I don't love bacon anymore

You may notice that I have removed a link from the list on the right.

For many years, I read ilovebacon.com almost daily. However, as of late I have found myself reading it less as it has become less funny. It seems that there used to be a higher standard for the pictures that appeared there. They actually had to be funny. Now, a picture of a fratboy pointing at the name of a Chinese restaurant seems to be the best they can come up with.

Recently, they posted a really lame reader-submitted joke about Steve Irwin. Don't get me wrong - I love jokes in bad taste. That's why I loved the site. I don't see the joke, in itself, as a problem:

Q: Who is performing at Steve Irwin's wake?

A: Sting

Other than the fact that the joke wasn't even slightly clever or funny, it didn't offend me. However, some readers were offended enough to send angry e-mails and stop reading the site. I was not among them, but I respect people's right to do so. I'm not going to criticize someone for being offended.

What happened next did offend me. Here is how they responded to the criticism:

...Steve Irwin was a jackass who constantly put himself in harm's way and it finally caught up with him. It's social Darwinisn [sic]. If you really don't get it, please don't visit the site anymore.

There are so many things wrong with this statement that I don't know where to start. First of all, Steve Irwin was not just Animal Planet's answer to MTV's Jackass. He took a lot of risks but they weren't stunts. I'm not a fan but I have a great deal of respect for his work and everything he did for education and wildlife conservation. You can read more here.

Second, the comment about social Darwinism shows incredible ignorance. Perhaps the editor should read up on some of the consequences of social Darwinism, such as the Holocaust.

Finally, to suggest that someone's life is worth less because he regularly risked his life for what he believed in is ludicrous. I'd like to ask the editor, how often do you risk your life for something important?

It's apparent that it's really the editor of ilovebacon.com that doesn't "get it." And believe me - I won't be visiting the site anymore.