Facebook Beauty Pageant

This morning, while checking my Facebook page, I saw that I had received a "notification," which usually means a comment from someone about something I had posted. It might be positive or negative. This time it was pornographic -- a message from some sleazo I didn't read because it was accompanied by a photo of a woman's ass, huge butt cheeks glowing and legs spread wide, her vaginal area barely covered with a thin strip of fabric. I almost threw up my breakfast.

Naturally I deleted it and also reported it, if that does anything. But it reminded me of something that happened recently on Facebook wherein I was deemed the offending party and threatened with dire consequences left unnamed but hinted at. 

It was once of these Reels showing a sick, crying baby in a high-chair, snot dripping from her nose, face smeared with yogurt and bits of food. She was quite unappealing, and I commented, "Yikes! That would talk anyone out of having a baby!" Naturally someone responded to my comment, writing, "How dare you say that? You are a disgusting old woman!"

Now that hurt. I may be old and I may be a woman, but there is nothing about me that is disgusting. So I went to the commenter's Facebook page and saw her photo and folks, really, she was not an attractive woman, at all. So naturally, in defense I responded with, "Saw your picture, you're ugly." After all, she had called me disgusting!

Within seconds of posting my comment a note popped up saying I had "violated Facebook's community standards" and action would be taken unless I deleted the post. I let it stand. I figured if child pornography is permitted  all over Facebook, my saying someone is ugly was small change. And hey, she called me disgusting! Is that better or worse than being ugly? I'm betting that in a beauty pageant, an ugly contestant would win more votes than a disgusting contestant.

These are my thoughts early in the morning before that second cup of coffee.