TOW #22: "A toddler, a cupcake, and a mob of critics," Ruben Navarrette

Featured on the hit talk show, The Ellen Degeneres Show, just the other day was an adorable video that had went viral, showing a young boy asking his mother for a cupcake. The child was so cute, trying everything he could to get the cupcake, He was very persistent and determined, giving all the viewers a laugh. When I saw this video, I thought that it was the cutest, and I thought his attitude showed intelligence and independence. Others though, thought that the child, and his family members, were wrong in the duration of the video. That is the issue that Ruben Navarrette addresses in the CNN article, "A toddler, a cupcake, and a mob of critics." I agree with Navarrette's piece completely. The message I got through the article was that people have no right to make assumptions and be hateful based off of a popular home video. The first thing that the author does is addresses the fact that not everyone jumped straight to judging and insulting the cideo. It was clear, after Navarrette shared his own opinion, that from what he saw, many people were very supportive and positive about the clip. It was an adorable video, meant for nothing but a little chuckle, and most audiences viewed it that way. The article targets those that weren't positive. Those that saw the video and decided to post their opinion on what an awful mother Linda is, or how disrespectful the child, Mateo, is, or how they must be living in an abusive household. The fact that these type of conclusions are jumped to based off of a video astounds me. Navarrette uses a lot of questioning throughout his piece, asking, "What kind of world do we live in?" and "Do you see the trouble you've caused, little Mateo?" This questioning forces readers to think about how we react to these situations. It forces readers to question the stereotypes that exist, and it forces audiences to realize that stereotypes are crazy. For commentors to blame a toddler, and call him disrespectful without knowing him is awful. While some people were upset with the story, Ellen loved it. She invited the boy onto her show and awarded him with cupcakes. The article ends with a beautiful line, "this story reminds us what the world needs. More empathy. More respect. More compassion. And more Ellens." So remember to think before you comment. It may be on the Internet for the world to see, but that does not make it your business.

http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/20/opinion/navarrette-boy-cupcake/index.html?hpt=hp_t4