Roseanne Barr- You Blew My Mind

In mindless manner, I was catching up on the Times 100 Most Influential people when I came to # 71 George Clooney. I was about to hit “next” because I already knew of his talents as an actor, as well as his dedication to helping the situations in Darfur, however when I saw that Roseanne Barr had written the 300 words that followed, my mind went huh? And I had to read on.

I admit I know little about Barr and where her career has taken her after she left that hideous living room set, and nasty back-talking family that many of us fell in love with (I’m still perplexed as to why, but we did). In fact, the last thing I had heard about Roseanne Barr was that she intentionally massacred the National Anthem in a comedic effort that was less than humorous. 

 So why did I stop to blog about the 300 words that she had written? Because she wrote this about Clooney when describing his acting abilities, “he plays it all so, ‘south of snob, and north of slob.’” Pardon while I pick my jaw up from the floor for a second time.

 Roseanne Barr, the queen of rude, crude, loud, selfish, and above all crass, just identified exactly what Emily Post etiquette is all about. “South of snob, north of slob.” My mind was temporarily blown at this connection. What connection? You ask? And I’m not surprised you’re asking. Maybe people associate Emily Post with high society, and a ridiculous rule book for how to maneuver one’s way through it while climbing ever higher.  

 While Emily was immersed in and surrounded by high society, she furthered its desire to include her by becoming the authority on how to handle interactions with others. Emily herself detested the snobbery that often came in such circles. She wrote about it, and how it came off as insincere and often belittling. In fact, Emily’s book was meant for all people. She never asked for people to change who they were. She never “required” people to be of a certain standing to interact with her (or anyone else for that matter). What she advised was that a person should use what they know, the small things (eye contact, a friendly hello, interest in others) to show consideration, respect and honesty to all they encounter. In short, stay clear of being a snob, and above being a slob, and you’ll be ok.     

Comments

[Tara]

Well put!

[Deanna]

Wouldn't it be lovely if this coul be her "15 minutes of fame" instead of all her other "contributions"?

[Kylie]

Oh my goodness. When I think of George Clooney, Barr definitely doesn't even come close to my line of thought. However, I do like that phrase a lot -- South of snob and north of slob. I think it very much puts the ideals of Emily Post into perspective.

[Michelle]

You do realize that "Roseanne" was a character, right? She's an artist, and furthermore a comedian. The real Roseanne Barr doesn't walk around digging in her navel and screaming at her kids in the middle of Wal Mart. She's an observer and critic of people, and the culture in which we live. If anything, it's closed-minded to assume that just because she portrayed a crass character 15 years ago, that's who she is.

Even still, Roseanne's family wasn't nearly what we aspired to be, but it was immensely reflective of the attitudes and unconditional love of the average American family, blue collar, white collar, and otherwise. If television creators and artists had to adhere to the way life is "supposed to be," then television would not be worth watching.