Today is a very special edition of Modern Manners Guy. Why? Because this episode marks the 400th episode of my Modern Manners Guy column and podcast and it’s because of you that I’ve been able to have such a dream job. Your emails, Facebook messages, tweets, time, support, and loyalty are all what makes this opportunity so special. A big, huge, monstrous thanks to everyone at QDT for allowing me a platform to share my opinions with the world.
Now, even though reaching this milestone is rather emotional, don’t think I’m going to use this episode to get all mushy. After all, we have business to discuss at Mannerly Nation, and today we’re going to hit on some of the lowlights of the Rio Olympics, pointing out some valuable lessons from unmannerly athletes. Yes, the Olympics provides us with heroes but it also allows us to see how insanely rude some of the “World’s finest” are when their emotions get the best of them. So, let’s ring in #400 with a look at the three lowpoints of the 2016 Olympics:
Example #1: The Ryan Lochte Effect
One pf the most talked about low points of the 2016 Olympics was when 12-time Olympic medalist and all around “bro” Ryan Lochte went on national TV and lied about a wild night out with his teammates. After fabricating a story about being robbed by people dressed as cops, video proof showed him and his crew damaging property and having to pay for it. Not robbed, not hurt, just them being jerks. What Lochte did was not only wrong but he opened a door to how superstar athletes feel it’s their right to do whatever they want without any consequences. Well, jokes on them because it turns out that the global backlash against the “King Dude” and mounting pressure have cost him millions of dollars in sponsorships. Lochte’s screw up has tainted his Olympic image forever. For as long as he competes he will be linked to what he did in Rio. When he races in the next Olympics, the announcers will bring it up, the papers will ask him about it and I doubt fans will let this slide either. So, even though Lochte is a winner in the pool, it’s clear he doesn’t always get the gold when it comes to manners. And there’s a lesson in that, folks.
I don’t want to waste my entitlement rant on Lochte, but rather use him as the symbol of what it means to use influence to lie. Lochte will say it is all a misunderstanding, but it’s not. In fact, people like newsman Al Roker aren’t letting him escape it either. Recently, Roker’s colleague Billy Bush said, “He [Lochte] certainly lied about some details…” Roker cut Bush off to set the record straight, saying Lochte lied about everything. Not distortion, not exaggeration, just lies. I always knew I loved Al Roker. Here, Lochte is being put on blast and it's proof that just because you’re the superstar doesn’t mean you get to play by another set of rules. Now sure, Lochte will brush this under the rug as a “misunderstanding," but we as fans of the Olympics will not let him escape karma. And man do I love karma.
Example #2: Losing With Grace … Sorry, I mean Disgrace
In last week’s episode of Modern Manners Guy, Don’t Be a Sore Loser: How To Handle Defeat, I discussed how to gracefully accept the pitfalls of losing. Be it personal or professional, losing is a tough part of growing up. However, with every defeat, you have to move on, evolve, and not allow your ego to get the best of you. Yet not everyone has quite learned that lesson. Case in point: two Mongolian wrestling coaches during a bronze medal match between Mongolia and Uzbekistan. Long story short, while up one point with seconds to go, Mongolian wrestler, Ganzorigiin was charged with a penalty for “celebrating his victory early” (not exactly a proper way either), and thus his opponent, Navruzov, won the match on a technicality. So how did the Mongolian coaches handle the news? By taking their clothes off and throwing them at the judges of course. What? If you think they were acting purely out of emotion, claiming they were just “lost in the moment," you’d be wrong as well, since the video clearly shows both coaches rallying the crowd in support of their striptease. Classy, right? I mean nothing says sportsmanship like tossing your pants into the crowd.
Whether or not you agreed with the call (FYI, it was totally justified), the manner in which the coaches handled themselves was something you rarely see in sports … or even in a movie. It was surreal. I thought I was watching a Sacha Baron Cohen movie. See, as someone who has participated in Greco Roman wrestling from the age of 8 to 18, and nearly a decade in the bizarre world of professional wrestling, I have a soft spot for my fellow wrestlers. I empathize with them in every way, from making weight to pushing themselves to new levels for success. As well, I understand how a point system loss can crush you and your team. But what these coaches did was the most disrespectful act I’ve ever seen in the Olympics. For the life of me, I couldn’t figure out how this helped their cause. Did they think the judges would change their minds while the coaches were in mid-strip? Like, “OK, OK, you make a good point. We’ll reverse our ruling. Please just leave your underwear on.” The only silver lining was watching the actual wrestlers embrace each other after their match … even while the coaches were nearly naked. What the competitors did showed pride, grace and elegance. Feeling overwhelmingly distraught over his loss, the Mongolian wrestler showed up his rude coaches with the professionalism by congratulating his opponent before bursting into tears off-mat. Sadly, his graciousness was overshadowed by two coaches with zero respect for the sport.
Example #3: The Entitled Crowd
The egos of athletes are difficult enough to manage. But what’s worse are the entitled non-athletic associates that believe their connections earn them a spot in the winner’s circle. An example of this was with India’s sports minister, Vijay Goel and his rowdy (and unaccredited) entourage of hanger-ons. His entourage of leaches repeatedly used Goel’s influence to push their way into restricted areas and challenged—with improper tone and gestures—security officials for trying to reprimand them. This act is similar to how an obnoxious celebrity brings a dozen of their “boys” to a nightclub and shout to everyone in the room, “Don’t you know who I am!?!?” Folks, what Goel did was entitlement at its finest. And in case you haven’t caught onto my philosophies on manners by now, please understand that the highest level of improper behavior comes in the form of entitlement.
From a spoiled rich kid, nepotism or the spouse of an influential person flexing their partner’s power as their own, the single rudest character trait is entitlement. I even wrote an article called Tips For Entitled Youth where I took great pride in ripping into people who believe their last name, wallet, or associations grant them certain privileges over others. So, when I heard about Goel’s gang of brats, I couldn’t help congratulate Olympic organizers for taking a stand against entitlement. If they allow this behavior to fester it will only turn the Olympics into a velvet rope affair of “Who’s Who” rather than who matters. Put yourself in the athlete’s shoes: imagine your childhood dream coming true only to have some random person run up to you and take a selfie during your moment. Not exactly how they dreamt it, I’m sure. This is essentially what Goel’s crew was doing. Be it sport or socially, it’s insanely arrogant to think a friend or family member’s rights are now yours because you’re with them. I can’t help but savor watching someone with “faux-clout” being put in his or her place.
As always, if you have another manners question, I look forward to hearing from you at manners@quickanddirtytips.com. Follow me on Twitter @MannersQDT, and of course, check back next week for more Modern Manners Guy tips for a more polite life.
Do you have any recent graduates in your circle, or perhaps someone who is looking to start a new career, check out my new book, Reply All…And Other Ways to Tank Your Career for great tips and advice on job success. It's available now!
Image courtesy of Shutterstock
Tidak ada komentar:
Posting Komentar