I read Gorilladrums statement:
“It’s truly beyond me how people have the energy to keep with celebrities”
as being sarcastic. I find it difficult to see it any other way. I read it as Gorilladrums expressing exasperation with cultural obsession with celebrity. I didn’t read it as him asking for someone to explain it to him. I’m pretty sure that’s the last thing he wanted. In that view of his post, which is the view that I assumed most folks reading his post would have, your response of explaining it to him in simplistic terms comes across as sarcasm and condescension. I understand now that this is not the context that you were viewing his post in.
Given my understanding of his post as an expression of exasperation with the culture of celebrity that does not expect or invite a response, I’d say both your first and final sentences come across as deliberate condescension, because both of them seem to imply that Gorilladrums didn’t understand something, and required an explanation, when it seemed clear to me that he didn’t expect or want. Therefore a response providing an explanation seemed like a teasing or a taunting in defense of celebrity culture that he was really just railing against. Again, I understand now that condescension was not your intention, and you were sincerely trying to assist.
A sincere question: is English your first language?
I only asked whether English was your first language because of our wildly different interpretations of Gorilladrum’s post. Obviously, there’s room for different interpretations among native speakers, but I thought it was a possibility that a language or cultural barrier may be in play.
I didn’t mean to cause you any vexation. And dialogue is appropriate for online forums. I only meant that given my perspective on the post you were responding to, that it was a very sarcastic expression of exasperation, like someone yelling “FUCK!” It seemed to me that, despite his wording, he was actually just railing against the futility of keeping up with celebrities, rather than a lack of understanding of why some people do so. So it never would have occurred to me to respond the way you did. Obviously you read it differently and responded with a sincere attempt to shed some light on it. I can imagine it was frustrating to get downvoted so hard when you were making an earnest effort to help someone.
Anyway, you do seem like an interesting person, and I appreciate your interaction. I value your contributions and I will carry this forward into future interactions and not be so quick to assume people online are being sarcastic or condescending. I hope you walk away from this interaction with more positive feelings than negative ones.