FanPost

How not to Embrace Your Team

I recently got wind of a new Twitter Account – WNBA Jokes. At first, it seemed like one of those really nice setups where fans of the league share news, or information about a favorite player. I would later have proof that this is not always the case.

The Twitter page’s dossier originally had a disclaimer, a very defensive spiel, informing people (no doubt in advance) that the proprietor of the Twitter account is not antifeminist, nor does he hate the WNBA. It occurred to me that what was in store might not comprise a good natured brand of humor. It reminded me of every Facebook group that was ever formed with the intention of deriding the league.

I say "he" because no self-respecting lady would take shots against her own gender, nor would she have a need to confirm support for her own gender.

If what you write about is well-intentioned, it should be written well enough to present itself as such on its own merits. The addition of a strong disclaimer is an insinuation that you are fully aware that what you write can do harm, and that you are attempting to justify whatever harm may come.

Such an undertaking may serve to diminish the existing base of support for the WNBA, which it has worked very hard to earn. The WNBA has not made its progress by deriding people that are admired by its proprietors.

Social networks and blogs are not toys. They are platforms. Within such mediums, words are actions, and they can influence people and the way that they think. These implements can provide ordinary citizens with the ability to help the WNBA to grow. However, if they are not used properly, the same tools can fracture – or even destroy – the structures which we have come to hold dear.