Are we drawn to cows that reminds us of our own mistakes?

[Everybody]

I was watching the MATI stream yesterday and got thinking about this after Josh talked about eating pizza and buying a subway sandwich to eat when he gets back from vacation. Later in he was talking about Chantal Sarault and showing a clip of her spazzing out and exposing her huge abdomen.
It made him go on a rant about her eating so much food that she's destroying the environment, someone in the chat pointed out that he's a hypocrite since he himself is obese and eat junk food but their response was drowned out.

Have you reflected on why your favorite cow is your favorite cow?

I personally don't find people with eating disorders all that interesting even though I've known a couple on both ends of the spectrum, in my eyes they are too repetitive in their behavior. My personal cows must have childlike and naive traits just like me! (hence my avatar).

 

[Bongocat]

I'm not happy with every decision I've made, but I've never fucked my mom

 

[contradiction of terns]

I think at least a little. If you hang out in the Amberlynn or other deathfat threads long enough you'll definitely pick up on how many morbidly obese women hate her.

Tumblr users used to be the heaviest contributors to the Tumblr subform while it was around (not exactly shocking since it was a forum about Tumblr content, but still).

It likely doesn't track 100% because nothing in life ever does, but I'd say you could throw out "Most people are angered by/hate/are drawn to mocking the cows they are drawn to because something there resonates with something within them" and you'd see a fair number of nodding heads... if we weren't all on an online forum using text to communicate, that is.

 

[Bongocat]

I think at least a little. If you hang out in the Amberlynn or other deathfat threads long enough you'll definitely pick up on how many morbidly obese women hate her.

Tumblr users used to be the heaviest contributors to the Tumblr subform while it was around (not exactly shocking since it was a forum about Tumblr content, but still).

It likely doesn't track 100% because nothing in life ever does, but I'd say you could throw out "Most people are angered by/hate/are drawn to mocking the cows they are drawn to because something there resonates with something within them" and you'd see a fair number of nodding heads... if we weren't all on an online forum using text to communicate, that is.

If I had to guess, I'd imagine that hate is more associated with sharing a trait with a lolcow. Specifically, it's something you recognize as a flaw in yourself that you want to fix, and here's this asshole reveling in it and trying to normalize it.

As for just plain old amusement, it probably helps if you have something that makes it hit closer to home just so it's relatable, but I don't think it needs to be an attribute you yourself have.

I think Chris Chan is a good example of this relation (at least in the pre-merge era). There's tons and tons of people that got amusement out of Chris, but SURELY very few of them actually had traits that came anything close to him. On the other hand, you had speds like A-Log that hated him, but were much closer to the level of autism Chris had.

 

[DerKryptid]

I'm not happy with every decision I've made, but I've never fucked my mom

True, this is why @wry wrangler continues to follow cwc to this day

 

[Everybody]

You are probably on to something, seeing others act shameless with something you yourself would feel shame about may tickle some forbidden nerve deep inside.

 

[Agent Abe Caprine]

Should I be worried? I gravitate towards horrorcows.

 

[JimiHendrix]

i'm tired and i read this thread title and thought it meant a literal cow.

 

[contradiction of terns]

If I had to guess, I'd imagine that hate is more associated with sharing a trait with a lolcow. Specifically, it's something you recognize as a flaw in yourself that you want to fix, and here's this asshole reveling in it and trying to normalize it.

As for just plain old amusement, it probably helps if you have something that makes it hit closer to home just so it's relatable, but I don't think it needs to be an attribute you yourself have.

I think Chris Chan is a good example of this relation (at least in the pre-merge era). There's tons and tons of people that got amusement out of Chris, but SURELY very few of them actually had traits that came anything close to him. On the other hand, you had speds like A-Log that hated him, but were much closer to the level of autism Chris had.

Hmm. I think I like the bit of nuance you added there. See, me, personally, I like cows that have gone Full Retard in some way, because then I can tell myself, "There but by the grace of God go I" and it's amusing and I feel better. I think that starts with the knowledge that I'm only ever one temper tantrum away from being like some of the less evil cows on the site.

Dogfuckers and pedos I hate follow, but it has zero to do with being anything like them, so there's the one flaw in your 'it's generally because they resemble them and therefore hate the cow for celebrating the features they despise in themselves' theory.

Edited: I fixed a few mistakes so it reads smoother.

 

[Kabuki Actor]

I wouldn't say that it's because any of us are "like" the cows we follow, that seems sanctimonious. People prefer to study things that are from a familiar field, you're going to get furries in animal control, pop culture affictionados in the MovieBob thread, Christians or atheists in cultist threads, so on.

 

[Everybody]

Hmm. I think I like the bit of nuance you added there. See, me, personally, I like cows that have gone Full Retard in some way, because then I can tell myself, "There but by the grace of God go I" and it's amusing and I feel better. I think that starts with the knowledge that I'm only ever one temper tantrum away from being like some of the less evil cows on the site.

Dogfuckers and pedos I hate follow, but it has zero to do with being anything like them, so there's the one flaw in your 'it's generally because they resemble them and therefore hate the cow for celebrating the features they despise in themselves' theory.

Edited: I fixed a few mistakes so it reads smoother.

I wouldn't say that it's because any of us are "like" the cows we follow, that seems sanctimonious. People prefer to study things that are from a familiar field, you're going to get furries in animal control, pop culture affictionados in the MovieBob thread, Christians or atheists in cultist threads, so on.

I see what you both mean and I guess I was curious to see if people stick around longer for the cows that they can relate to on a more personal level.
It could be that I'm assuming things about others when maybe most people are just here to point, laugh and leave without thinking getting too deep into the lore? idk.

 

[The Bovinian Derivative]

Most cows I tend to follow, and not just laugh at their currently running dumpster fires, I feel like I could be them if I gave up completely or went bonkers, to me they're pretty much living warning signs.

 

[Bongocat]

Hmm. I think I like the bit of nuance you added there. See, me, personally, I like cows that have gone Full Retard in some way, because then I can tell myself, "There but by the grace of God go I" and it's amusing and I feel better. I think that starts with the knowledge that I'm only ever one temper tantrum away from being like some of the less evil cows on the site.

Dogfuckers and pedos I hate follow, but it has zero to do with being anything like them, so there's the one flaw in your 'it's generally because they resemble them and therefore hate the cow for celebrating the features they despise in themselves' theory.

Edited: I fixed a few mistakes so it reads smoother.

Good point, though I did sort of imply that with the "pre-merge" comment. I guess I'd qualify that as "reasonable hatred". As in, what would make the average non-autist loathe someone. It's reasonable to hate someone for killing a dog or abusing their mom. Not so much for drawing an embarrassing comic.

 

[Gun Safety]

Personally I find that cows who have similar negative traits to me are the ones that I don't like mocking. I pity them and they make me feel ashamed of myself. I believe that people who are drawn to certain cows because their negative traits are most offensive to them. Sometimes these negative traits are something the person themselves suffer from but not always.

 

[Botchy Galoop]

My favorite cows tend to be of 2 types. The first type of cow is totally, fully, autistically human. These are the cows that for me are a cautionary tale. They remind me to not have the second helping of food; to get off my ass and go outside a bit; to be thankful for what I have; to practice temperance with my vices.
The second type of cow I watch is totally inhuman. They are the child and animal abusers. They remind me to be on guard, for evil is real and walks among us.

 

[Taylor Swift's Ghostwrite]

I follow mostly tranny cows. Logically its because they are better women than natal women ever will be and I am studying to learn the ways.