The Idiot Myspace Mom

The Idiot Myspace Mom

by Liv | Published on February 24th, 2006, 1:47 pm | Greensboro

Myspace Mom

So I happened to catch this story on the news feed here at Greensboring.com, and became interested after having a conversation with a co-worker the other day about Myspace. While I have to agree, Myspace does have it's downsides, and parents should educate children before they participate, there is no need to freak out like this:

A local parent shocked at what she saw on MySpace.com is helping other parents fight internet predators.

She didn't like what her daughter was exposed to.

"A lot of pornography, Goth stuff, linking to voodooism, witchcraft, dark suicidal stuff."

Oh come on lady! Goth, Voo Doo, and dark suicidal stuff. Jesus Freaking Christ!!! Are you kidding me? I think your blowing this one out of proportion. Besides what the hell is wrong with Goth? A little black makeup, fishnets, and walking around mad all the time? Its no freaking difference then Hippies in the 60s, Punk in the 80s, or Grunge in the 90s... Get a life and get real. Not everyone wants to wear a pink little Easter dress with white Mary Jane's and bows in their hair. Lets go sing Hymns while we are at it, maybe a little Amy Grant, or Michael W. Smith.

Voo Doo, Seriously... your kidding right? I've seen Scooby Doo several times. Are you saying there are teenagers running around with Tiki masks on and dancing around open fires, chanting whala-whala-bing-bang, till the Volcano erupts? I cannot believe news 2 even published this crap...

As far as the dark suicidal stuff... I think I'd try to kill myself if I was your daughter too. I mean really, let me see if I can guess here. Your a Christian, probably Baptist, or Catholic. You believe being Gay is a sin, You hate those damn Mexicans who come to our country and steal our jobs, and now your disgusted by the one single way your daughter has to express herself, because your to scared and incapable of trusting your daughter to use common sense on the internet. Believe me lady if you think myspace is bad, you should never let your daughter on Greensboring.com.

"A local parent shocked at what she saw on MySpace.com is helping other parents fight internet predators."

I'm not sure where this comes from. The reporter asks Westholder specifically if her daughter received any innapropriate emails or messages, like any "creepy old guys," and Westmoreland says no. There is nothing else in the story or interview that talks about internet predators on myspace -- just that one question about which Westholder says it didn't happen.

I guess the story wouldn't have the same urgency if the lede were a local mom helping other parents fight voodoo.

What I really think? I think it's ironic that this woman is trying to voice her hate towards myspace, gets an article published on WFMY and then there is an ad on the page attracting people to the Myspace site. Oh if there is a God, he's laughing his ass off right about now.

Reminds me of the ridiculous hoo-ha about Dungeons and Dragons in the early 80s. We weren't a bunch of Satanist kids running around with daggers and swords attempting to cast spells. We were a bunch of nerds sitting around a table rolling dice.

My dad when I was little was shopping with me and we we're at a discount department store. They had some books for sale and I wanted to buy one. Dad wouldn't let me buy it because it had a dragon on the front, and he considered it Satanic. I brought up this at Christmas when he came, and he kinda dodged the question saying, back then all those kids were dieing because of Dungeons & Dragons, and we didn't want you to be apart of a cult.

Thanks dad... now I'm agnostic....

LOL, my wife has our son thinking Harry Potter is bad. :lol:

Yeah I've met a few of those anti-harry potter people too... my roomates mom actually had to ask the preacher what he thought about it when the first movie came out for her son.

My kids, I'm sure will be messed up beyond reasoning but not from watching Harry Potter. Every now and again I go to the AFA site to see which Disney movie they are banning just so we can watch it.

My wife had also asked a Preacher friend of ours about it. He said that he liked it because it was fun. Don't have to read so much into these movies. Kind of like the old 'Bed Knobs and Broomsticks' and 'Witch Mountain' movies of our youth. They are just for gald dang fun.

Yeah, I've sounded off about these people so many times. They are what we consider in the Christian sects - born again or fundamentalist. Not all of us Christians are as crazy as these people, or uneducated. For example, my own dear father was going to jump on the "Harry Potter is witchcraft" wagon until my Mom and my siblings made him watch the first movie. He actually enjoyed it and then said "I don't know what the hubbub is all about!" He also wanted to boycott the LOTR movies, until I told him that the books were written by a Chrisitan. In any case, these people want to take the joy out of everything that life has to offer. Stick them all together on a deserted island and they would still find something that was Satanic!
BTW: Goth/Catholic school girl here - so I've been ridiculed by someone or another my whole life. In any case, for those of you don't know, if your a catholic, you might as well be a satanist. We are the bastard step children of christianity - too many rituals and too many pagan influences tied into our religion! I've actually had other "christians" try to "save" me! Bah!

I am the mom concerned about myspace. You have to remember that the news shares what it wants. I AM a Christian and proud of it. I am NOT Catholic NOR Baptist. I come from the West Coast where voodooism and witch craft is alive and well and was living in our back yard. My daughter is not sheltered, but I AM her mother and until she is 18 and out of my home, I get to decide what is best for her. I am held accoutable to GOD. If you are living like there is not God, YOU BETTER BE RIGHT!

Well the mom responds here on Greensboring.com

Supposedly she warns that WFMY twisted the story into something different then it really was. Then she invites me to recognize in a somewhat subtle tone, that I may not realize even though voodoo and witch craft isn't common place, it's all over the west coast.

Okay. Sure.

What you may not know Ms Myspace mom is this. I lived on the west coast for 7 years before returning to where I grew up here in Greensboro. I lived 50 miles north of Los angeles in Ventura county. I worked in several cities, including the "Valley" and frequently traveled from Tijuana, Mexico to Santa Barbara. We vacationed in northern California, lived in Mohave Desert, and I can tell you not once did I run into a single person who is into VooDoo or Witchcraft. Oh yes, there are a few young girls who get into Wicca, which has nothing to do with broomsticks or black cats, and is harmlessly a alternative, and very respectable peaceful religion. Now its not about potions and spells, it's about a different thought process. Oh I'm sure there are some fringe crazies, just like there are some fringe myspace moms, but most of them don't own a computer, and even if they do I doubt they are going to recruit your daughter into witchcraft or voodoo through myspace.

Lastly you insinuate I might wish to rethink my religious beliefs when you say "If you are living like there is not God, YOU BETTER BE RIGHT!" Sound's like a bumper sticker to me. To this I say to you, what if your wrong, and you spent your entire life, the only one you have, restricting yourself, conforming, and then in the end you die? Where's the adventure, the fact that even if there is a God, he created this wonderful world (with myspace in it) and he wants us to experience every wonderful nuance of it before we bite the dust? I can grasp the here in now, stop living for some imaginary "Island" that may never come. Atleast give your daughter the confidence, and trust she deserves. Explain to her, what you expect from her, but don't pry her away of a tool that will allow to express herself. Secondly stay away from TV. I swear to God, I can't imagine anything more embarrassing then to see my mom on TV rambling about something she has no clue about. Seriously, most kids would get there asses kicked at school for that. Give your daughter a break, give your daughter a hug, and go be a mother like the rest of us and spend all this effort of myspace and put it into your relationship with your daughter. That's what you should do.

Mom makes a point about the "news" distorting things. That's what happened in her case and was the source of my complaint.

One can debate the evils of voodoo, but News2 took mom's concern about that, asked her if her child had been stalked or threatened, to which mom said no, then sensationalized a none-story by presenting it (on the web, at least) as a mom cautioning against Internet predators--ignoring Mom's clear answer to a direct question about whether or not her daughter had received any innapropriate contact on MySpace.

Do you all think that CA is the only West Coast state? I did not see much witch craft when I lived in CA either (I would call the Berkely crowd "different"). HOWEVER, when I moved to the quaint state of Oregon, I saw it running rampid. CHILDREN being sacraficed; animals being sacraficed. YES, I have met the ones who believe in witch craft and I have also met their victims. As far as wicca being a peaceful religion, talk to someone who use to practice before you make that statement. A friend of mine was into wicca and witch craft (she is NOW a Christian) and she told me horror stories and it took A LOT to break free. I have another close friend who is reaping the after effects of her participating in wicca (she too thought that there was nothing wrong with it). As far as my believing in God and then Him not existing? Well, for one, I have SEEN too many unexplainable miracles to second guess; and two, if I live a life loving others and serving others, what harm is there in that? I am not here to judge you, I am here only to stand up for what I believe (as I am sure you are as well). As far as my "tone," well that is a little difficult to assume in an email. I have MANY friends who are NOT Christians and I love them dearly. Doesn't matter to me who you are (and YES, I DO MEAN that)--God gave me His PERFECT love. Who am I to keep it from someone else?

Do you all think that CA is the only West Coast state? I did not see much witch craft when I lived in CA either (I would call the Berkely crowd "different"). HOWEVER, when I moved to the quaint state of Oregon, I saw it running rampid

I can call my sister-in-law in Bend, Oregon and check with her, maybe she's involved in witchcraft or is on myspace. I can also call my cousin who just moved from Seattle Washington, and check up there. My parents still live in Arizona.

In all seriousness.... I even checked Google news for any reputable news organizations linking myspace to voo doo or witchcraft. Point me to one article that confirms anyone has become a witch or dabbled in voodoo because of myspace? Point me to any evidence that backs up your opinion other then some kids just saying stupid stuff to other stupid kids.

There are sexual sacrifices and blood sacrifices without actually being killed. The Humanes Society will not adopt black cats for the month of October (I know the president of the board). Ask your sister if she knows what goes on in the quaint little town of Ashland, OR (besides the Shakespeare Festival). As far as myspace linking kids to witch craft--I stated that kids had postings and websites in which my daughter could link to these things. As I said in the interview, myspace is a good social tool IF there are protections (which are wonderful if your child is under the age of 16) AND I advised parents to know your childrens' friends. My point is (and I will not post another reply after this) and my advice to parents is: be involved in your childrens' lives and know what they are doing, watching, and listening to. Don't be a passive parent and don't be your child's friend. They have enough friends--be their parent.

WOW! What is with your little blog thing. I mean sure I agree that calling it goth and voodoo is WAY too far... but you can't get on the woman for closing her daughters myspace page. Maybe I miss understood your point of view. But just incase I hope it is clear how dangerous myspace is for kids. You can say they have common sense all you want, but if common sense protected them then there wouldn't be so many deaths and rapes because of kids going to meet someone that they talked to on myspace. You don't have to believe that there are a ton of sex predators on myspace, if you don't want to, but there are. So any child, meaning any kid and teenager not of age should be supervised in someone when using the internet. It dosen't mean you have to look literally over their shoulder, but make sure you talk to them and make sure they know what is and isn't safe, and to let them know you will check their myspace page periodically.

HOLY CRAP!!! April 16th, 2008, 7:47 pm Reply with quote

HOLY CRAP!!!

Hmmmmm, they still go by WFMY2? I thought they weren't a news channel any longer, they were "Dig Triad"...Whatever the %&#$ that is supposed to mean...

And where is all this porn on Myspace? I'm getting tired of paying for it and can't find in on Myspace...Maybe I'll check Craigslist instead!!!

I want to know how a sexual predator slides down an ADSL line and into girls' bedrooms.

Here's some advice. Don't worry about MySpace, teach your kids not to go meet up with strangers.