The hierarchy of words used denoting startling events badly needs a make-over. Whenever amazement is suggested, let's replace it with something that gives it the status it deserves.
For example, when an actress suddenly loses or gains weight, or a celebrity with absolutely no obvious talent does something, let it be recorded as a trivial factoid of no real consequence except to that person and perhaps their nearest and dearest.
When a minor media know-it-all sounds off about hoons, then crashes their very expensive sports car, it is the sheer hypocrisy involved that is the amazing bit.
For a more serious and ominous example of what constitutes actual amazement, we need look no further than the 'incel' movement. This term has been suggested as a motivating factor in the recent killing by vehicle of 10 people and wounding of another 15 in Toronto, Canada.
"Incel" stands for 'involuntary celibate' — a term initially the invention of a women wanting to set up an online forum for single people to connect.
This was captured by men who feel that they are celibate because women don't like them and so, being all hurt and rejected, have formed an online hate collective that despises females. Why – because their involuntary celibacy is all the fault of women (incels clearly have no insight into how their own attitudes repel women).
They also despise handsome men for making it even more difficult to find someone who will have sex with them.
The crude venom of the men linked to "incel" has been described as "raw hatred", a loathing for all people who do have sexual relations.
The hatred is quite broad in its scope — they hate "Stacys" (attractive women); they hate "Chads" (attractive men); they hate "Normies" (those who aren't deemed attractive but still seem to be able to find partners — which is probably the bit that hurts the most).
It is a sort of equal opportunity loathing — they hate everyone with equal vengeance but especially women.
For the "incels", women are the biggest problem and must be punished. This leads to online rants about how to attack, rape and assault women.
They mutter about the need for a national girlfriend programme as a way to address what they regard as a form of inequality but in the next sentence denounce those who lobby for gender equality.
It is indeed amazing and somewhat scary to realise that there are men (small in number, but big in bigotry) who hate the world and might injure or kill just because they cannot get laid.
*Terry Sarten (aka Tel) is an amazingly handsome writer, musician and social worker — feedback: tgs@inspire.net.nz
