In the last couple of weeks I have experienced a pretty surprising couple of contretemps in my Twitter timeline.  This is a first for me.  But, not one to shy away from confrontation, if it’s warranted, I faced them head on in a virtual sparring match.  Interestingly, both conflabs were with (for the most part, it seemed) ill-educated, right-wing bigoted f*ck monkeys.  But of course, I could be wrong.

What was interesting to me, was that in both instances, the opposition when lost for a legitimate argument resorted to (what they thought) were valid, insulting put-downs.  But to me, were simply quotable facts.

Twitter troll #1 was a Trump supporter.  I imagine, you can imagine him immediately.  When I tried to actively engage him in a conversation about Trump’s actual policies (or lack there of), he fired back, “aahh I’m not surprised, you’re single and childless I bet you have cats”, after trying to one-up me with his enormous earnings of – wait for it – $30,000.  Whoa there buddy, those numbers are dizzying.  I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised that he could read; he’d obviously taken the time to look at my profile.

Troll #2 was a charming gentleman with an SS officer for an avatar, who it would seem, had created his account simply to annoy others.  Our thread went like this: 

Me: well & truly in @eddieizzard!! There’s 2 much I love about being a British European. Waiting 4 my overseas vote papers to arrive as we speak

(So he was rudely butting in to a something he wasn’t a part of.  It must be noted, Mr Izzard didn’t respond.  Disappointing)

Troll #2:  @diaryofannepank @eddieizzard why leave then? Stay therw

M: @simonthespider2 @eddieizzard what?

T2:  @diaryofannepank @simonthespider2 @eddieizzard why do you care if you don’t live here?

M:  @simonthespider2 @eddieizzard You have an opinion on Austria’s election. Why do you care if you don’t live there?

T2:  @diaryofannepank @eddieizzard I don’t vote nor want to, passing opinion isn’t the same as voting

M:  @simonthespider2 @eddieizzard Did it take you 10 hours to come up with that? My vote is my opinion on the situation, so……..yes it is

T2:  @diaryofannepank @eddieizzard no Anne some of us have a life other than twitter, you don’t live here

M:  @simonthespider2 @eddieizzard ok, let’s say I don’t vote. My opinion is the same. Which is ok according to you. Like your opinion on Austria

T2:  @diaryofannepank @eddieizzard you’re just a middle aged woman with no kids, I bet you have 50 cats

M:  @simonthespider2 @eddieizzard yes, that’s correct. Apart from the cats bit….. Not a fan

Apart from their chronic inability to come up with a rational argument, annoying the shit out of me (if you’re going to try and engage me in an argument – you better come prepared), it really astounded me that age, singledom, lack of children and imaginary cat ownership are still considered ammunition for effectively insulting a woman.  Cats are cute, what’s your problem?  They’re the most popular thing on the Internet mate, you know that. 
And moreover, what f*cking decade are we currently inhabiting?  The fifties, it would appear.  Equating a woman’s unique worth to youth, her ability to find a man, hang on to him, frog-march him down the aisle, adopt his surname and produce his offspring, is so enormously out of date.  I can’t actually believe I even have to address that.  But then to think that by using the fact that these are absent as an effective means of attack – just seemed pretty redundant to me.  Laughable in fact.  I’d go so far as to say, a giant argumentative anti-climax.  Those facts are at the top of my Facebook page, Twitter and right here in this blog.  I own that shit dude, you’re just quoting facts at me.  It’s like shouting at your adversary, “WELL, THE SUN IS IN THE SKY!” or “I LIKE TO SLEEP AT NIGHT!”

Yes, that’s right.  What’s your point?  I’m beginning to experience a very different attitude as I get older, mostly this has happened on dating apps (but that’s another post for another day), but it would seem it’s still a universal attitude to women over a certain age in general.  Amongst men mostly, but dare I say it, some women too.

These ‘insults’ were in threads connected to my opinion on the current political situation in America and the EU referendum – what on earth has age, marital status and possible pet-ownership got to do with that?  Your guess is as good as mine…….