Although we love to view the world in absolutes, things are seldom black and white. Heroes have skeletons in their closets and assholes secretly donate money to the ASPCA commercials with Sarah McLachlan. Okay, maybe not.
But the point is that the world is a complex place, full of moral ambiguity, double standards and mixed feelings.
So we have taken it upon ourselves to bring back the epic binary of good versus bad, right versus wrong, and virtuous versus evil.
We humbly present you Asshole and Hero of the week.
Via: Telegraph
Asshole: North Korea
This week it was discovered that Sony Pictures was hacked by North Korea because of the studio’s production of the film “The Interview.” The film stars Seth Rogen and James Franco and it deals with two Americans being sanctioned by the CIA to kill Kim Jong-un, the leader of North Korea.
I can understand why North Korea is upset by such a film. However, there are a few things to consider before going nuclear on us. First, it’s a satire. There are plenty of films out there that deal with the assassination of our world leaders, albeit perhaps not so explicitly. But art has always been a method by which people are able to express and work through their complicated beliefs and emotions about what’s happening in the world. This was their way of doing that.
Second, does Kim Jong-un really think we, as a nation, take anything that either James Franco or Seth Rogen does seriously? These are the stoner film industry’s masterminds. Trust me, we don’t take them seriously. So, North Korea, if you think this film is a propaganda machine meant to rally our people against your government, we would have used more credible people like George Clooney and Morgan Freeman, not the two guys who brought you “Pineapple Express.”
In order to ensure that this movie does not get disseminated to the general American population, North Korea decided to hack Sony and scare the shit out of all of us. Does anyone else find it a little unsettling that a foreign government can hack into highly regarded companies’ webpages in such a short amount of time?
But my problem with this clear invasion of privacy isn’t the fact that it happened so much as what the North Korean government could have and should have been spending their time and money on. Out of the 196 countries in the world, North Korea ranks 106 in terms of its economy. The government runs a highly centralized economy, which spends the majority of its money on building up military power for an imaginary threat against them. So sure the country can protect itself from foreign invaders, but it can’t always feed its people. Seems legit.
So North Korea, instead of focusing on two comedians who are not taken seriously at all, why don’t you turn that focus inward and take care of your own people. We’re not coming for you, so cool it with the paranoia, asshole.
Via: The Daily Edge
Hero: Police in Merseyside, England.
Sometimes police do good deeds. Maybe not in the U.S., granted, but in other places they can be nice.
Police were called to a small town outside Liverpool, England to rescue a seal that was abandoned and trapped in a field, 17 miles away from the nearest coastline. Police called the necessary authorities to aid them in containing the seal, transporting it to the coast and releasing it back into the ocean.
Before releasing it straight away, officials will be placing the seal into a seal sanctuary to ensure that it has not been harmed by being outside of its natural habitat.
I like this story for two reasons: one because who doesn’t love field seals? And two, because it’s straight-up happy. There is no sharp turn in the story, no underlying corruption or deep-seeded hatred. It’s just a story about how a seal was trapped in a field and authorities worked together to ensure the seal’s continued survival.
In a world plagued by negativity, I need some good vibes in my life. These policeman in England brought them to me by saving that seal. Good on you, police in England. Good on you.
Feature photo courtesy of: Nar City
