Donkey of the day: Britt McHenry (Mean Girl)
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Britt McHenry berated a towing company employee. The tape leaked. It trended worldwide. ESPN suspended her for one week. She apologized. While the leaker edited the footage, its hard to envisage context that would soften what was said, which was ugly.
Reactions, as they are wont to do, polarized into two camps. Supporters felt McHenry had a lamentable outburst, a relatable low moment unfortunately caught on camera. Critics argued the sharp, personal attacks were odious and character defining. Treating another person that way was not something reasonable people did. The truth, as usual, was somewhere in the grey area between.
My initial reaction skewed critical. Ive been angry. Ive been frustrated. Ive had low moments, unfit for film. But, Ive never, to my recollection, lashed out at another person about their perceived education, skill-set, domicile or teeth. Maybe thats empathy. More probably thats a combination of conflict avoidance and guilt or perhaps just not having being provoked to that point.
The thing isIve done this, in a broader sense. So have many of you.
McHenrys biting insults profession, education, weight, dental care, take your pick centered on the tow truck employees class. Media, to large extent, have grown attuned to race, gender and sexuality sensitivity. Class is another matter. The same folks hounding down every slightand malapropism in the former realms have few compunctions about reducing working class people to a tableau.
Most Internet humor that goes viral (not involving cats) is some variation of we the educated laughing at the zany antics of the great unwashed.Many media members told us they stayed on Twitter for the jokes. The jokes and memes are, often, cutting, impolite jibes about many of the topics McHenry touched on.Look at this outfit I saw at the stadium.Everyones off to #LexingtonPoliceScanner, right? How do you guys feel aboutOlive Garden? #TCAP still on? Everyone loves Shirtless, towel-waving N.C. State fan.
Speaking for myself, Ive made fun of people I didnt like for their weight and their physical appearance. Ive belittled others educations and professions. As a Michigan fan, Ive made comments about rival Ohio one may consider classist (Ill shut up about the sweat pants. I promise). Much of my activity, writing about college football, is finding folks like this or like thisto ridicule. I laugh, heartily, at the rubes who call into Paul Finebaums show.
A world that causes no offense would be dour and humorless. Theres a difference between tongue-in-cheek and deeply-held belief. Theres a difference between playing with stereotypes and spewing direct vitriol in someones face. But, the differences are not enough for me to start spouting off about virtue. Maybe your conscience is clean.
McHenry has been labeled as a Mean Girl for this incident. Undoubtedly, bearing as strong a resemblance to Regina George as any member of the sports media is having a strong bearing on how this is being processed. But, its worth notingthe point from Tina Feys movie was that everyone has that mean girl inside them. A quick cruise through McHenrys mentions on social media will attest to that.
Opprobrium has descended upon her. McHenrys actions warrant it. She was, without question, wrong. But, when we adjudicate these matters over the Internet, we tend to exculpate ourselves and brutally castigate the isolated individual. Thats the precise mistake that got McHenry intro trouble.
One person wont alter the prevailing social media wind. But, remember, pretty much at any moment, that torrential wind can come down on you.
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