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You are here: Home / Empathy bad, emo good

Empathy bad, emo good

by DougJ|  May 30, 201012:39 pm| 32 Comments

This post is in: General Stupidity, We Are All Mayans Now

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So says scav, in an astute comment.

On the one hand, it’s important to emote when something bad happens to James Carville or Cokie Robert or investment bankers, even if there is nothing you can do about it. On the other, it’s important to see poor people, especially nonwhite poor people, as lazy, shiftless, undeserving of sympathy, and once you start empathizing, that generally goes out the window.

Wailing and rending of garments is something you do to show you’re the kind of person I’d like to have a beer with, the kind of person I might bump into at the Applebee’s salad bar. Empathy, however, is a threat to the social order.

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Previous Post: « Damnit Spock, You Still Aren’t Emo Enough
Next Post: Open Thread »

Reader Interactions

32Comments

  1. 1.

    AhabTRuler

    May 30, 2010 at 12:49 pm

    We are a deeply un-serious society.

  2. 2.

    Ann B. Nonymous

    May 30, 2010 at 1:01 pm

    We need Mark Penn to microtarget these people. Or does that word mean something else?

  3. 3.

    Cat Lady

    May 30, 2010 at 1:02 pm

    the kind of person I’d like to have a beer with

    WWJHABW?

  4. 4.

    licensed to kill time

    May 30, 2010 at 1:05 pm

    Next time, I’m voting for a Penitente President. Ritual self-flagellation on the White House lawn will relieve all our stress and be pretty entertaining, to boot. Dedicated pay per view fees will retire our dang deficit and pay for that dang fence.

  5. 5.

    joe from Lowell

    May 30, 2010 at 1:09 pm

    All I know is this: if everyone at BP who earned over $200,000 in 2009 had Gone Galt the day of Barack Obama’s inauguration, the Gulf Mexico would be clean.

  6. 6.

    debbie

    May 30, 2010 at 1:13 pm

    By all means, let’s be emotional. Let’s show that leak that we really mean business and nuke the damn thing.

    I’m still trying to figure out why calling someone Spock is a bad thing. After all, he’s the one who always figured out how to get out of the mess Kirk put the crew in.

  7. 7.

    MattF

    May 30, 2010 at 1:18 pm

    At least the right-wing talking heads have the excuse that attempting to take political advantage of an ecological catastrophe is just part of the job, however demeaning that may be. But what are the ‘liberal’ commentators shooting at? I think what we’re seeing here is the very, very limited intellectual repertoire of our political class. They’re just lost.

  8. 8.

    Arclite

    May 30, 2010 at 1:25 pm

    Don’t forget: It’s also important to empathize when Trent Lott’s house gets destroyed…

  9. 9.

    Stroszek

    May 30, 2010 at 1:29 pm

    @MattF: They’re not “liberals.” It’s as simple as that. Read a Bush-era Dowd column and then an Obama-era column on the same subject. She will completely contradict herself on virtually every point.

  10. 10.

    JenJen

    May 30, 2010 at 1:30 pm

    @joe from Lowell:

    All I know is this: if everyone at BP who earned over $200,000 in 2009 had Gone Galt the day of Barack Obama’s inauguration, the Gulf Mexico would be clean.

    BAM!!

    @Stroszek: Even worse, read a Clinton-era Dowd column, and then marvel at how very much she misses him now. She and Noonan are really in a Class of Suck all their own.

  11. 11.

    Uloborus

    May 30, 2010 at 1:33 pm

    @debbie:
    Again I say: Because Spock is a geek, and he’s from science fiction, which is also geeky. Real Americans detest the geeks and nerds they bullied and made fun of in middle school. Nothing could be more insulting than insinuating that a public figure is geeky.

  12. 12.

    Elisabeth

    May 30, 2010 at 1:34 pm

    It seems people weren’t paying attention during the whole 2008 election cycle. Obama will not lose his cool in public; I doubt he does it in private. It’s not who he is.

    Folks want him to get angry at BP, get angry at Republicans, get angry at recalcitrant Democrats. It’s not going to happen. But that’s what media types want to focus on instead of talking about what’s going on at the well or what happened to create the whole disaster in the first place. How about talking to those who still insist we drill here, there, and everywhere? Or, how about someone point out the hypocrisy of the “the government can’t do anything right crowd” screaming for government intervention? Noooooo, let’s have Carville on so we can report that even top Dems are pissed at the president.

    That’s why I appreciate theoildrum. They aren’t obsessing over the stupid stuff; they’re discussing what’s going on and why. That’s also why, unfortunately, I’m glad MSNBC goes to prison documentaries on the weekends instead of blathering about the same crap over and over again.

  13. 13.

    JenJen

    May 30, 2010 at 1:39 pm

    @Elisabeth:

    But that’s what media types want to focus on instead of talking about what’s going on at the well or what happened to create the whole disaster in the first place. How about talking to those who still insist we drill here, there, and everywhere? Or, how about someone point out the hypocrisy of the “the government can’t do anything right crowd” screaming for government intervention?

    Spot on. It’s an awful lot easier talking about Presidential fee-fees or lack thereof than to talk about what got us here to begin with, or why the EPA was de-fanged, or what kind of sweeping policy changes it will take to prevent a recurrence.

    It reminds me a bit of the HCR debate; rather than talk complicated policy in terms of a complicated issue, the chattering chatterknobs were far more interested in, you know, “Why isn’t POTUS more involved? Why did he abdicate in favor of Pelosi? Why is the bill so loooooooong?“

  14. 14.

    joe from Lowell

    May 30, 2010 at 1:39 pm

    I don’t know, Elisabeth.

    I think Obama needs to suspend his campaign, just like John McCain, to show that he takes this seriously. That’s how a real leader operates.

    That guy is so doomed in November 2008.

  15. 15.

    jwb

    May 30, 2010 at 1:40 pm

    @Uloborus: This is undoubtedly what the media thinks, but the media would, as usual, be wrong.

    ETA: They would be better off going after him for his professorial demeanor than as Spock.

  16. 16.

    Uloborus

    May 30, 2010 at 1:44 pm

    @jwb:
    Yup.

  17. 17.

    Elisabeth

    May 30, 2010 at 1:46 pm

    @JenJen: @joe from Lowell:

    Sometimes it isn’t about the president ~ a concept that appears difficult for people to understand (not y’all).

    Just like yesterday, I think it was, Alex Rodriquez hit a line drive off the side of the head of the Cleveland pitcher. Granted it was the Yankees’ network but they showed A-Rod’s reaction several times when they should have been focused on the health of the pitcher. But, because it was A-Rod of course they put some of the focus on him.

    Same with the president. I’m not sure that we’d be seeing this much focus 1) if it wasn’t Obama and 2) if it didn’t come on the heel of Bush’s presidency. The media wants to see that same “act first, think second,” play for the cameras reaction. While I think Obama should have had his presser a few weeks earlier than he did I’m glad he’s not opting for optics simply for optics sake.

  18. 18.

    cat48

    May 30, 2010 at 1:49 pm

    @jwb:

    I think O is fine when it comes to the “geek” comparison. He doesn’t appear geekish…….or whatever.

  19. 19.

    Elisabeth

    May 30, 2010 at 1:50 pm

    @Elisabeth:

    BTW, on Tuesday Transocean held a memorial for the nine employees they lost. Did anyone cover this? Do we even know the names of those people? What about the other two employees? Does anyone other than those who caught the hearing on Thursday know that Transocean decided not to open financial discussions until after the memorial, potentially leaving the survivors without any source of income for a month? What about the survivors? How are they faring?

    No one knows because we’d rather talk about whether the president is really upset or mocking Malia for asking her dad a typical eleven-year-old question.

  20. 20.

    WereBear

    May 30, 2010 at 2:02 pm

    Yet the whole “Obama got mad at us!” theme the R’s were trying to push from their recent meeting seems to have gotten the traction of a dune buggy in deep snow.

  21. 21.

    Douglas

    May 30, 2010 at 2:27 pm

    It’s not “empathy” per se with which they have a problem – it’s very much a class/group thing.
    Empathy for people we meet at the applebees salad bar – good.
    Empathy for people outside that class (who might prefer actual salad, cause their hungry) – bad.

    Empathy for people that, due to the raising costs in healthcare, food prices etc., have problems with getting by (even if every adult is fully employed) – bad, they should live within their means!
    Empathy for people who make half a million dollar a year and have “struggles” despite that – good, those 3 dresses a year cost a lot, you know. And the chaufeur, too!

    Empathy for people who’re thrown out of their homes during the current mortgage mess – bad, they should’ve known what they were doing!
    Empathy for the CEOs and others that controlled the companies that profitted of the bubble and then lost some money – good, hoocoodanode that that would happen, everyone said that house prices would keep rising!

    Empathy for whatever kid the GOP is countertop checking out this time – bad, s/he should’ve known not to get involved in politicis!
    Empathys for whatever GOP politician’s who’s feefees were “hurt” by Obama/Maddow/Olbermann/some blogger – good, have some heart.

  22. 22.

    sloan

    May 30, 2010 at 2:30 pm

    @Elisabeth:

    It seems people weren’t paying attention during the whole 2008 election cycle.

    No kidding. The “liberal” media was very skeptical of Obama in 2008. Republicans claimed he got a free ride but that’s bullshit. Most major news organizations wouldn’t acknowledge his commanding lead over Hillary and his virtual lock on the nomination even when it was obvious he would be the nominee. Reality was ignored.

    Same thing in the general election. He never trailed McCain in the polls and ran a far superior campaign but you wouldn’t have known it by the reporting. We got 24/7 conventional wisdom about white working class voters and the Bradley Effect from a bunch of boomer reporters who came of age politically during the Reagan era and couldn’t comprehend what they were seeing. The fact that Obama had a solid base of support and would almost certainly win was treated like a statistical fluke that couldn’t possibly come true.

    It continues to this day. Most of our major media figures look up to retro hacks like Peggy Noonan, Michael Barone and George Will, and this is reflected in their lazy reporting. Their default position is that Republicans are right even when they’re wrong, and Obama is an unpopular failure no matter what.

    The reality is that Obama enjoys a surprisingly high approval rating considering the recession he inherited and the political time bombs left by Bush. A lesser president would be radioactive, but Obama remains the single most popular political figure in the nation and is more popular than either Reagan or Clinton at this point in their presidencies.

    When Obama talked about change he wasn’t claiming that he would personally change America. He was acknowledging the social and demographic changes that were already happening. His critics try to stop these changes by attacking him but he’s the wrong target. The transition to a more liberal, less conservative America has been well underway for several years and our media is oblivious.

  23. 23.

    maus

    May 30, 2010 at 2:41 pm

    @sloan:

    our media is oblivious.

    I wouldn’t say “oblivious” so much as “fearful” and “desperate to slow the momentum as much as possible”.

  24. 24.

    fucen tarmal

    May 30, 2010 at 2:46 pm

    no no no

    i remember when the media wanted the first george bush to show emotion…in coutenance and demeanor i believe he and barack obama are very similar. in bush’s case, it was because he was a northeastern wasp who as the stereotype follows, was incapable of it. when he did do it, it seemed forced, not him. that would be the same result if obama did it, but it wouldn’t be taken as awkward…everyone two shades left of tweety would be discussing how he “finally” lost his cool and it would define his presidency….

    plain bad idea. remember, as long as he is president no matter how used to him most of america becomes, he is still jackie robinson. i’m sure dodger fans, and those sympathetic to robinson at the time, wanted him to wail on someone sliding into second base spikes high on a routine put out…it would have been the same thing…he “finally” lost his cool….he has to be a standard above, even if he wanted to show emotion, it goes with being first.

  25. 25.

    Pamela F

    May 30, 2010 at 2:55 pm

    @MattF:
    IMO, Matt, the liberal commentators reflect the liberal blogosphere: holding “Obama’s feet to the fire” is subverted with criticism all the time, regardless of its banality. When the miniscule liberal media piles on (remember how MoDo skewered Gore mercilessly on”earth tones”, etc.) the result is all the American citizens hear is president-bashing, 24/7. The consequences: 8 years of W, now possibly followed by Palin, Gingrich or Romney?

    Personally, I think the whole Village punditocracy would do a better service to America if they were included in BP’s junk shot (Howard Fineman, the “liberal” should go first). If that’s too radical, they should at least quit attending the same cocktail parties.

  26. 26.

    Pamela F

    May 30, 2010 at 3:06 pm

    @fucen tarmal:
    The difference that separates Obama from George H.W. Bush is the fact that he used emotions to inspire millions which got him elected. Let’s try to remember how the MSM tried to trivialize Obama’s ability to inspire: he was a lightweight who only gave pretty speeches but lacked substance.

    Somehow our liberal pundits have forgotten that how the American people also seemed to admire his cool, calm deliberativeness in the face of adversity.

  27. 27.

    Mutant Poodle

    May 30, 2010 at 3:17 pm

    I believe this is the level of emo Carville and Roberts would like to see from our President.

  28. 28.

    sloan

    May 30, 2010 at 3:40 pm

    The first arrests, in the aftermath of the BP Oil Spill: Greenpeace protesters.

    Charges have been filed against seven members of Greenpeace who boarded an offshore drilling support ship in a Louisiana port and painted anti-drilling slogans in crude oil on the vessel’s side on Monday afternoon. … The activists were charged with unauthorized entry of “critical infrastructure” and of an inhabited dwelling, according to the Lafourche Parish sheriff’s department. Both counts carry a maximum penalty of six years in prison.

    via DKos

  29. 29.

    WereBear

    May 30, 2010 at 3:40 pm

    @Pamela F: Yes, taking the media at face value has become a fool’s game.

    They were clueless about every twist and turn in the 2008 election; from McCain’s “popularity” and the game changer Bible Spice would be, to the source of Obama’s appeal and what women really thought about what they wanted in a leader.

  30. 30.

    Nellcote

    May 30, 2010 at 4:54 pm

    Prez Obama needs to use a bullhorn next time he goes down to the Gulf and shout at the oil. The Villagers want volume not substance. I wonder if any of them have even bothered looking at the WH blog. LOTS of info there.

  31. 31.

    Yutsano

    May 30, 2010 at 8:43 pm

    @Douglas: You have very much defined in explicit terms exactly what IOKIYAR means. Because if you go back and look, you’ve done just that. Well played good sir.

  32. 32.

    AxelFoley

    May 30, 2010 at 8:56 pm

    @sloan:

    Well said, sloan.

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