Mockery in the Public Discourse: Another Problem with Sarah Palin

Here's a magazine cover I'd like to see: a simple shot of Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin giving her acceptance speech to the cheering convention delegates. Superimposed over the photo are headshots of media pundits with their swooning sound bytes, atop a caption that reads: What's wrong with this picture?

Ever since Palin's convention speech last week, some in the media, as well as alarmed voters forwarding fact-checking e-mails, have been addressing the flaws in her candidacy, the vetting process, and aspects of her convention speech, e.g., the out-and-out lies and mocking tone. Yet both pundits and "the people" still frequently preface their remarks by complimenting her speaking skills and asserting that she gave a "great speech." As Palin continues her speaking tactics on the stump, I am prompted to raise an issue which, in my view, is so detrimental to our society that we must begin to address it.

In a nutshell, we are a society that has come to consider mockery an acceptable form of public discourse. As long as we're not the butt of it, we accept it as humorous and clever, and so a legitimate form of human interaction. Whether it's on a late-night comedy show, in a popular movie, or part of a political campaign, this form of public degradation is seen as "normal," "standard practice," and even natural or essential human behavior. We don't care if a speaker's words are vicious or denigrating, or even true -- as long as they're uttered with a smile and a joke line. As a society we have come to believe that "a pit bull with lipstick" is something to be lauded and admired.

This is a problem that seems, of late, to especially plague the Republican Party -- whose entire line-up of convention speakers relied heavily on mocking their opponents. Particularly startling was the Republican mockery of Obama's role as a community organizer -- and, by extension, the people whose lives were changed by his efforts. (Community organizing, of course, has been the foundation of the major movements for change in this country, including the feminist movement from which Sarah Palin was benefiting as she spoke.)

Of course, this practice of mocking people with whom one disagrees is not limited to Republicans. Both the liberal and conservative blogospheres, for example, suffer mightily from the same disease. Readers of blogs often mock the blogger, writers of follow-up comments, or an opposing candidate or political party. When Timothy Shriver posted a blog advocating a boycott of the movie Tropic Thunder, on the grounds that its portrayal of people with intellectual disabilities had the effect of mocking, and therefore harming, people who already endure significant societal abuse, numerous commenters responded by defending mockery. One even suggested that humor, to be good, must be mean--which, of course, is simply not true. (A two-year-old I know recently made up his own joke; it was intelligent, spontaneous, and funny--and completely devoid of meanness.) Some confused satire with mockery. (Satire illuminates a societal problem; mockery belittles others.)

Many people think that all of this doesn't matter. But as mockery has grown increasingly acceptable in the public discourse, children and teenagers have also come to accept it as normal, and the consequences have sometimes been tragic. We've seen suicides by teens who were cruelly mocked and humiliated on Internet forums. We've seen school shootings, almost of all of which have been committed by young people who have been severely bullied, a.k.a. mocked. (Mocking is a form of bullying, a way of asserting superiority by denigrating or humiliating another.)

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We also see its consequences in the devolution of public and private discourse. Mockery, by its nature, keeps conversation at surface levels, ensuring that no change in either listener or speaker will occur as a result of the interaction, little depth of insight will emerge, and no deeper sense of intimacy will be gained. By belittling others, mockery erects a psychological barrier that automatically divides, not unifies.

As mockery grows increasingly commonplace, we need to start drawing connections. If we ourselves are not modeling a more respectful way of treating others--and demanding the same of figures in the public eye--aren't we contributing to a culture that accepts demeaning others as

OK?

When a party's convention speakers and candidates' campaigns use mockery as a weapon to make supporters feel superior to others and we fail to denounce it--when we accept mockery as "just politics" or "business as usual" -- what are we teaching our children? And what are we doing to ourselves?

I suggest that it is time to ask: What are we personally doing to make mocking others unacceptable? What are we doing to create a culture of dignity?

For starters, we can tell the truth: Sarah Palin's convention address was not a "great speech." It may have been clever, but it was not wise. It may have been delivered with poise, good timing, and confidence, but it was not respectful or insightful, visionary or principled, eloquent or uplifting, or grounded in practical solutions to the pressing problems of our time.

What's wrong with this picture? And what kind of picture will we choose to create instead?

Pamela Gerloff is co-author, with Robert W. Fuller, of Dignity for All: How to Create a World without Rankism (Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2008).

Comments

[lincheryl]

Imagine Palin taking that tone with heads of state. That will go over well.

[lincheryl]

I am a teacher and agree completely with you on mocking and bullying. We have become a mean society and it is having effects. The Republicans should be embarrassed, but they are not and are desensitizing people and children to the hurtful and negative vibes they are giving. I see it every day.

[SusaninIN]

Thanks! I couldn't have said it better myself. I get so upset with people who question Obama's christianity when he has treated others respectively. The republicans can not say the same.

[LightningJoe]

Thanks, for that. And for your graceful way of framing the issue.

I find that I really only make headway in interactions, when I take a path that respects my fellows' autonomy, faculties, and humanity. The other path ends in a place where only I am right, and everyone else is wrong (so do the math).

We didn't used to be like this, but then we all grew up on television.

Our lives now are a succession of simplistic premises, that are all resolved in an hour or so, and never affect the flow of the season's offerings. We think no deeper than a tv "drama" takes us, and just about that broadly, too. We get antsy if we have to pay attention to something longer than a two-second cut.

The programming, and programming, that television puts out, is great for selling things, including goods; but it's not so good for learning about a complex world and its people, or even about different people close to us. And without that learning dimension, we will never accept those with whom we share our world, whether they be near or far.

(cue the people who don't WANT to accept people, even though THEY expect to be accepted...)

Also, because mockery allows exaggeration, it's a slick way to present a lie, "without" lying. But the lie still goes out. Once a thing is said, It's free.

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Sszzsxtt_sszt! This is your brain, on teevee.

[airhead-not]

Thank you Pamela Gerloff. An excellent insightful article. I've been waiting since the "speech" that was no speech for someone to come out and call a spade a spade - Sarah Palin's acceptance speech was not a "great speech". She was reading from a script (after intense coaching) words - denigrating words mocking the very qualities that is the essence of America's goodness written by a small, petty vindictive mind. So thank you for putting her "speech" in the correct perspective.

[PALinda]

Your post, Pamela Gerloff, belonged and still belongs front and center anywhere/everywhere.

Biden's response to Palen's speech, basically, "... it was a great POLITICAL speech". That seemed to me to be shorthand for what you illuminated.

Our culture is driven by television and sports, let's face it. So much of television does NOT reflect the decency of ordinary American lives. And sports conflates the "them" "other" "not us" into all of life. It infuses so-called "life" with drama And Americans now conflate that drama into our real lives.

As a result, many "middle class" Americans know not how to see the forest for the trees, cannot clearly recognize their journey, and have not thought for the ultimate destination. They think not ... they merely stuff the political junk food into their brains much the same way they stuff junk food into their gaping maws as they vegitate in front of the tube. THIS is the demographic to which Palen is attractive. THEY will get the President they deserve if Palin wins. Let's hope and pray that WE outnumber them!

[septicskeptic]

Fantastic! I believe so many people vote against candidates, not for them, and one of the reasons is anger at personal attacks.

A lot of people can find some common ground with all of the candidates, but when one of those candidates is personally attacked, some will simply vote against the attacker , without regard for the issues at stake, maybe even voting against who they might have voted for in the first place.

Let's stick to the issues!

[cuckoopants73]

excellent piece...thank you

[WorldNeedsHope]

Thank you for putting into words the sadness and disgust I felt watching the RNC speeches. Here's one thing I'm personally going to do to help raise awareness of mockery in public discourse: I'm going to link this article on my blog and Facebook page, and ask everyone I know to read it. Thank you again.

[reasonshouldrule]

Very good article with an important point. And as Ms. Gerloff points out, we have now descended into actually admiring rudeness and mockery. It's very discouraging.

[kj11]

When Palin told the joke about the difference between hockey moms and pit bulls....I knew it was downhill from there. What kind of woman, who is on the national stage for the first time in order to become vice president, calls herself a pittbull with lipstick? It lacked dignity. It was crude.

If she can tear down herself like that...I guess I should not have been shocked at the way she so readily disrespected other public officials like the head of the senate. It was a total turnoff.

[LightningJoe]

Strictly speaking, she wasn't putting herself down -- she was bragging.

Which brings up a little hitch in the nascent plan to just love everyone to death -- if only one side does all of the lovin', we'll may wake up on the rug surrounded by little paper umbrellas in bright pastel shades, and World War III going on, out on the patio.

Oops, was I mocking, again? (you see the difficulty, I'm sure)

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Television -- Just Kill It!

[lincheryl]

What is amazing is that she was demeaning and crude and then the campaign gets in a tizzy about someone asking questions about her. Hello, contradiction.

[SherryIndianapolis]

I wholeheartedly agree and thank you for giving me something to think about on my own personal journey.

Peace.

[jalyn]

It's true, we have become cynical - it reveals something is very wrong, not just the political scene. But, adults who want to become national leaders are expected to act diplomatically, The tone at the RNC during Giuliani and Palin's speeches rang with mockery.

[walkthewalk]

I'm so glad to read your analysis.

How can we expect people to be respectful of one another when the leaders we are told to look up to mock those with whom they disagree or oppose?

If we applaud the speech written for and delivered by Sarah Palin, we encourage this behavior. And we do it at our own risk.

[indalay]

I've been appalled at how nearly every McCain/Palin/RNC/Republican surrogate speech or comment is identified or described in terms of what it mocks. Bullying, immature, distractive, disrespectful - all tones that destroy the possibility of constructive conversation about issues that matter, about the welfare of our nation, or about the future.
Thank you for speaking for me.