Another anecdote on the topic of "Internet commentary." Please skip this thread if you only want to read about things that matter in the world.

Yesterday, I answered a prompt for film series where the tbird installment was better than the second (Rocky.) Digging i to the replies, I found someone who said "Iron Man."

Which, yes. Yes! Iron Man 3 is an immensely enjoyable film! Whereas the second just sort of exists. I advocate for IM3 at any opportunity. So of course I liked, and deepened the discourse by adding "Iron Man 3 is one of the best Marvel movies overall."

This happens to be my official, considered opinion ever since @Leask and I watched through the Marvel films in 2015 - ancient history by now, I know, but at that time they had maybe two movies that were better, and since they've made maybe two more.

Not everybody likes this film (I think they should reconsider, but to each their own.) Some don't remember it well, some decry some of the story choices. No problem, it's all part of life's rich pageant.

I don't think it's too controversial to advocate for it, and this was proven when I got, actually, a lot of likes on this reply. Lots of people in my same boat, hooray!

But I did get two negative replies: one simply saying "Disagree." And one more specifically saying "You misspelled 'worst.'"

At this point I have been online for two thirds of my existence on Earth, and this behaviour makes less and less sense to me the older I go. What does this accomplish? What am I, as your ostensible conversational partner, supposed to do?

Am I expected to fly into a rage, defending the film? Am I supposed to care about the qualms this other person had with it? Am I supposed to do an overly long Twitter thread examining the nature of online conduct? (Er, ignore that last bit.)

I didn't make the film. It doesn't need me to defend it. It happens to have lots of things I enjoy from superhero action cinema. It might, shockingly enough, not work for everybody, including people ostensibly in the target demo for it. Big whoop.

What thrill do you get by being a sourpuss about what someone else likes?

There's a difference to be had on unsolocited positive and negative opinions, I'm learning. Everyone loves to feel supported, especiallg out of nowhere. The reverse isn't true

There are Marvel movies - and, I suppose other films - I specifically don't like, and I hereforeward vow that I will say so only when prompted in conversation

All this to say... don't @ me, haters

End

Epilogue: Let's not kid ourselves! Someone pestering me about a movie they didn't like is barely scratching the surface of what this platform can be at its worst, especially depending in who you are. My deeper point is, it's weird enough that people act this way in this scenario

The true extent of what people feel emboldened to say online shocks me more as I age, not less.