When I was a kid, I loved The Dukes of Hazzard. Sure, the plots were more repitive than a childs finger play and the characters were as shallow and poorly developed as an 11 year old girl. No matter, I was devoted.
I wasn't the hot car, or the Duke boys, or the awful twangy music, or even the excellent narration that drew me in so. It was the fistfights. Bo and Luke would start swinging punches (always after being provoked, mind you). Even Catherine Bach in her tourniquet short shorts, cast iron pantyhose, and high heels would get in on the action smacking a customer with her tray or pushing someone over with her high heels.
It was awesome and it formed a good bit of my perspective on human relations. Nowadays, violence gets a bad rap. Everyone is so against it. I think this is mostly a viewpoint propogated by losers who fall into the fetal position weeping at the first good smack but nevertheless, the winers have taken over the worldview on violence and now we all have to be against it because they suck in a fight.
But let's just for a minute consider the application of the precious principle taught in The Dukes of Hazard- punch someone in the mouth and get over it. They didn't have bottled up feelings, ulcers, therapists, and call in talk shows. They punched the person they were mad at while they were mad at them and then in the next scene- the punchee and puncher were fine. They had acted and then they got over it.
Now we tell kids to "use their words". Great. More talking. The problem with words is there is an unlimited supply. Eventually, punching and getting punched back get old and it is time to stop. We'll call this "closure". But words can go on forever. Words focus attention and keep the drama going as long as the user has them. So now we have a culture that is all about verbal combat and confrontation. It is infinitely more damaging than a fat lip.
Let's return to the good old days. Deal with who you are mad at, when you are mad at them. Then get over it. A fat lip is a small price to pay for the de-whinification of our culture.
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4 comments:
Hey, you've blogged again!
I can see your point about fighting it out. I'm not a yeller, I'm a bottle-it-up and stew about it type. (Embarassing to admit, but I SUCK at forgiving.)
The only thing is... I have no idea how to throw a punch. Never done it, ever. It'd be pretty pitiful.
Yay Gracie blogged! I would like to make a formal request that you try to narrow down the frequency to more often than every 10 months. You know you want to.
Granted
di- it's good to know who can't fight back just in case I need to pick on someone for fun one day...
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