My reasoning:
- “While not applicable in all cases, mental health problems often played a role [in Florida Man stories]. Mental health is a huge issue in Florida, which ranks at the bottom of all states for mental health funding, according to the Florida Policy Institute. Lou and Orjoux, CNN 2019
- Florida has a known track record of intimidating and suppressing voters, particularly voters of color.
- ”It’s a democracy, we are just making fun of the voters who made it that way.” Except it isn’t. The will of the Floridian people is not represented in the actions of their leaders. One of many examples: 68% of Floridians want the state to do more on climate change, meanwhile “The Florida Legislature not only bypassed proposals to address climate change during the most recent legislative session, but lawmakers also passed a measure (HB 1645) that would strip the term “climate change” from much of state law.” Does that sound like democracy to you?
Instead of addressing these—and other—root problems, Florida Man posts trivialize the hardships of marginalized individuals, perpetuating societal inequities.
The real reason Florida Man became a thing:
The most important reason Florida residents land in the headlines has to do with the state’s Sunshine Law, which makes official records related to state governing agencies accessible to the public. Florida’s position is that the government is a public business, and its leaders have stuck to that belief with this law.
Established in 1995, the Sunshine Law ensures everyday citizens can easily access public records. This includes any document related to official government agency business, like photos, emails, maps —and of course, arrest reports and mugshots. Of course, some information is redacted or kept private, like victims’ names and residential addresses.
In Florida, access to these documents and photos is fast — arrest reports are available almost immediately after they are filed, local station WCTV reported in 2019. In other states, reporters often file a request for an arrest record and wait days for its arrival. In Florida, this process is streamlined — journalists have access to daily booking records, so they can get started building their stories almost immediately.
Definitely a significant part of it, but like everything it’s not 100% of the story of course, low incomes and mental health being other primary factors.
I dunno, I mean, anyone who listens to the gossip 'round a medium-sized town has crazy stories to tell. Florida is obviously not in great straits mental-health-services wise, but Florida Man is exceptionally visible above all, rather than exceptionally crazy.
Also, gators are a fun and unusual addition to any news item.
I agree—but unless I am mistaken Florida is far from the only state to have sunshine laws. Hence why I think it’s important to note that a confluence of factors are involved, not just mental health either but also climate (hot temperatures make people more aggressive), natural disaster, limited access to drug abuse treatment, voter suppression, low income and similar. :)
Oh come on, not everything said or done has a socioeconomic impact that’s relevant in any way, shape or form and not everything needs to have one.
Not every joke one makes “trivializes” something hidden, no matter if one could find something it could “trivialize”. Not every post has to be a message to better this world.
Sometimes, one needs to laugh at the weird shit that happens around all of us or we’ll go depressed and crazy and bitter. Something you are moving towards already, tbf.
there is certainly a gray area, yes. that said, im so fucking done with the “lol, let them drown” memes.
edit: telling on yourselves with the downvotes. yes we need to laugh, but yall need to look up the difference between punching up and punching down. literally lesson one of any valid political humor.
I can punch however i want to punch. Especially at the FR*NCH
You want memes to address socio economical problems in the United States ?
I’d say you’re the depoliticising one
i don’t know what you mean by this? sorry.
That’s on me for not expressing my intention more clearly, sorry. I think you’re pointing at a problem that is not really one, memes shouldn’t address the root problems you’re describing. Changes to the system, policies, activism, volunteer and associative work do. There is a problem with memes desensitizing from real life problem that affect people, but I think wanting memes to achieve the goal of solving those problems is a distraction from actual work that could be done in order to solve them.
Jokes normalize behaviors. It’s actually quite easy to construct a joke that punches up rather than down.
If you’re alone in a forest would you rather come across a bear or a Florida Man?
Florida man here. Definitely a bear.
There are grades of Florida man, and the ones you’re going to randomly come across in the middle of the woods are likely the scary ones. Don’t think I’m talking about people with guns either. With all the guns in this state I’m much more worried about the ones who no longer have the presence of mind to grab their gun before they leave their house. Think meth heads fighting with pots and pans in the front yard, or people on that drug that made the one guy eat the other guy’s face.
Meanwhile, we only have black bears. Easy decision.
Black bears are basically raccoons.
If you’re a forest would you rather be alone or come across a Florida ManBearPig
He’s half man and half bear-pig.
No wait, I think he’s half bear and half man-pig
Never mind I think he’s half meth and half manbearpig.
Nevermind. Gator got ‘im.
I don’t understand the downvotes, unless… Are man v bear jokes not funny anymore?
I think people are offended by your screen name.
Hmm, never been an issue for me before. In any case, the origin is family guy. Hilarious clip, 20sec long.
Never were. I don’t mind, though.
Boo.
“Florida Man posts trivialize the hardships of marginalized individuals, perpetuating societal inequities.”…that are perpetuated by these very same people and the way they vote.
Yes people can be tricked even they spend their entire lives struggling through a propagandized hell…
Insane that US Lemmings see this and downvote. They are more than willing to admit that Russia elections can be flawed and undemocratic but as soon as someone points out the fascist voter suppression and propaganda machine going on back home it’s willful blindness because how dare we be critical of the holy holy US.
tell me you didn’t read the post without telling me
