What's Behind Pro-Vaccine Posting on this Forum?
Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2021 7:15 pm
Hi again! I've got some free time and wanted to address what i think are the 3 main motivators behind the pro-vaccine posting we've all been seeing here, given how it just doesn't seem to gel with what's going on in the comics at all. But to be clear: This post is not meant to call out any specific individuals or to address any one poster's motivations. I have no way of knowing why any specific person is posting what they, and would not embarrass myself trying to make wild guesses about specific individuals. But I think it's worth addressing what motivates people to do this, and think that at least some of the pro-vaccine posting is being motivated by issues peculiar to our Sinfest RadFem Community.
The Pro-Vaccine camp is divided into three groups:
1. People Motivated by Fear/Propaganda/Gaslighting - It goes without saying that these are some really sympathetic folks, and should not be demonized or condemned
We've all been living with nearly 2 years of constant messages of fear, doom, and danger from "our" governments, corporations, the media, and pretty much any other toxic organization that can get close to a megaphone. We're all subject to constant threats and misinformation about what will happen if we don't "consent" (Which literally means nothing when under duress like we all are!) to getting the shots: We could die! or get long covid and never taste our favorite foods again! or unknowingly spread covid to our grandparents and make them die! (The dead Grandma line is so manipulative it makes me sick, but we've all heard it at least once) or even give covid to our poor pets! it's understandable that when hearing such severe messages from people who we should be able to trust, that some people might put their own doubts aside and decide that others no better. The people who want us to be vaccinated wouldn't use these tactics if they didn't work, so all that we can do is tell the truth and let these decent humans see that you can question the narrative and still be a good person, regardless of what the TV says!
2. Paid Posters aka Internet Shills - These folks exist and have for at least a couple of election cycles here in the US, but deserve a lot more sympathy and understanding than you might think. Governments at every level have made it literally illegal for people to earn a living, provide for their families, and keep employees on payroll by placing arbitrary, constantly changing, and scientifically unsupported restrictions on all manner of businesses. In the US they've even made it worse by luring people away from jobs with free money, making it harder for honest entrepreneurs to attract talent ("Surprising;y" no one was shutting down Amazon mega-warehouses, social media corps or the media! All much more "essential" than your independent, small business just trying to be a little freer than the corporate drones, clearly
) And let's face it: Some people are in really, really hard financial spots. So if someone comes along and says "Hey, hop on reddit, or your favorite forum, copy paste our talking points, and relax in knowing you're anonymous" and hands you enough to make rent and buy groceries, you'll make the post even if you don't believe it yourself, pay your bills, and hope people are smart enough to see your bs. These people don't deserve a bit of hate, they're just trying to survive in a world that's increasingly hostile to basic human dignity. Lots of people are smart enough to not fear covid (or at least fear the vaccines more) but too smart to not fear an empty stomach or an eviction...
3. People Who Are trying to Discredit Tatsuya Ishida/Want the "Old Sinfest" back (YUP - The Dudebros
) - Lets face it. The comic has changed a lot, and 100% for the better, from its early, now cringey days of "Ho-tron" and "Pimpzilla" Sunday features. And even a decade after the comic found its true voice and left that behind, there are a lot of gross internet people who don't see a thing wrong with that. (Check it reddit's Sinfest group if you like feeling angry and ill, for example). They want the old comic back and think that if they can whip up an internet hate machine and bully the Author enough, they'll go back to the days of 'Nique shaking her ass, devil girls pandering to the male gaze, and validation of their gross porn addictions. But they also know that Tats really believes in the Radical Feminist cause and has the decency to be embarrassed by that stuff (He's made comics where he admits it to his lil' self - it's no secret and very big of him), and that no one likes people who defended pimps and exploitation as "funny". So, they've latched onto the vaccine issue as a way to discredit the Author, try to make him look "crazy" (a phenomenon any outspoken and articulate Woman is all too familiar with) and discredit the comic and its message in order to get the old Sinfest back, or at least destroy the better one that's bloomed from it. I think the Patreon and this forum both show that most fans aren't falling for it and are sticking with Tats, and I don't know if this last group is even the majority of Pro-vaccine posters, but they're 100% here and 100% unsympathetic, so be on your guard and remember: thinking is critical! 9That;s why it's called "Critical Thinking" doncha know 
)
I don't have all of the answers or feel that 100% right here and hope this opens up some discussion on this issue. Please refrain from attacking or speculating on any specific poster's motivations here. This is not a call out thread or an invitation to attack people! Let's pretend we're at Granny's cottage with a nice pumpkin spice latte and chat civilly whether we agree or not
The Pro-Vaccine camp is divided into three groups:
1. People Motivated by Fear/Propaganda/Gaslighting - It goes without saying that these are some really sympathetic folks, and should not be demonized or condemned
We've all been living with nearly 2 years of constant messages of fear, doom, and danger from "our" governments, corporations, the media, and pretty much any other toxic organization that can get close to a megaphone. We're all subject to constant threats and misinformation about what will happen if we don't "consent" (Which literally means nothing when under duress like we all are!) to getting the shots: We could die! or get long covid and never taste our favorite foods again! or unknowingly spread covid to our grandparents and make them die! (The dead Grandma line is so manipulative it makes me sick, but we've all heard it at least once) or even give covid to our poor pets! it's understandable that when hearing such severe messages from people who we should be able to trust, that some people might put their own doubts aside and decide that others no better. The people who want us to be vaccinated wouldn't use these tactics if they didn't work, so all that we can do is tell the truth and let these decent humans see that you can question the narrative and still be a good person, regardless of what the TV says!2. Paid Posters aka Internet Shills - These folks exist and have for at least a couple of election cycles here in the US, but deserve a lot more sympathy and understanding than you might think. Governments at every level have made it literally illegal for people to earn a living, provide for their families, and keep employees on payroll by placing arbitrary, constantly changing, and scientifically unsupported restrictions on all manner of businesses. In the US they've even made it worse by luring people away from jobs with free money, making it harder for honest entrepreneurs to attract talent ("Surprising;y" no one was shutting down Amazon mega-warehouses, social media corps or the media! All much more "essential" than your independent, small business just trying to be a little freer than the corporate drones, clearly
) And let's face it: Some people are in really, really hard financial spots. So if someone comes along and says "Hey, hop on reddit, or your favorite forum, copy paste our talking points, and relax in knowing you're anonymous" and hands you enough to make rent and buy groceries, you'll make the post even if you don't believe it yourself, pay your bills, and hope people are smart enough to see your bs. These people don't deserve a bit of hate, they're just trying to survive in a world that's increasingly hostile to basic human dignity. Lots of people are smart enough to not fear covid (or at least fear the vaccines more) but too smart to not fear an empty stomach or an eviction... 3. People Who Are trying to Discredit Tatsuya Ishida/Want the "Old Sinfest" back (YUP - The Dudebros
) - Lets face it. The comic has changed a lot, and 100% for the better, from its early, now cringey days of "Ho-tron" and "Pimpzilla" Sunday features. And even a decade after the comic found its true voice and left that behind, there are a lot of gross internet people who don't see a thing wrong with that. (Check it reddit's Sinfest group if you like feeling angry and ill, for example). They want the old comic back and think that if they can whip up an internet hate machine and bully the Author enough, they'll go back to the days of 'Nique shaking her ass, devil girls pandering to the male gaze, and validation of their gross porn addictions. But they also know that Tats really believes in the Radical Feminist cause and has the decency to be embarrassed by that stuff (He's made comics where he admits it to his lil' self - it's no secret and very big of him), and that no one likes people who defended pimps and exploitation as "funny". So, they've latched onto the vaccine issue as a way to discredit the Author, try to make him look "crazy" (a phenomenon any outspoken and articulate Woman is all too familiar with) and discredit the comic and its message in order to get the old Sinfest back, or at least destroy the better one that's bloomed from it. I think the Patreon and this forum both show that most fans aren't falling for it and are sticking with Tats, and I don't know if this last group is even the majority of Pro-vaccine posters, but they're 100% here and 100% unsympathetic, so be on your guard and remember: thinking is critical! 9That;s why it's called "Critical Thinking" doncha know )I don't have all of the answers or feel that 100% right here and hope this opens up some discussion on this issue. Please refrain from attacking or speculating on any specific poster's motivations here. This is not a call out thread or an invitation to attack people! Let's pretend we're at Granny's cottage with a nice pumpkin spice latte and chat civilly whether we agree or not
