A Road House Society
In the back of the large hall, the doors, evidently needing damper adjustments, slammed and rattled about every thirty seconds making it hard at times to hear what we were there for. During the brief intermissions, people were shouting up on stage trying to embarrass the performers as they walked off. Even during the performance, people were standing up and jockeying for position to see who could get the best angle for recording the event on their cellphone or perhaps blind the most people behind them with the backlight. The performers themselves weren't without fault as one wore a mini skirt so short, she constantly had to hold the hem down to protect her modesty. Another one didn't perform at all, simply stood on stage making "rabbit ears" behind those next to him, doing wrestling poses and making faces. As each act ended, people leapt out of their seats to rush through the doors in the rear making sure to let them slam shut and interrupt the next ten minutes of the performance with loud bangs as they walked out one at a time. One might think it was a slightly more civilized scene out of the movie "Road House" but in fact it was the 6th and 7th grade Christmas Choir performance.
If I had to capsulize what it wrong with our society, I would look no further than last night. We have ceased to care about anyone in this world except ourselves. We have wholly given up on teaching our children how to be polite and have manners when out in public. We have given up completely on setting society limits on what is proper and what isn't. Instead, it has become one big "you do you kid". One might read this and assume this was a one off event but in actuality, this was the second concert of the year and although the first concert was full of many of the same interruptions, including the same 6th grade girl in the same extremely short mini skirt having the exact same modesty issue, this was worse on all accounts, especially the catcalling by the parents. Perhaps the only thing that improved between the first concert and this one was while both required the students to dress all in black dress clothing, there were no kids wearing white, green, yellow, or name your color of pajama pants. Evidently the parents (and children) learned from the first concert that disregarding those explicit instructions reflected badly on themselves.
Not long ago, Transportation Secretary Shawn Duffy made a plea for civilians to dress up again for flying on our nation's airlines. Even though I would have said there was little chance of that happening, after last night's performance, I would extend that to say there will be little chance of that happening in the next 100+ years. We've already ruined the next generation or two of children.
I read your post waiting for the punch line or anything to tell me you were joking, but sadly, you were not. What the hell is wrong with people? Sometimes I am glad I am in the last half of my life so I do not have to see and experience the downfall that will happen in the coming decades.
ReplyDeleteI've had similar thoughts. I've seen quite a bit of questionable behavior at past concerts but this was by far the worst.
DeleteThat doesn’t sound pleasant. You are certainly right about dress standards. They’ve changed so much.There is casual but it doesn’t have to be sloppy.
ReplyDeleteIt wouldn't have been so bad but the majority of the singing was done so softly that it was hard to hear. I'm not sure if their microphone system just wasn't tuned right or the teachers just couldn't get their students to sing louder or what. But every time the door slammed and rattled, we couldn't hear the song being son until is was quiet again and we were in the 5th row from the stage of an auditorium that had maybe 40 rows total. There were also four distinct choirs singing, 6th, 6th advanced, 7th, and 7th advanced so when one finished, the parents of those children immediately got up and left instead of staying for the entire performance. Our daughter is in 7th advanced so was the last to sing and by then, the full auditorium had been whittled down to maybe 40 people. Back when our daughter was in 6th advanced last year, we told her to hang tight in the classroom and we would come pick her up after all performances were completed. Evidently we are in a minority that do that.
DeleteThis world has definitely changed. I recently went to see Zootopia 2 with my granddaughters. Phones in movies bug the heck out of me. This one was the worst. The theater was packed with small children and their parents. During the movie I could see about 10 phones glowing as the parents scrolled through texts, Facebook and videos. It was so annoying! These parents of 2-8 year old kids are the generation that is attached to their phones and it really showed during this movie. I wanted to stand up and shout "Turn of the phones!!" so bad. As you said, they were only thinking of themselves. They weren't even trying to enjoy the movie with their kids.
ReplyDeleteI've dreamed of buying some sort of cellphone jammer to carry around with me where ever I go. Thus it is why I just stay home and rent movies to stream instead.
DeleteI have wanted a jammer too. I find it so rude when people are on their phone in stores, banks, etc. and even when they get to the teller window, they keep talking on their phone. I would love to jam it and have it squeal in their ear at a high pitch. However, my son said it is illegal because the range would disable even the phone of the "good guys" such as police, etc.
DeleteI've heard the same thing about the legality of such devices.
DeleteOh my what an experience. Sadly parents are not doing their best guiding their children because they are in such a hurry or on their phones.
ReplyDeleteWe seem draconian with our rule, the main one being no electronic devices during the school week. But our kids never pushed back at it so we continue with the youngest who still has a few more years at home.
DeleteIs this for real? In your small town? Sheesh.
ReplyDeleteIn Honolulu recently, a couple watching a high school basketball game with their son playing were in the stands screaming at the refs. Outside, after the game, a high school administrator who weighed about 120 lbs spoke to them and the 300 lb husband punched her in the face, knocking her out for about 10 minutes. Fortunately (one of the times when phones are handy) this was recorded. The couple have been issued a forever ban at any and all Department of Education events and locations.
We say, in Hawaii, "no class". Evidently we are losing that in your town too.
Sadly it is all true. I have seen and heard a lot more at sporting events but the same behavior seems to be spilling into indoor auditorium events.
DeleteDang! Where was the choir director when all this was going on? They clearly had no control over the situation. The parents are a different matter altogether. Unbelievable!
ReplyDeleteThere were two choir directors, one for the regular choirs and one for the advanced choirs. The kid acting up was in the regular choir and most likely didn't want to be there judging from his lack of singing. I hope the choir director graded him accordingly after the fact since I'm sure he was seen by them.
DeleteEd, I really have little hope for Western Civilization overall. There may be pockets, but it is hard to counter the impression that we have reached peak selfishness and self conceit.
ReplyDeleteIt is a bit mind boggling to me and I guess it shouldn't be since it is all around me and has been for awhile. I guess though most people's selfishness has little impact on my life... until I went to see my daughter perform in a choir.
DeleteEd, for a counter view of a Christmas program, check out Patrice Lewis' post today: http://www.rural-revolution.com/2025/12/americas-hope.html
ReplyDeletePerhaps a little known fact, but my parents started going to a Mennonite church after I had already flown the coop. As a result, I know a good many of them and have attended their church in the past when visiting my parents for a weekend when I lived further away. Indeed, I would have been highly shocked if the events I described happened there. They are much more focused on community than themselves as a whole.
Deletethings break down little by little over the years. I firmly believe that they will come back.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are right. I have been labeled an optimist by many and I'm not all that optimistic that it will come back.
DeleteI've been seeing this too and it's disturbing that parents aren't setting a better example. I remember a decade or so ago working every year at graduation and trying to have a ceremony where each family could hear their graduate's name called. The students were fairly well behaved; the spectators were not. Many of us stopped going because the rudeness was out of control.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a great point. During my oldest daughter's graduation, it had the same problem of parents shouting at their child in what I can presume is their attempt to embarrass them and drowning out the names of other children deserving to be recognized.
DeleteSadly, this is one thing technology can never fix.
ReplyDeleteWell, if you believe what some people say A.I. will do to our future, technology may indeed fix this problem by just getting rid of us pesky humans who are only concerned about ourselves.
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