Ken Goldstein, Board member and strategic advisor for the Good Men Project, wrote this on his Facebook Wall last night:
“We live in a strange, cruel society. Yesterday we have an annual awards show that celebrates creativity. Today the snark. Worst dressed. Worst face job. Worst pronunciation mistake. Worst joke. Worst drunk. Worst acceptance speech. Worst backstage comment. Really, we can do better. The kids listen, you know. What are we teaching them? Is this stuff that matters enough to discuss?”
What do you think?
Is the question “what does the what we say about the Oscars say about us?” or are we unearthing something deeper about celebrity culture in general?
People are quite rightly poking fun at self-aggrandising stars who posit themselves as higher and more important and more successful than everyone else! It’s OK. It’s just a game. I think we as a Society are still enthusiastic to celebrate that which is worth celebrating. This, ironically, does not necessarily mean celebrities..
I’ve talked with a few people about the John Travolta situation. At first I thought it was a joke, someone making fun of him for whatever reason, and then I saw the clip, which led to a Facebook post, which let to a conversation. I was told he’s dyslexic and has trouble reading under pressure. Ok, don’t know him, but I’ll take it at face value. What bothered me was that they have rehearsals. He knew who he was introducing. He’s an actor and I would expect he could memorize a few lines with a name. If someone biffed up… Read more »
I agree that as a global society, we often look for the worst rather than the best in people. When folks are on a pedestal which is where we place celebrities, they are at risk of being taken down rapidly when they show up as ‘human’ just like the rest of us. I enjoyed the show because I had such a good time watching the celebrities ooohhhing and ahhhing over each other, because they (led by the inimitable Ellen) were being so goofy, silly and playful, being real. I loved the heartfelt acceptance speeches, the celeb-selfie tweet that brought down… Read more »
I stopped doing snark on Facebook about four years ago, just took all the negative out of my posts and comments, and I’ve been happier ever since. I’ve also drawn a more supportive set of friends. When I see snark from others—which is rare now—I ignore it or often hide it, as I find that having it in my feed even if Id don’t engage with it is an unwelcome distraction and feels like the violation of a space I like to keep clean. Making fun of someone’s choices, or worse, someone’s well-intended efforts, is to my mind never funny,… Read more »
Perhaps I used the wrong term? By ‘snark’ I mean using satire and parody to point out the ridiculousness of a person’s argument. I often use the format of a Rodeanne Roseannadanna opinion piece from SNL. I don’t use the original poster’s name, it’s always “A Mr. Richard Fader from Fort Lee, New Jersey…”
Once i a great while, i get angry, and then I let fly. Sue me, I’m human…
I got all this second hand, as I didn’t watch the show. I choose what I read, and so haven’t subjected myself to much of this sort of crap. I’d agree that “society” is strange and can be very cruel. I don’t have kids, and frequently slip up and curse around other people’s kids, but I try to NEVER be mean – especially around children. Snarky, maybe. Mean is another thing. My understanding is that John Travolta is dyslexic, and that had some effect on his blooper. I would love to see him turn this around and use it to… Read more »