Posts Tagged ‘mockery’
Bad Behavior on Display: The Republican Debates
According to Newt Gingrich, Mitt Romney does not care about the ‘very poor’
Mitt Romney mockingly congratulated Newt Gingrich on the 15th anniversary of his censure for ethics violations
And on it goes. Ron Paul has even produced campaign ads that have been banned. These ads, like the statements above, are not lies. And admittedly, the stakes are high—presidential nomination of the republican party.
So is it ok to “play” in ways that state legislature is trying to ban in the schoolyards??
Mockery, out-of-context implications, cruel ‘asides’, and attempts to intimidate are all fair tactics we have no qualms about modeling for our children.
Perhaps they are ok for children to mimick since what is at stake for them is of even greater consequence to their daily well-being than any campaign is to the well-being of the candidates.
Be clear, outside the context of the campaign, we would call this behavior ‘bullying’
We all have done or said things that we might be held accountable for—just as Newt might be held accountable for the fact of his ethics violations censure or the fact of his numerous marriages, or Mitt for the facts surrounding his business decisions while running Bain capital, but can’t these facts speak for themselves?
Perhaps not.
Start the discussion with a concrete example that has been publicly censured: What about Ron Paul’s ads are not factual? What (if anything) about them is wrong?
Watch this: STEREOTYPES
This popular video illustrates the passive-aggressive nature of many instances of bullying and relationally aggressive behavior. While the clearly stated refrain is about “loving stereotypes”, the content of the song highlights negative characteristics associated with differing cultures and nationalities, and directly solicits affirmation of them through shared laughter. We bond over our mutual recognition of the differences between these Others and us―differences with negative, often sexual connotations. This only further ingrains and perpetuates the stereotypes, but via a guise that can withstand criticism: “I was only joking” “stop taking everything so seriously” “listen to the lyrics―the song is about coming together despite these characteristics (e.g. character flaws)” . As long as we smile and are nice, what is the problem with denigrating these Others to the world, eliciting the laughter of tens of thousands of visitors to this site, reminding them of how different They are from Us, then (to add insult to injury) say the whole thing doesn’t mean anything. Shame and Ridicule are public entertainment, all in good fun. Harmless.
But all along policing social boundaries―-reminding us of where the lines of inclusion (“us”) are, and how important it is to keep those boundaries fresh in everyone’s mind. Remember, even if they are nice, They are different from Us.