A few random acts of rudeness caught on tape
I’ve read a few articles lately that say we’ve all turned into a
bunch of rude, boorish slobs who can’t be bothered to behave in a
civil fashion to one another.
A few random acts of rudeness caught on tape
I’ve read a few articles lately that say we’ve all turned into a bunch of rude, boorish slobs who can’t be bothered to behave in a civil fashion to one another.
These articles were mainly based on a few celebrities and politicians who have been behaving badly, and were caught in the act. Of course, we all know who they are already, because of the endless clips playing on TV and the Internet, but I’ll go ahead and list them anyway:
– Tennis player Serena Williams and her bizarre outburst at the U.S. Open.
– Congressman Joe Wilson yelling “You lie!” at President Obama during his health care speech to Congress.
– Hip-hop musician Kanye West interrupting the MTV Video Music Awards to declare that Beyonce, not Taylor Swift, should have won a particular award.
Because all these incidents happened within a few days of each other, critics rushed to judgement. “The End of Civility?” said one headline.
Well, this could very well be, although I can’t for the life of me think of any way to quantify it.
I’m just kind of thinking it’s business as usual.
The problem these days is that because we’ve got the cameras and digital recorders going 24/7, very little escapes anyone’s notice. And when a famous person says something stupid, it now lives forever on the World Wide Web, rather than fading into the newsprint heap of history.
Now that we have instant access to every faux pas, every time, it magnifies every little piece of idiocy that ever occurs anywhere.
I think the bad behavior seems worse and more pervasive than it really is just because it is so endlessly replayed, talked about and dissected.
There have always been celebrity morons, and there always will be. Fame seems to come to both the naughty and the nice, and it’s the naughty who make the news.
There’s not much you can do about that.
As for politicians, there are plenty of cantankerous ones out there. What people seem to forget is that politics by its very nature is contentious. People often don’t get along.
If you read anything from 18th and 19th century history in the United States, you’ll realize that politicians used to say all kinds of odd and scandalous things about each other. What is happening now is nothing new, even yelling at the president.
What’s different is it’s recorded for posterity by the camera’s unblinking eye.
Although there always are obnoxious people in the world, I find that civility hasn’t changed all that much.
In fact, on a recent trip to Southern California, I was pleasantly surprised at how kind some of the other drivers were. At one point we were on the freeway in rush hour traffic and needed to get over several lanes … and the other cars actually let us get over.
Now, Los Angeles is the last place on earth where you’d think you’d find good manners. And yet there it was.
Other than a parking ticket, it was a pleasant stay. People were friendly and helpful, even those sporting multiple piercings and tattoos. It was kind of amazing, really.
And of course, where I live has many shining examples of civility toward others. There are so many wonderful people in this area, some of whom are my friends, and many more acquaintances, who have shown me love and consideration in myriad ways.
No, civility isn’t dead, quite yet. I do have some hopes for its revival. In the meantime, just remember to practice acts of random kindness. Maybe it will counteract some of the rudeness out there.
