Think back to your childhood and remember the familiar song “Three Blind Mice’. It ends “You’ve never seen such a sight in your life as Three Blind Mice”. It was the theme song for the Three Stooges and is also a derogatory phrase for poor referees in the sports of basketball and hockey (which each uses three refs). The childish antics of some very prominent folks captured media headlines this week and brought to mind this age-old children’s round.
Joe Wilson's Shout Out
South Carolina Rep.(R) Joe Wilson’s outburst on the House floor during President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress on health care could be called the shout heard around the world. As the President made his case for health care reform, he addressed some of the specific inaccuracies floated by the insurance and health care industry's paid supporters. The misinformation is designed to confuse and frighten the American public. Rep. Wilson yelled out “You Lie” when the President assured the country and the Congress that illegal immigrants would not be able to avail themselves of the benefits of any proposed national health care reforms.
Wilson's antics serve as a useful reminder of the power of supposedly unpredicted and unplanned events in politics. The ensuing news coverage focused on the shouting incident instead of the subject at hand, health care reform. On a largely party-line vote, the House voted 240 to 179 to ratify a "resolution of disapproval" against Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) for interrupting President Obama's health-care speech before a joint session of Congress.
Serena Willliams' Meltdown
Well-known for nearly a dozen Grand Slam titles, a clothing line, and a glamorous presence, Serena Williams is now known for a profane game stopping outburst too. Her threat to shove a ball down a lineswoman's throat in the U.S. Open peppered with frequent use of the “F” word is inexcusable. Her lips were readable and her words were audible over the courtside microphones: She cursed and threatened physical violence. When reporting on Serena Williams antics, Washington Post Sports Columnist Sally Jenkins wrote “The awful irony was ...that at least it was a sincere expression of who she really is: a competitor of roaring fury”..."You don't win nearly a dozen Grand Slam titles without some kind of fierce commitment". Jenkins noted “People who lose their temper let their emotions, their urgency, their needs, trump everyone else's”.
Serena Williams' profanity-laced, finger-pointing tirade at a U.S. Open linesperson drew a $10,000 fine Sunday, and more punishment could follow from a broader investigation into what the head of the tournament called her "threatening manner." The rules allow for a fine as high as all of a player's prize money from the tournament - and a suspension, Williams also was docked $500 for smashing her racket after the first set of the match. The chairman and CEO of the women's tennis tour, Stacey Allaster, issued a statement calling Williams' conduct "inappropriate and unprofessional."
Kanye West’s Stage Invasion
Rolling Stone reported on the behavior of Kanye West at the 2009 VMA Awards.
Leave it to Kanye West to produce one of the most infamous moments in VMAs history before the 2009 show was even an hour old. It happened after Taylor Swift’s victory in the Best Female Video category for “You Belong With Me,” which beat out Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It).” Just moments after Swift accepted the Moonman and began her acceptance speech, West stormed the stage, taking the microphone from Swift to announce Beyoncé deserved the award.
Everyone at the Radio City Music Hall looked stunned, as the cameras captured an astonished and horrified Beyoncé still in her seat.
Near the end of the show, Beyoncé invited Swift onstage to have the acceptance speech she deserved while picking up her own Moonman for Video of the Year. Later, West posted an apology on his blog.
Watching the antics of these "Three Blind Mice", all I can say is "cut off their tales with a craving knife". "Stop the Madness!
No comments:
Post a Comment