Outbursts

With the coverage of Serena Williams reaction to a foot fault call, Kanye West's comment at the VMA's and Joe Wilson's "No liar," it seems that all kinds of outbursts are making their way into the news. In fact , 2 of the 3 have even pulled in the President one way or another into the fray. As someone who's said plenty of stupid things only to regret them later, I have sympathy for those caught on tape behaving badly. What interests me more than the outbursts themselves is the outrage over the outbursts.

People have always been amused by others doing dumb things. The ongoing popularity of reality shows certainly testifies to that. Seeing someone make a fool of themselves often reassures people that their own flaws are perhaps not that bad. So it surprises me a little that people aren't more blase about the outbursts. I wonder if the outrage is somehow connected to an anxiety over the possibility that impulsive behavior can be recorded, stored and broadcast so easily. In the past, getting caught on tape and seeing that the tape made its way into the public eye on a wide scale was no easy task. It seemed that it was only people who actively sought fame would be humiliated in public. The rest of us could feel safe in our anonymity. Now with cheap, easy-to-use cameras and free social networking tools readily available, all of us, no matter what race, class or gender, can conveniently embarrass ourselves on a grand scale.

I wonder if we'll reach a tipping point with fame (and/or infamy). At some point, will fame will be so easily attainable that it will no longer be alluring? Has technology made it so easy to communicate that being famous no longer holds value? Or is it the case that the need to be seen, heard and known will end up overriding the need for privacy for more and more people.