• @stabby_cicada@slrpnk.netEnglish
    9•14 hours ago

    do you guys just enjoy joking about it all?

    Yes.

    Morale matters.

    Humor is a weapon.

    Preaching to the choir is an important part of a pastor’s job - because who wants to hear the Word more than true believers do?

    Online circlejerks are powerful community building tools - they reaffirm true believers’ loyalty, strengthen the commitment of moderates, and expose visiting lurkers to the movement’s perspective and the passion of its members.

    Let’s not forget how racist circlejerks on FB and Reddit and the chans memed Trump into office in 2016.

    Jerking about problems can’t be all a movement does, of course - but an online movement that doesn’t share memes, and in-jokes, and news that supports it, and similar kinds of community building, is dead on the ground.

    • @SSNs4evr@leminal.spaceEnglish
      2•11 hours ago

      It helps morale, and makes stress easier to deal with, and can build solidarity. Several years ago, in a situation where me and 131 other people were waiting for our imminent deaths, and were powerless to do anything about it, some people were freaking out, some sat in silence, and others of us joked and laughed about the situation. I actually asked one of my friends if he’d like to retake an exam, so he could maybe pass it, and sue with a better grade. He really bombed an exam badly, the day before, and there obviously wouldn’t be time for other remediation. He he told me to fuck off, we both laughed, did a “cheers” with our half empty coffees, and finished them off.

      I was one of the laughers/jokers, but when the situation changed, giving us hope of survival, the laughing and joking went silent. Hope brought the stress for the rest of us. Obviously, we survived (I’m thumbing this missive out on my phone). I’ve been married over 20 years, have a couple kids.