Don't 'Kick The Cat' (Or Content Creator)
Choosing Not To Be Someone Else's Punching Bag
The past year has been a rollercoaster for me, for you, and for just about everyone we know. As Charles Dickens famously wrote in A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
This was a year where laughter and frustration lived side by side, and where joy and madness felt like kissing cousins who couldn’t stop making out at the family reunion.
You can blame a lot of things for the Upside Down World we’ve been living in. The Chump-In-Chief certainly hasn’t helped, stirring the swamp like only a true swamp monster can.
Every week brings another round of smoke and mirrors, political bullshit, and social media chaos. New reasons to grit our teeth and shake our heads. New reminders that common sense and empathy are rapidly sliding onto the endangered species list.
But the toxicity isn’t confined to Washington, D.C. It’s seeped into our daily lives, into our feeds, our comment sections, and our inboxes. The atmosphere of fear, loathing, and division has emboldened an increasing number of “strangers on the internet” to unleash their frustrations on whoever happens to be within reach.
It’s an internet-powered edition of “Kick The Cat.” And far too often, content creators are the chosen targets of these hateful campaigns.
CRITICISM VS. CRUELTY
Look, criticism is part of being a creator. I know that. I expect it. Hell, sometimes I even appreciate it. Thoughtful, constructive feedback can sharpen the work. It has pushed me in new, unexpected directions. It has made my work better.
But what many of us are facing right now isn’t critique. It’s cruelty and projection. It’s strangers dumping their emotional garbage onto whoever happens to be visible or vulnerable enough to take the hit.
And let me tell you from experience: that kind of shit can wear a person down. It’s not just annoying. It’s not just rude. It’s corrosive. It’s destructive.
More than a few content creators—myself included—have been grappling with far more than simple burnout. We’ve faced full-blown mental health crises that don’t disappear after a nap or a long weekend. Anxiety can creep in fast, making every decision feel like a trap. Depression can quickly turn every molehill into a mountain.
This isn’t “being tired.” This is emotional exhaustion caused by creative vampires.
WHY IT CAN HURT SO MUCH
We content creators put our hearts, humor, stories, and souls online, often for little more than the hope of connection, inspiration, or a shared memory.
Yet a few bad apples respond not with curiosity or kindness, but with unnecessary, unwarranted vitriol. They meet vulnerability with hostility. They treat creativity like an invitation to attack. And the more open, honest, or human we are, the more some feel entitled to tear us down. Why?
Because they didn’t like a post.
Because they disagreed with an opinion.
Because they felt personally attacked by something that wasn’t even about them.
Or simply because they woke up on the wrong side of the bed.
HURT PEOPLE HURT PEOPLE
There’s truth to the old saying: hurt people hurt people. I get it. We are collectively bruised, exhausted, over-stimulated, and under-supported. But understanding the source of cruelty doesn’t excuse it. Being wounded isn’t a free pass to use your pain as a weapon.
And to those who think I’m going to stand by while some bored internet gremlins turn my comment section into Lord of the Flies, proceed with caution. Because you are about to experience a bumpy ride.
I have one rule, and it’s simple: BE KIND…OR REWIND ELSEWHERE.
Rude and crude dudes are not welcome on my pages or platforms.
Not today, Satan. Not tomorrow. Not ever. Not on my watch.
Here are a few things I’ve learned the hard way:
Protecting my peace is not weakness.
Curating my community is not censorship.
Boundaries are not optional. They’re safety nets.
Refusing to be someone’s punching bag isn’t arrogance. It’s self-respect.
So no, I won’t stop creating. No, I won’t shut up. No, I won’t shrink. And no, I won’t let a few angry dickheads derail the peace and joy of the many.
Because for every troll barking in the shadows, there are dozens—if not hundreds—who show up with kindness, curiosity, humor, grace, and actual humanity.
Those are my people.
Those are our people.
Those are the ones I create for.
TO THE KEYBOARD CRITICS + COWARDS
If you’re struggling, get help. Truly. There is no shame in seeking support, therapy, or community. Pain doesn’t have to become a weapon.
If you’re lashing out, seek healing before your hurt becomes someone else’s burden. Projection masquerades as power, but it only multiplies misery.
If you’re hiding behind a keyboard to spread hate, don’t be surprised when someone like me stands up to your bullshit. The internet has receipts and I’m more than willing to read them aloud if necessary.
TO MY FELLOW CREATORS
If you create words, videos, art, ideas, or anything born from your imagination, please remember this:
Your worth is not defined by someone else’s bad day, bruised ego, or broken spirit.
Keep going. Keep creating. Keep expressing that weird, wonderful magic only you possess. Trolls don’t get to define our worth. Their negativity only exposes their lack of humanity and maturity.
THE FINAL ROAR
The world needs less cruelty and more creators who refuse to be the cat that gets kicked. Underneath it all, we’re lions and tigers and bears—oh my—not doormats or chew toys. So let’s all roar and soar, y’all….
Keep calm and stand tall!
Clint 🌈✌️
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ON THIS DAY = DECEMBER 5
BIRTHDAYS
1890 = Fritz Lang = Austrian-American filmmaker
1901 = Walt Disney = American entertainment mogul
1905 = Otto Preminger = Austrian-American actor and filmmaker
1932 = Little Richard = American singer-songwriter 🌈
1934 = Joan Didion = American novelist and screenwriter
1935 = Calvin Trillin = American novelist, humorist, and journalist
1963 = Carrie Hamilton = American actor and playwright
1965 = John Rzeznik = American singer-songwriter and producer
1968 = Lisa Marie = American model and actor
1968 = Margaret Cho = American comedian, actor, and author 🌈
1970 = Michel’le = American singer-songwriter
1979 = Nick Stahl = American actor
1985 = Frankie Muniz = American actor
EVENTS
1766 = In London, auctioneer James Christie holds his first sale.
1776 = Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest academic honor society in the US, holds its first meeting at the College of William & Mary.
1933 = The Twenty-first Amendment is ratified, repealing Prohibition in the US.
1984 = Beverly Hills Cop is released in theaters.
1997 = Good Will Hunting is released in theaters.
1998 = The Bisexual flag, created by Michael Page, is unveiled.
HOLIDAYS + OBSERVANCES
PORTRAIT + QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I did what I felt, and I felt what I did, at all costs.”
Little Richard
Go Clint Go you roar away as loud and as long as you need/can, your channel, your rules, and you wear your 👑 Cheers DougT 🇫🇴🇬🇧
Clint, this article on the negativity in critiques and around us was amazingly comprehensive and well thought out. You continue to impress me. Thank you, fondly, Michael.