Mouthacity

I’ll bet you’ve never heard of that one have you! I hope not, or I’m not very original. Mouth of course is our mouth. The remainder of the word is a partial of audacity. Combine them and we have mouthacity. My invented meaning for this particular noun goes as follows. People have always taken the time to voice their opinion for the most part. However, some people have the audacity to say WHATEVER comes to their mind no matter what the situation is. Therefore, my article today is about people in the news that seem to have an uncensored mouth and the drama, conflict, and pain that ensues from their blatant disregard for other people’s feelings. There are 3 immediate instances I can readily come up with, 2 from the very recent past, and 1 from the last year or so.

The latest mouthacity fiasco came from none other than actress Sharon Stone. She has been around Hollywood and the media for quite some time and from time to time, she does do things that are a little on the edge. An example would be the movie “Basic Instinct” where she “inadvertently” revealed she forgot to wear underwear. She pops up in the media every so often and the other day during an interview spewed forth the following statement: “I’m not happy about the way the Chinese are treating the Tibetans because I don’t think anyone should be unkind to anyone else. And then this earthquake and all this stuff happened, and then I thought, is that karma? When you’re not nice that the bad things happen to you?” It’s one thing to personally think something in one’s mind during the rationalization process all humans do, but to speak it aloud during an interview is another.

Stone has since recanted her statement and apologized for her inconsiderate statements. What is wrong with her statement? Number 1, even if you do believe in karma, it affects the people doing bad things. The people affected by the latest major earthquake disaster were innocent people. They were not the “Chinese treating the Tibetans bad.” They were ordinary citizens and children living their daily life when disaster struck. Stone, resorting to utilizing karma as some sort of retribution tool has devalued the human life of those struck by the earthquake. She bypassed her internal censor because she harbors a certain feeling for those in power in China and when confronted with a disaster, she rationalized that it was payback for their country’s treatment of Tibet. Sure, she says she is sorry, but what is she sorry for? Is she truly sorry for the words she spoke and the people she has belittled? Is she sorry that her celebrity is now damaged in the public’s eye? Is she sorry because she has been removed from a lucrative contract because of her words? It’s not enough to be sorry.

My next example is from the political arena and if you’ve watched any television over the last week or listened to talk radio, I’m sure you’ve heard of this one also. Hillary Clinton was recently recorded for the second time speaking about how the democratic primary race is not over. During these conversations, she mentions the assassination of Robert Kennedy being a primary race that was not determined until late in the political process. Not once did she mention it, but twice during two separate interviews. The second interview came to the forefront for whatever reason and the first time was largely swept away. Hillary has since asked for forgiveness for her miscue. She has mentioned the reasoning behind talking about the event. She compares other races that have lasted long in the process to her own this year in an effort to show that the race isn’t over until the last state has voted. That’s fine, everyone does get their say. However, if you are a politician, you should NEVER invoke the thought process of assassination during a political race. Hillary was looking for ammunition to buoy her campaign and all she could come up with was a few races and Kennedy was a high profile name. So, she used it. Now she is paying for her insensitive remarks.

Clinton’s rationalization is that she severely wants to win the Democratic Nomination for President because she believes the Republicans are at an impasse and the next President will be a Democrat no matter what candidate they run against. Add to the mix that she would be the first woman President and you are presented a mindset that can be intent on winning at all costs. There is history to be made, damn all the consequences. Since her campaign is basically running on fumes at this point, she was trying at all costs to find something to continue to legitimize her candidacy. By doing so, she opened a political mess by mentioning an assassination. Political assassinations are some of our country’s darkest hours. To openly bring them up for personal gain is wrong and completely insensitive. Is she sorry for her remarks? Is she sorry because her attempt to help her campaign backfired? Is she sorry because she reopened wounds that have been closed for year? Once again, it’s not enough to be sorry.

Finally, a little while back, Michael Richards of Seinfeld fame became one of the most famous mouthacity figures of our time. He was caught on camera going into a tirade focused on a few people who attended one of his comedy shows. Now, these people weren’t completely innocent. They were antagonizing Richards and creating a scene, but his reaction that ensued was completed uncalled for. He spouted forth racially insensitive remark after another. He complete destroyed his show and left everyone in awe of his complete lack of public humility. Yes, he apologized for his actions and made his tour through the talk shows trying to display his guilt about what had happened. Was he sorry about his remarks? Was he sorry that he ruined his reputation in an instant? Was he sorry that his future paychecks were now going to be harder to come by? Sorry, doesn’t make it right or even.

Throughout this article, these are just statements being made by people who have reached a point where they think they can say anything. They have the audacity to open their mouth and spew forth the most insensitive and emotionally hurtful things at the most inopportune times. No, people were not “physically” injured by their words. However, what hurts you worse, a smack in the face, or someone saying something that harms you mentally or emotionally? There is a saying, “Words cut like a knife.” Exactly, words can destroy just as much, OR MORE, than physically being harmed. Your physical wounds will heal. Sometimes, our mental and emotional wounds never close. While only one of the above examples was specifically directed at certain individuals, it doesn’t mean that people were not emotionally hurt by their statements. Do you like being stereotyped? Do you like being put down by others that don’t even know you? How does it make you feel? How do you think the families of those whose children died in the earthquake felt when they read Stone’s statement? Did they DESERVE to die? How do you think the Kennedy family felt when Clinton brought up one of their family’s tragedies? Did they ASK to be included?

Bottom line is that if you are in a situation where what you say can be harmful, watch your words. I’m not saying to not be truthful. I am saying to be tactful. Just because there was no “intent” doesn’t mean what you say can’t be damaging. This goes for every single person alive. Think before you speak. It’s just that simple.

Citation: http://news.yahoo.com/