People don't pay attention

[charliesmum]

When I was in the fifth grade Randy Newman came out with a song called "Short People" and there was all sorts of wangst about it in the media, about how it is an evil song and blah blah blah.

See, people heard these lyrics:

Well, I don't want no Short People
Don't want no Short People
Don't want no Short People
`Round here

And didn't bother to listen to the rest of the chorus that continued:

Short People are just the same
As you and I
(A Fool Such As I)
All men are brothers
Until the day they die
(It's A Wonderful World)

The media, as ever its wont, leapt upon the contraversy, and apparently we as a nation were too stupid to catch the very obvious scarasm inherent in the song. (Except for me of course. I was precocious. /smugness.)Seriously, even as I ten year old, I remember thinking, 'huh? But he's saying all men are brothers. It's a joke.'
People were up in arms about how evil and mean this song was, and missed the point entirely, that being prejudiced against anyone for any reason is just stupid and useless. I mean come on, Randy Newman is, what, five feet tall? But no, people just wanted to rant and wangst and didn't pay attention. And it was the Seventies, where any entertainer worth his salt was all about love and brotherhood and peace and drugs happiness and stuff.

Why do I bring this up? Because the same attitude seems to crop up, much to our amusement, on many a Live Journal community. (slightest of HPB spoilers, but nothing you probably don't already know. I've not read the book yet, and I don't feel spoiled, so it should be safe)

People read something, get insulted, and don't bother to assess what they've read before responding, and the next thing you know, there's all sorts of whinging back and forth.

It is very amusing sad.

Comments

[cabenson.livejournal.com]

I remember that song because I was a tall child and the short kids gave me grief over it. Like I had anything to do with it.

I knew people would go nuts over the HP ships. Too bad we don't see this much activity and angst over the current state of the world.

[charliesmum.livejournal.com]

Yeah. No one seems to care that this war is going on two years after Bush declared it 'mission accomplished' but infer that Harry and Hermione aren't going to get together and there's hell to pay.

Sigh.

[nam-jai.livejournal.com]

Word. Yet I've been known myself to get worked up about trivial things, I admit, and waste a lot of my free time on them. So if someone is writing letters to get an author to switch gears on something she's had plotted for years ... well, it's their time to waste, I suppose.

Where I start to verge on clucking with disapproval is fundraising for fan campaigns to keep TV shows on the air or such. My money for donations is limited, but even if it weren't, there are far more important causes than, say, pleading for another season of "Angel" or another "X-Files" movie (two examples that I know of). Except, yeah, I'm a hypocrite here too, considering the money I spend on DVDs of favorite series and other inessentials (like this LiveJournal account), but at least I know I'm getting something for my money. So maybe I don't think donating the money is immoral so much as just stupid?

I think I've talked myself in circles here. In any case, I will giggle in a lurking sort of way at someone getting themselves into an irrational fit of self-righteousness over their trivial pursuits, as in the metaquotes thread, because that's just funny.

[charliesmum.livejournal.com]

I totally agree that there is nothing wrong with feeling passionate about trivial things. Taking it too seriously is kind of silly though.

I was very upset when Joan of Arcadia was cancelled, and I even sent an email to CBS to say so, but I really can't afford to send money to the cause. It was a bummer, to be sure, and I think the show deserves another chance, but there's only so far I would go.

And it is funny. People amuse me.

[nam-jai.livejournal.com]

Heh. That was an amusing thread (as was the original one the metaquote was drawn from). Thanks for the morning laugh!

[lietya.livejournal.com]

The weird thing is, I agree with that person who posted the original entry. I mean, not in such strong language, but - people really thought it'd happen?

(I distinguish this, as the commenters apparently didn't, from criticizing the 'shippers. There're people out there 'shipping Skinner/Krycek, and Snape/Sirius in this fandom, as we speak. Seeing/imagining/fanfic-ing relationships that aren't canon is a long-established tradition, and I'm fine with that. Expecting it to *become* canon is where someone would diverge from reality.)

[cabenson.livejournal.com]

Squee!!! Leik, R/hr 4eva!!1111!11

[lietya.livejournal.com]

ack!

[cabenson.livejournal.com]

Fanbrats are the worst. I could understand if the were ALL teeneagers, but I know some that are in their mid-20's...and that scares me.

[lietya.livejournal.com]

It really is very disturbing. "Fanbrat" is a good term for it....

[swordmage.livejournal.com]

And the sad thing is that's the only "hit" song he's ever done.

I do love Randy dearly, he's one of the best songwriters around today, IMO.

[wolfma.livejournal.com]

Oh, I remember that song! The guy who wrote it was a super-tall African American man, if I remember right. He was talking in between the lines about how utterly stupid prejudice is.