The Unworthy Person of the Month

How many times have you heard someone say, "___ sucks!" where the blank is the name of some well-known person? It might be an entertainer - singers and musical acts in particular have a way of drawing this type of comment. It might be a politician, an athlete, or perhaps a rival sports team or the city that hosts such a team. 

"So-and-so sucks!" is such a common exclamation in daily conversation that we scarcely think about it's significance or the motivating forces behind it. Let's take a moment to examine those dynamics.

Is the comment well deserved? Does this person merit widespread disdain? Do they deserve to have perfect strangers using their name as a punch line?

If the person is a musician, what percentage of the people who claim to "hate their music" have actually listened to one of their albums end to end? Or did they hear one overplayed "hit" song, see an image that they didn't particularly care for, and bump on the "He sucks!" bandwagon?

We all know that it's not nice to make fun of people. Why are we so ready and willing to disparage celebrities whom we have never met and about whose lives we know very little?

Societies cultivate targets for their disdain. The heard deems someone as unworthy, and then everyone feels free to chime in and pile on. 

"Join us in insulting the Unworthy Person of the Month!" says the herd. "Feel better about yourself by pretending that someone else is inferior to you. Don't worry about the fact that that person has accomplished things that you never have and probably never will! We, The Masses have deemed them unworthy! Join us!"

It's a sociological game of sorts, albeit an ugly one. Step 1 - Identify the unworthy among us - the weakling, the oddball, the infidel, or the person who seems to have enjoyed too much fame too fast. Step 2 - Gain a sense of satisfaction and connection with your peers by insulting the designated person pointlessly. Step 3 - Repeat until the herd designates a new object of disdain.

This is the same mindset that spurs children to torment the weak kid at the playground or ostracize a classmate who seems strange and distant. Such behavior might be perceived as bullying if it goes on unchecked. Insulting celebrities is the sanitized adult version of the same behavior. And for some reason, it's socially acceptable.

Copyright © 2014 Daniel R. South 

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