Entitlement is a feeling that a lot of us get & sometimes it's valid, sometimes it's not.
Friends assume that they are entitled to know who you're dating, companies assume they have the right to know about your personal life & people with connections or associations with a particular group, feel entitled to consume the pain suffered by strangers. Whether these entitlements or self decreed rights, are just or not is a matter of opinion but what is clear is that acting on your own judgement of such, can lead to a slippery slope.
A lot of people complain that Alistair Pinsof had no right to reveal the 'truth' bout Chloe Sagal. Another handful of humanoids believe differently. This isn't about what the correct answer is, because universally it seems there is none, also because we still don't know the complete story & may never because it will always be hearsay.
What is dangerous in a situation like this is when outside parties get involved, especially those unrelated. People who are no more aware of the truth see red & make connections that activate a defence mechanism within them, sometimes with good reason. But if we all jump to conclusions & are blinded by our own viewpoints on incidents that do not involve us - do we have a right to be so adamant, do we have a right to call for the blood of either sides?
I'm not saying that certain individuals should be hushed, that is never right, just or fair. But why should any voice be heard more than another?
We have this need to be appeased, this feeling of entitlement due to our mutual sensitivities & can let that overtake reason and open mindeness. Our hearts take over our minds & we explode. The thing is, while I find people stating that they don't care about Sagal's lies as it doesn't overtake the outing of the individual, to be very self centred or simply wrong, I do commend that they speak out & do so without fear or trying to keep all sides content. They have no need to hide who they are & feel no shame for their beliefs and why should they?
But there are some that in a public plateau virtually or otherwise will commit to a point of view that claims neutrality or wisdom & yet outside of the platform the consensus can see, they conduct themselves in a hypocritical manner.
Sagal lied about something serious & that should not be swept under the rug. Outing someone should never be done without the persons consent, but lets not pretend that in this specific context that Pinsof did an abhorrent thing with the intention of causing harm. If you believe his statements, he was conflicted & did what he felt was right after a quite intense ride with Sagal.
But nevertheless, his actions could have been prevented by his own choosing. Sagal also chose her own path, by lying about something dire. They are both paying the price for their own mistakes but Sagal is clearly suffering more so in a physical, emotional & mental level & yes deserves help not hate. No one is saying otherwise, reading invisible sentences between the lines only aggravates a situation.
Pinsof's actions may be deemed as those of an untrustworthy individual but try & put yourself in his shoes for a moment. Put yourself in Sagals shows too. Now remember something important.
Putting yourself in someone's shoes is a temporary action for the purpose of reflection not an excuse to then assume literally & actually, their circumstances. Because while we're all entitled to our opinions & right to express it,we're not entitled to privileges absorbed from incidents that belong to only those directly involved.
Unless you have no roof over your head, are starving without a helping hand or loving ear in this world then yes whether you like it or not, you are privileged. There's giving support to a stranger & there's martyring yourself for no good reason. We all need to take a step back, try to not let an event overcome us, there's more productivity from self reflection & from understanding each other.
People suffer regardless of their sexuality, ethnicity or whatever & adding entitlement of severity to one pain over another is simply making this a sadder less tolerant world.
Update:
Since the writing and posting of this blog, Pinsof and Sagal got together with Gamers Against Bigotry in a roundtable discussion, which can be found here. As far as we're aware currently, Pinsof is still not longer a paid employee with Destructoid, even with this outcome and coming together of both parties involved.
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