects. I would suggest archiving the thread and re-create it using a more general themeSuch has "fam..."
The title can still be amended, if you want to.
I read this topic with interest because I literally know nothing about the boxing sport, and so haven't heard of Mayweather before reading about him here.
After reading the news article Die A. has linked, I am shocked at how people treat him for his apparant struggle to read. Whatever he has done, and I totally agree with everyone here that he should be held accountable for his actions, I think it is outrageous and rude to laugh about his problems to read. We can do better as a society, we really can.
Because as the article says: If you laugh at Mayweather for his reading problems, you also laugh at all the other people who have problems with reading, and that is not acceptable.
MeerderWörter wrote: "Die A. wrote: "Ross wrote: "In my opinion this threat is to vague. There is no correlation between the two subjects. I would suggest archiving the thread and re-create it using a more general theme..."Sadly many who Bully were bullied themselves. No one has a charmed life some people make the best of what they have like Emma and some succumb too the darkness we have to help those that fall and support those that stand for others if we are ever to change this
James wrote: "Laura wrote: "I'm really disappointed that his domestic abuse has been glossed over by just about everyone in this thread."Dont be disappointed, we didnt gloss over anything in fact we all stated..."
"Darren Aronofsky? Didnt he direct "Noah"?"
I keep learning and learning as this discussion goes on. Very eye opening, no doubt about it.
Felicia wrote: "Freedom of speech does not mean you can say stuff unchallenged. It just means that no one can force Mayweather not to say these things; he can't be imprisoned or killed or publicly lynched for his ..."I´m a 100% with you, Felicia.
Cheers from Costa Rica.
MeerderWörter wrote: "Die A. wrote: "Ross wrote: "In my opinion this threat is to vague. There is no correlation between the two subjects. I would suggest archiving the thread and re-create it using a more general theme..."Hello MeerderWörter:
It was James who linked the article, not me. :)
The article shows another manifestation of society´s cruelty. For me it´s a conflictive situation because, in one side, I can understand his unfortunate upbringing, but in the other side I feel he still could be educated in the sense that such statements do nothing at all to help establishing a change in this particular subject: gender equality, humanism.
Just to have some conscience regarding your words and actions, really.
Thank you for coming here and expressing your take on this topic.
Die A. wrote: "MeerderWörter wrote: "Die A. wrote: "Ross wrote: "In my opinion this threat is to vague. There is no correlation between the two subjects. I would suggest archiving the thread and re-create it usin..."Sorry that I confused names here, I confused the links.
I totally agree with your paragraph about understanding his upbringing but then the fact that he should be educated. He is a public figure, his actions do have impact on people.
I think it's an interesting discussion, of course I chime in. It's many more that I would like to comment in, but over the time everything got so big it is difficult to have too many conversations at once.
A few days ago, I was having breakfast before leaving to work. I don´t know if it just happens to me, but I like to read the newspaper while I do it because I find it difficult to find another chance to do so during the day. Anyway...
While I was on it, I noticed a medium sized article that talked about Floyd Mayweather. In no way I am a fan of boxing but, given the circumstances that surrounded the fight he arranged with Connor McGregor yesterday, I think it´s fair to say that, at least in these last few days, his name was not unnoticed for the majority of the people.
I cannot recall the article´s title, but what I do remember is that it was about the opening - purchase of a strip club in Las Vegas. According to this article, Mayweather claimed he decided to venture in this kind of activity due to the fact that he knew that "breasts, vaginas, music and alcohol will never go out of style".
Yes, I know: it truly is a hideous statement. But there´s something in particular about it that infuriated me . I´ll try to explain it the best way I can while keeping it short and sweet:
I´m a firm believer that we all are capable of contributing towards a change in a world that has such a wide range of issues, no matter how small our actions may seem at first glance. Nevertheless, people like Mayweather, who seems to have a notoriously big following, seem to forget that, and they decide to use their popularity just to broaden a sick ego, instead of aiming their efforts in a different, better way.
Now, like I said a while ago, I´m not a fan of his. I ignore if he has donated to some sort of charity or if he has opened or promoted some sort of foundations, but even if he has done so, there´s no possible way one can deny that his comment is filled with a certain misogyny: he´s treating women as merchandise, putting them in the same category as alcohol and goods alike.
So, in the end I was like: "What´s the use? What´s his intention really?"
This all brings me to the other thing I wanted to say in this post.
I first joined this book club because I admire Emma. Truth is that I´ve been familiarized with her face since I was a teenager (since we both are around the same age): I think it was around the 3rd installment of the Harry Potter films that I developed this silly, huge teenage crush on her, but as years went by she ended up being much more than that for me: I can honestly say I look up to her in so many different ways.
If I had to summarize my reasons behind all this, I´d say that it all is precisely because of her attitude towards our reality and her popularity. In my humble opinion, I´d say that anyone can acknowledge the undeniable fact that she has truly made a conscious effort to make this world a better place, to actually make a significant contribution through her popularity.
At this point I feel it would be convenient to clarify something: in no way I´m trying to idolize her or anything alike. I just feel that, when someone reaches the level of exposure she has, sometimes certain people in general tend to place delusional expectations over this persons, expecting them to behave, act or think in a certain way, when in reality they are just regular persons like anyone else; it just happens that the circumstances within their respective lives have taken them to that place. I´m clearly aware that anything we have gotten from her through the media in all these years is just a pinpoint of her life, it definitely ia not the whole picture, you know?
Somehow, she has managed to keep her integrity untouched, and that´s something one cannot help but admire.
I think there´s no need to start naming examples of celebrities who have come before and after her and have wasted (literally) countless and countless of wonderful opportunities to help incline the scale to a better, brighter side of things nowadays. Instead, they have chosen to feed up their egos to stratospheric levels while ignoring what is truly important: to help others who are struggling against the odds almost everyday, to help the world become a better place; some of these persons end up losing perspective and ruining their lives for good.
Anyway, I just felt like saying all this because it´s been on my mind ever since I read the aforementioned article. My apologies in advance if the ideas I tried to develop here are a bit loose. I did my best to convey everything as brief as possible.
Thank you so much for your attention and time.
(And just in case, here´s a link to the interview where Mayweather said the statement I refered to: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9nGhy... ).
Cheers from Costa Rica!