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Monday • January 26, 1998
The Battalion
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TATE OF THE UNION
desire to see others in pain, perverse obsessions pollute society
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41
Mandy
Cater
opinion editor
A mericans, even more so
than people of other na
tions, are infatuated with
the idea of keeping up with the
Joneses. Americans are a society
of people who harbor deep-seated
feelings of envy.
They love to feel superior to their
neighbors; they love to feel like they
“have” more than the people next
door. Increasingly it seems, Ameri
cans simply enjoy seeing others in
compromising, embarassing or
painful positions.
The Germans have a term for this idea. They call it
shoddenfreud — taking pleasure in the pain of others.
Obviously, then, the phenomenon is not unique to the
United States. However, it does seem as though Ameri
cans have perfected the art of the perverse.
Case in point. An Associated Press report out of
Philadelphia described a novelty developed by an up
scale restauranteur in the city.
Paradigm, a trendy martini bar and high-dollar es
tablishment, is home to what its owner hopes is the
newest thing in cocktail cool. The eatery’s three re
strooms, directly facing nearly a dozen tables, are de
signed with doors of liquid crystal.
When the doors are locked, they become opaque; if
they are not, well, it redefines the term “dining experience.”
According to the article, guests to the restaurant have
already been privy to some very intimate moments of
unknowing lushes.
One would think chic trendsetters would be ap
palled by the possibility of seeing drunken patrons in
their skivvies, but apparently folks are vying for a ring
side seat.
Another example of Americans’ “uncouthness” is the
popularity of the “funniest home video” genre of televi
sion and video offerings. These shows compile outtakes
from personal video collections.
Viewers roar and applaud as Dad gets nailed in the
groin with a golf ball or Aunt Helen loses her teeth at a
family reunion. People clap as an overweight woman
falls off of a horse or a skier tumbles down the slopes. If
it is embarrassing or somebody gets hurt, people
laugh. And why do they laugh? Because the person in
the clip is not them.
The judicial system has even been polluted by this
strange obsession. Take for instance Court TV. Here is
an entire cable network dedicated to airing courtroom
proceedings. Everyone knows how the trend began, but
the interest has snowballed.
At any hour of the day, people can tune in to see the
latest serial killer being cross-examined or an innocent
victim’s giving heartwrenching testimony. However, the
current “court is cool” fad has nothing to do with a
newfound respect for the justice system. It all comes
down to shoddenfreud.
Perhaps the most glaring example of this American
desire for a window to the world is the fascination with
the tabloids. Americans are obsessed with trash and
gossip. They rush to the check-out lines each week to
pick up some rag showing the starlet of the moment
without make-up.
They line up to catch a glimpse of the latest heart-
throb with a spare tire around his waist. They flip on the
tube to hear some blurb about who’s having whose love
child or who’s checked into Betty Ford. Let’s face it,
Americans like to dish, and the dirtier it is, the better.
Even formerly respectable news organizations and pro
grams are sinking down to this pathetic level just to stay
in the ratings game. One needs only think back on the ;
media circus surrounding Princess Diana’s death for a
memory-refreshing example. |
The American obsession with feeling as if they have
something on their neighbors really has reached a pa- ,
thetic level. The message this seems to be sending is
that if you can’t feel better about yourself on merit or
achievement, just look for a weakness in someone else.
This trend is not only a cop-out for genuine personal
worth, it is also dangerous. It blurs the lines between
private and public and indicates that voyeuristic intru
sions are okay.
Ultimately, though, the phenomenon is saddening.
In a country where people have so many opportunities
for personal growth and so many liberties, it is a shame
they choose to abuse their freedoms by catching pho
tos of celebrities sunbathing nude in their own back
yards and wasting their time watching Jerry Springer.
Instead of constantly looking out their windows, people
should take the time to look in the mirror.
Maybe if they discovered what was missing in their
own lives, they would not have to rely so heavily upon
the disasters and disappointments in the lives of others.
Mandy Cater is a senior psychology major
ERSPECTIVES
r aluable life lessons offered
y daytime talk-show host
nr.
Mickey
Saloma
columnist
ust when I was be
ginning to see ab
solutely no hope for
N vo;i r generation’s future
America, I became ac-
|d " ainted with a man
to brought light to my
led outlook on life.
ce iis man is Jerry
ringer.
The day-time talk
>w wars have divided
smbers of our genera-
n since every washed-
S * childhood television star attempted to
ing America’s burning issues into our living
oms. While talk-show hosts such as Vanessa
»m “The Cosby Show” and the dietetically
RVanced woman from the rock group Wilson
-^ulips have come and gone, many other per-
nalities have managed to maintain a quality
'O^ishy show.
For years, I was charmed by Ricki Lake. Her
ndling of intense issues such as cross-dressing
dophiles made me a big fan of her catchphrase,
o Ihcki.”
I also was briefly courted by Jenny Jones. I
uld not help but get caught up in the hype
iated by her murder-causing show. Maybe I
i mistaken, but aren’t all of her shows exactly
ke? One can only stomach so much of trashy
irl makeovers.
Yet through it all, Jerry Springer has maintained
mall semblance of sanity in my life. He is a sur-
r or and he has a lot to offer to every member of
J human race.
Jerry Springer is not your average person who
ints his own show. He actually cares about
nerica and Americans. He stresses to get deep
fide the moral fibers of our society and from
at draw conclusions and even throw out some
ssible solutions.
Okay, well that may be a little overboard, but
least he doesn’t pretend.
While every other smut-filled talk show host
empts to fool the viewer into thinking that
air show is some sort of expose on a current
P' aic that is digging deep into the roots of Amer-
Ljjltn society, Springer knows his show is nothing
[fj't a parade of our society’s dregs and he is not
afraid to say it.
Springer is extremely aware of the quality of
his talk show. I mean lack of quality. On several
occasions he has poked fun of not only his show,
but even of himself.
The ability to laugh at one’s self is an impor
tant characteristic that all the other ego-driven
talk-show hosts lack.
Springer cares about society so much that
he brings these backward guests not to be
friend them and act like some sort of useless
high-school guidance counselor (like Sally
Jesse Raphael), but rather to insult them, be
rate them and let them know that their actions
are morally and sometimes legally wrong.
Springer teaches us that constructive criticism
and bluntness is sometimes a necessary tool
in social interaction.
Springer teaches us to express our thoughts
every day. His “Final Thoughts” at the end of
each show try to get to the bottom of the
show’s issues and leave the viewers with some
food for thought.
Yet, no matter how great of a teacher Jerry
Springer is, he is my ultimate source of sani
ty (besides my girlfriend and my OF Lady),
because he makes me feel a little better
about myself.
Sure, I don’t have a perfect relationship with
my buddies, but at least they don’t have hidden
crushes on me, nor are they involved in any
Elvis Presley-worshiping cults.
I also don’t have the most functional of
families, but we at least love each other and
don’t attempt to pick one another up at fami
ly reunions.
Springer’s show and guests really make me
realize a lot about myself. I am Amish com
pared to most people. I would never even think
to do most of the things that his guests do with
out a second glance (i.e. let my daughter be
come a stripper).
The bottom-line reason why many Ameri
cans should embrace “The Jerry Springer
Show” is that no matter how bad our lives get,
there are many people out there whose lives are
in a million times worse shape than ours.
Thank you, Jerry.
MAIL CALL
Gender equity not
understood in column
I am writing in response to Don-
ny Ferguson’s Jan. 22 column con
cerning the so-called detrimental
feminist movement.
I personally would consider my
self to be a feminnist, and to put it
lightly, Ferguson’s unilateral col
umn filled with eccentric and
ridiculous examples filled me with
intense ire and indignation.
I hope that Ferguson reads this
letter to perhaps shed some light
on two specific topics covered in
his ignorant and offensive column.
First of all, as a typical feminist, I
take offense when Ferguson says
that “gender equity is simply a ve
hicle feminists use to sell their
anti-male, anti-Western culture
snake oil.”
Gender equity means that all
people should be free of culture
binding steryotypes. So, women
should be allowed to become the
kind of woman they wish to be,
just as men should be their own
kind of man.
I respect and appreciate an
American full-time mother as
much (and sometimes more) as I
would respect any working man or
woman. This movement was not
started so that pathetic politically-
correct teachers could force boys
to play with dolls or make little
girls play football so that ec
centrics could cheer when their
efforts helped kids break down
traditional roles.
Susan B. Anthony started the
suffrage movement so that girls
would not be told they had to do
all the housework (as my mother
was told), so that girls would not
be talked out of going to college
and fulfilling dreams (as my
grandmother was forced to do),
and so that someday girls would
not be told that “girls can’t do
math” (as I was told in high
school). Gender equity simply
means an appreciation for every
thing that a person is without
discounting the ideas that break
the gender barriers.
Secondly, I wish to rebute Fer
guson’s efforts to place the brunt of
America’s educational problems
on women. Ferguson stated that
“because feminists infuse an ide-
alogical agenda into education
[this produces] classrooms of [chil
dren] who cannot read or write,
but instead ‘feel.’”
Feminists are not the ones re
sponsible for American children
rating themselves as very intelli
gent. It is a well-known principle
world-wide that this generally
over-confident feeling abounds in
America; it’s part of our heritage, in
fact. Remember Manifest Destiny,
the Mexican-American War, both
world wars, Veitnam, etc, etc.
That doesn’t mean that this ego
centric persona of the American
public penetrates into the Ameri
can classroom.
Karen Kortum
Class of’01
1 AiLSfOS CmW-W&n