Monday, November 14, 2005

The all-temperature cheer

stan posted this at 2:01 PM, and 3 of you responded

Oregon Public Broadcasting has been running these specials on the "pioneers" of television lately. The other day I was on my home computer (which, unlike Meagan's Poppy Isabella, has no name), and I heard an episode on TV in the background. Some of the clips they showed had parts where the audience was applauding the performers, and when I heard that applause, something occurred to me: There were no screams of "WHOOOOO!!" and few if any whistles. It was just clapping.

Today's audiences always seem to scream, cheer and whistle while they clap. Watch any sitcom with a live audience. Go to any concert. It's always more than clapping. It's as though there was once a law against yelling and screaming, which at some point was repealed.

Or, perhaps back then, audiences would only cheer if something was actually worth cheering for, but just clapped the rest of the time. Maybe today, our standards have dropped, and we'll call anything "great" even if it's mediocre, yelling and screaming at the most pedestrian of performances.

Whooooo!

Your thoughts?

3 Talked Back:

At November 14, 2005 at 4:59:00 PM CST, Blogger meagan said...

Maybe OPB can only afford the signs that say "APPLAUSE NOW" and not the "CHEER NOW", and "WHISTLE NOW" signs.

love meagan

p.s. bummer about your no-name computer. You could name it Dinglemunch...

 

At November 15, 2005 at 8:27:00 AM CST, Blogger Jay Noel said...

I think there are just some individuals that want to be heard above the crowd. So when that episode of Seinfeld comes on, that guy can say, "Hey Ma, that's me yoo-hoo-ing there."

 

At November 16, 2005 at 1:28:00 AM CST, Blogger h-i-p said...

I was reading the other day just about that: how people are so willing to look like idiots at a (name your favorite boy band) concert but so self conscious when it comes to worshipping God. The author cited this as evidence of the human's capacity for adoration and the need to have it focused on the One who deserves it all.

However, I wouldn't mind going back to the days of our founding fathers where instead of clapping they just tapped their walking sticks or hands against their desks or thighs. The sound of one hand clapping filled Independence Hall on July 4, 1776. At least in the movie.

And sadness -- they are really adamant about having people NOT whoop and holler at the Dave Letterman show. And no one did. I wanted to be the one saying "Hey ma that's me!" but I felt so out of sorts I didn't want to stand out. They do have the professional clapper though to cue the audience. Good gig if you ask me.

 

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