When is bad behavior simply rudeness and when is it a sign of a larger social shift?
When a little known congressman yells at the President of the United States, interrupting a speech to a joint session of Congress to call the Commander in Chief a liar, that’s rude.
When a tennis star erupts, screaming aggressive threats at a line judge and committing “racket abuse” during the U.S. Open, that’s rude.
When a rap star ruins a teenage singer’s big moment at the Video Music Awards by jumping onstage to proclaim another contender the better performer, that’s rude.
When all three shockingly unacceptable incidents occur with the space of five days, the country’s social fabric has hit a snag.
We’ve moved beyond questions of etiquette to wondering if these events signal some deeper of cultural decay.
Apparently, people in various quarters are “mad as hell and not going to take it anymore,” as Howard Beale urged in “Network.” Even if it means risking opprobrium by acting out.
The problem, from a pop culture view, is that these angry outbursts are eye-popping television and YouTube moments that make for watercooler conversation and bear repeated scrutiny. In the echo chamber of modern media, they create stand-out clips that rise above mere politics, sports or music. Unseemly anger makes for great television.
Of course there’s plenty of history against which to judge. To put the Obama interruption by Rep. Joe Wilson (R.-S.C.) in context, George Stephanopolous showcased several examples of “legislative incivility” on ABC News’ “This Week,” and Cokie Roberts and George Will recalled political duels and beatings of yore. Their suggestion was that the country has made progress since the old days.
Still, most of the country was appalled by the discourtesy to the President on Wednesday, followed by the other naionally televised spectacles, the Serena Williams at U.S. Open on Saturday, and Kanye West at the VMAs Sunday night.
It’s about respect — respecting the office, respecting the game, respecting the awards ceremony. Respect for institutions, whether governmental or merely MTV. In recent days, the notion of reverence, even grudging respect for any sort of authority, took a beating.
Of course those who take a dim view of the media will find ways to blame all bad public behaviors on mass media, television in particular. Things have been trending this way for some time. When cable ranters Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck rail against the president as if mocking an unfavorite sports team, and when Internet bloggers blast everyone and everything in language unfit for civil discourse, what did we expect?
Joanne Ostrow: 303-954-1830 or jostrow@denverpost.com
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