I admit it. I follow the flame wars.
I signed up here Dec/04, and have seen quite a few people go down like a torpedoed ship after antagonizing the wrong people, blurting out an ill-thought statement or accused wildly in panic. I've often wondered during moments where it looks to be quite clear that there is a clear-cut winner and a clear-cut loser why few ask the question "Why don't you just leave?"
First of all, it's harsh. Even when Bobby Drake suggested to Rogue that it might be better off for her to hit the road in X-men 2 when it really was Mistique, it still came out brutal. When Frodo told Sam that he should just go home, I started bawling, too.
I think it boils down to this: people who ask the question tend to be bullies. If questions were weapons, it would be a swift silver bullet; one aimed directly at the heart. Now some might protest that they're being honest. Hmm, just because honesty is present, it's probably safe to point out that it's walking hand-in-hand with asshole-ness. (yeah, not a word, pfft.) It's not difficult to see where the real truth lies.
I believe that it comes straight down from childhood, when it was thrilling to actually tell someone they weren't wanted. It was easy to hurt somebody's feelings and while you knew it was impolite it felt damned good to let it all out. It was like ripping a bandaid off of someone, afterwards stating that the quickest is the best method over a long, drawn-out pain. Both hurt like hell, but it was more fun to be shockingly violent.
And like a fight in a schoolyard, it's hard not to crowd around and root for a winner. Or sass out the loser. And flame wars are like schoolyard fights, and while it may be childish, it's also as exhillirating as an average day gets. Are flame wars really about the issue at hand, or can they also just be a way to release frustration built up from common everyday problems?
I've always wanted to ask the question though. "Why don't you just leave?" The sad thing here is that while I'd love to say that simple good manners prevent me from doing so, honestly, I've seen too many 360s happen. And guess who might just end up with a target on their butt?
Peace, friends. Don't shoot.