There is a video going around these days titled “This girl passed out drunk on a couch, watch what he does. It’s incredible.”

I picked this particular video because it came up on my fb one morning when I was looking for something to be irked about, but it’s a fairly generic example of a ridiculous ‘let’s be excellent to each other’ trend. (Not to be confused with the equally ridiculous ‘let’s be excellent to ourselves’ trend which I will be irked about on another day.)

The obviously staged ‘how to’ style short shows a girl supposedly passed out drunk on a couch and the approach of a preppy 20-something creeper. And yet! Instead of engaging in creep-tastic activities the young man places a pillow under her head, tucks a blanket around her and sets a cup of water nearby, then looks directly into the camera and says with melancholy smugness “Real men treat women with respect.”

Where to start? This is just one of a hundred videos out there: ‘watch these hero’s return dropped wallets’ etc., and typically I ignore them because frankly, they are beneath my notice. Yes I said it. Beneath my notice. I am in no way impressed that you did not molest, assault or embarrass an unconscious girl on what is presumably your own couch.

‘Incredible’?? Merriam-Webster defines incredible as “too extraordinary and improbable to be believed”.

Are you kidding? Don’t misunderstand. I’m pleased that there are positive messages on the interwebs. We all need to see the brighter side of humanity as much as possible. But this is not the brighter side of humanity! This is completely normal humanity. This is bare minimum humanity. How are we not disgusted and horrified that this video implies any other behavior should be expected?!

And moreover, how are we not equally disgusted at the girl’s behavior? Again, do not misunderstand – I’m not targeting a gender, an age group or a particular substance abuse. I am not saying anyone is asking for anything or laying any blame – but when did it become ok to willingly render yourself incapable of self care and expect the world to pick up your slack?

Regardless of what kind of behavior I find acceptable I do live in reality and would not for one second expect to be incapacitated anywhere but my own home and not meet with more trouble than is fun. I’m pretty sure I was born with more of a sense of self-preservation than that. Wasn’t everybody?

C’mon people, grow some values.