There are times that I—a native-born American citizen—look at the US as being a case of the asylum being run by the lunatics: It looks to me as if everyone is quite mad.
If I had to pick one particular incident that made me notice this it would be The Nipple: The momentary exposure of Janet Jackson’s (still covered) nipple. I could not understand—and still cannot—what the big deal was. Did Americans think that most titties are nipple-less? Back then, the first thought in my mind was that my countrymen needed to grow up.
Not much has changed since then. It seems like Americans delight in being outraged over some imaginary moral failing that was none of their business in the first place. When did the country become a bunch of self-righteous tut-tutters?
Tiger Woods: If ever there was a story to tell Americans to mind their own damn business, this was it. He cheated? It’s between his wife and him. In my opinion, the folks who think they have the right to pontificate on the Woods family dynamics are the perverted ones. Brit Hulme of Fox “News” had the unmitigated gall and personal arrogance to tell Tiger that all he needed to redeem himself was convert to Christianity—as if there have never been seriously perverted Christians. Brit? It’s called a clue. Get one.
And now we see bronze medallist Scotty Lago “expelled” from the Vancouver Olympics because he allowed ladies to be photographed with his medal in poses that the Poobahs of Taste and Morality have decreed are “compromising”. Apparently, they’ve never seen any advertising on display in any mass circulation magazine because if they had, they’d never have been so stupid and condescending.
I know I’m being harsh. Maybe I’ve lost my tolerance for such foolishness after so long away from my homeland. But really: No matter how offended one claims to be over Janet’s nipple or Tiger’s cheating or Scotty’s photos, can anyone—in complete and sincere seriousness—tell me that there are not more important issues worth attention? America’s still fighting two wars, far too many people are unemployed and healthcare is a mess, yet such irrelevant bullshit is what America focuses on?!
That’s why I think that America is probably mad. People who disagree are welcome to tell me so in the comments, because I really—sincerely—cannot understand the American obsession with irrelevance. Okay, that’s enough: “American Idol” is on.
7 comments:
America is designed by committee.
Like most things designed by committee, it is a miasma of compromises between the selfish at the cost of the actually needy, with the hopes that the selfish getting some will make them more productive that has (for better or for worse) mostly worked.
The tut-tutting is the result of the puritan bits of our history that everyone seems to want to get rid of, but really, is integral to our culture in ways we aren't willing to acknowledge (in addition to 'expose the hypocrite' media frenzies... they tend to provide the need for accountability that has allowed the US to muster up the courage to stand down some of the stinkers through history).
As for Tiger: The frenzy there is that he billed himself as a super-wholesome perfect-for-corporate-sponsorship type (hell, it's almost like he was born married with kids). He also had a PR firm which strong-armed journalists and basically handed them questions to ask under threat of losing the ability to interview "one of the worlds greatest athletes". So when it broke that he was not, in fact, the worlds best husband and father... and he lost all his ad-cred... everyone went crazy to pick him apart because he was lying and was a dick about it and he had it coming.
As for bodice-gate... that's simple: No bare tits on primetime TV. It's an accepted taboo. I'm sure Kiwi's have taboos that would make American's balk or at least ask some questions, but sitting there and going "But, I don't understaaaaaaand it... you people are crazy!" makes you the bad tourist.
I once worked in an office that got a new head honcho. His first act as the new head was to paint the interior walls pink.
Not a light pink, but Pepto pink.
Everyone started talking about the pink walls. They were really upset by them and were in an uproar over the color.
While everyone talked about pink walls, he quickly and quietly got rid of several people, did reorganizations; then went to a different site to be it's head.
When he left, the walls were repainted beige.
No one seemed to notice all the important changes that were going on that were much more important to the staff's lives.
Now, what does that have to do with what you were talking about?
I think the media works with government either knowingly or unknowingly to distract citizens from the important issues like the war.
I see Tiger's divorce & Janet's nipple as another pink wall.
If you believe Janet - and I do - it was an accident. The crusade thereafter was disproportionate with the event.
Epilonious is right about Tiger. It was the Tiger BRAND that was damaged. (Think Toyota right about now.) Yes, it's personal stuff, but it's also commerce.
Thanks for the great comments, everyone!
epilonious: Interesting perspective on why this exists; it's something I hadn't thought of before, apart from the Puritan streak. What you said suggests a possible positive role for it, despite the foolishness and irrelevance it often is. I hadn't considered that possibility.
What you said about Tiger explains a lot, too. I suppose that since golf is completely irrelevant to me, Tiger is, too, and so that all made me think first, "big deal" when I heard about it. However, while this does present a reason for the obsession, I still feel it's all irrelevant nonsense.
There really aren't any taboos as such on NZ television, but there are regulations as to what can be shown when (based on rating and content). Nudity can be shown later in the evening, when kids are supposed to be in bed, but on free-to-air it's supposed to be more or less incidental (pay TV, like in the US, can show more).
But the evening news can and does show bare boobs if it's relevant to the news story (like the annual "Boobs on Bikes" stunt—uh, parade—down Queen Street in Auckland, or the annual Nude Rugby in Dunedin). They do have to provide a verbal warning first, though, so parents can shield children.
So, more often than not, Americans visiting New Zealand would probably be more amazed at what CAN be shown rather than what can't. But if something similar to the Nipple Incident happened at, say, an All Blacks game (and we don't have half-time entertainment at rugby matches), probably nothing official would happen. The right wing (every country has them) might be tut-tutting for a day or two on talkback radio, but it would all be over within a few days. That's the main difference I see. But, then, New Zealand didn't get the Puritans that the US got. Come to think of it, that's probably a topic in itself.
moosep: Good point! There are media critics, mostly on the left, who say that what you described is the function of the corporate media—to distract the people from what corporations and government are up to. I certainly think there's an element of truth to that.
When I was studying political science at university, we were taught that the American news media were gatekeepers, setting the agenda. Basically, parties and politicians would address what the media talked about. If that's true, it's almost like they paint the wall pink, to borrow from your example.
The US newsmedia generally likes to think of itself as the "Fourth Estate", a kind of "honest broker" between the people and politicians/government. There's some truth in that, too, but I think that it—like the perspective of the left—isn't completely true.
So, I agree that what they do is to knowingly or unknowingly distract citizens.
Roger: I guess what I was really getting at about Janet was what you said: "The crusade thereafter was disproportionate with the event." To me, the same thing is true about the other two incidents I mentioned, but you and epilonious both highlighted reasons why the reaction has been the way it was. Still, to me, it is an over-reaction.
I agree that America is mad. Actually, I think far worse things about America and its citizens most of the time. They get excited without analysing or understanding the facts (which is why Bush and now Palin are so popular). It really is amazing that Obama was elected, considering he is a 'thinking' man who is level-headed.
As for Janet's nipple - it was on screen for a fraction of a second and most people didn't even understand what was happening. This, of course, ties in to America's fucked up issues with sex.
And while I agree to a point that all this is a "pink wall", I think it is more likely that Americans want to be enraged about smaller thing it seems they can control. Healthcare, etc are just too big to deal with or understand. Sex = bad (esp the gay sex!), that's WAY easier.
This is the first I've heard of Scotty Lago, and I was envisioning all sorts of naughty naked nymph-romping with the medal, until my husband described the photos and I was all, "...that's it? How boring." Clearly my as-yet-unborn children will have to be removed as I'm an unfit mother with a dirty mind. That is, if DH and I end up moving back to the US.
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