The Importance of Lightness

Earlier this week Apple unveiled its new gadget, a fancy tablet computer. While a lot of people were talking about all of the amazing things it can do and a few of the things that it can't do, a lot of the buzz surrounding the new gadget revolved around its name. It's called the iPad. While some might not think twice about this name, many others couldn't resist a slight giggle or chuckle. You see, the initial response—maybe predominantly among women—was that the name iPad sounded like a feminine hygiene product. Jokes immediately went viral around the Web with people asking if the iPad had wings of if the more powerful versions would be called maxiPads. I, myself, couldn't help myself or resist asking if they would have light, regular, and super versions.

These types of jokes soon spread to reputable blogs and news sites, with the bloggers and writers asking the same questions or making light of the name. I read some of these stories and blog entries, and, I admit, I laughed my little head off. What surprised me, though, was how many negative responses there were to these blogs and stories. Comment after comment, people were complaining that the writers were being immature and needed to grow up. They indignantly asked if people thought of maxipads when someone said lilly pad or note pad or shoulder pads. They said pad is a word that has many meanings and it doesn't always refer to a feminine product. People were even saying that some of these stories were below the high journalistic standards that you'd expect from news sites like NPR or the New York Times, and they were offended and outraged that the site would waste time and space on such a non-issue.

I was more mortified with the comments than the story. Maybe this means that I'm immature because I myself giggled when I heard the name iPad. But to be perfectly honest, I'd rather be slightly immature and have a sense of humor than to be stuffy and uptight all the time. Let's face it, the world can be a horrible place and you see and read horrible news every day. There are deaths and disasters and after a while this can all get downright depressing. Every now and then you need a story that is lighthearted and humorous. When you look in the TV Guide you don't just see listings for serious dramas; you see listings for comedies as well. Even the ancient Greeks performed comedies in addition to their tragedies. Shakespeare wrote comedies. Why? Because people like to laugh every now and then. Because people like to escape some of the harsh realities of the world. In my opinion life is too short to not enjoy it. What's the point of life if it doesn't contain some fun and laughter.

Current mood: relaxing
Current music: iTunes on shuffle—Melissa Etheridge "If You Want To"