Rachel Ray's audience applauded Parmesan. Not a completed dish containing Parmesan. Just the cheese all by it's little shredded self. Martha Stewart smothered a greeting card in glitter and the crowd roared. A talk show guest revealed they'd been married 20-plus years and the clapping was deafening.
Of course there are applause signs flashing constantly in a TV studio, but I think we've become applause crazy with or without the prompts. At a comedy show recently, there was very little actual laughter -- and the guy was funny. Perhaps a titter here and there, but an abundance of clapping.
We need to differentiate our appreciation for cheese and glitter from that of a great performance. Maybe we should break out in a chorus of "yummy" for cheese and "ooh" and "aah" for glitter. That way we can save the applause for talent.
In San Francisco, where I live, people have graduated from wild applause to automatic standing ovations. I try to save the enthusiastic leaps from my chair for an outstanding performance -- let's say a 10 on the Richter performance scale. If I stand for the 5's and 7's what do I do when a real 10 comes along?
Sticking to my standards ---and my seat--- works well in theory, but there is a point when the embarrassment factor kicks in. Let's say that 80% of the audience has lept to its feet in appreciation. I, however, didn't think the performance was ovation-worthy. So what do I do? Stay seated to show my disagreement or stand up and fake it?
I went to the theater to be entertained. How did an evening out become an etiquette dilemma?
1 comment:
That does pose a dilemma, Mary! Perhaps busying oneself preparing to leave the theatre might send a message. Turning around and picking up your coat, making sure you have your program, then polite "Excuse Me" "Pardon Me" as you squeeze your way exiting the row past the legions of wildly applauding theatre-goers who, frankly, would applaud Rachael Ray shredding cheese.
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