Julia Roberts hatefest going on CNN on story comments area. What is WITH people on the internet?

[CurtEastPoint]

Just because you can be anonymous (to some degree) you can spew vile crap?

http://www.cnn.com/2012/10/28/showbiz/julia-roberts-birthday-gallery/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

[Populist_Prole]

1. It's the 101st fighting keyboardists

Just because you can be anonymous (to some degree) you can spew vile crap?

Millions seem to think so. Comments sections of newspaper/news websites seem to the the absolute worst. Absolutely unreadable. Sane rational cogent voices are ganged up upon viciously. It's nothing more than an online graffiti turf war, and the loons have all the paint.

[pinboy3niner]

2. I wince when I see that unit reference

I wish they'd picked some other designation for the keyboard warriors...

[MiddleFingerMom]

3. I was with the 101st for part of my time in the Army and I think it's kinda funny.

.
.
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It's a backhanded compliment, as the 101st is one of the few divisions WIDELY-known and
immediately-recognizable (particularly by civilians) as a somewhat elite, highly-respected
and highly-decorated unit.
.
The idea of a somewhat elite, highly-respected and highly-decorated keyboard warrior unit
rubs my irony/funny bone the right way.
.
.
.

[hunter]

5. When AOL users first flooded the internet older PCs had 101 keys.

"101st fighting keyboardists" comes from that. Presumably it was these users with older PCs and AOL accounts who made formerly interesting internet discussion groups unreadable.

[pinboy3niner]

7. That's interesting, thanks

That makes perfect sense--and that it's also a military reference just makes it better.

Thanks again for the background, hunter.

[WooWooWoo]

13. in the 101st right now

woot!

[alarimer]

4. The comments section of news organizations are the worst.

They should make people post under their real names. Anonymity seems to bring out the worst in people. People have pseudonyms here, but this community has rules for dealing with that stuff.

Twitter is bad. Some people follow celebrities just to bad-mouth them. What's the point? If you don't like someone, why even say anything at all? Some, like Ricky Gervais, deal with them in a really funny way.

[Iggo]

8. "Just because you can be anonymous...you can spew vile crap?"

Well...um...yes.

[Arkansas Granny]

9. Did you notice that most of the negative comments mentioned her age,

looks or liberal views? That gives me a clue as to who left those remarks.

[GoneOffShore]

10. And the poster who was the most vile uses "one fine blond" as a screen name.

Just flagged all its comments.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

11. One Fine Blond has issues. Appears to protest a tad too much. Looks more like jealousy

from where I am sitting.

[FloridaJudy]

12. I think she's over-rated as an actress

And funny-looking to boot. But I don't understand the hate. I find certain actors' political views despicable, but I have better things to do than spend my time posting venom on Adam Sandler's and Dennis Miller's fan pages.

[polly7]

14. Aww ... I love Julia Roberts

She's provided some popular entertainment for a long time, has been involved in numerous great causes and I think she's gorgeous. I feel sorry for actors / entertainers, it must be hard living under a microscope. Mean people just majorly suck.

[Denninmi]

15. Me, too.

Ever since she played Vivian. One of my all time favorite movies. What can I say, I'm a hopeless romantic.

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

16. I was never a fan until I saw her in Erin Brockovich

What a marvelous bit of acting. I really like that movie. While I was not a big fan of her other roles, I never was one of her detractors. I don't see why anyone would hate her as she seems so nice and inoffensive.