Exaggerating doesn't make it better, it just makes it incredibly anticlimactic.

The BBQ Pit
1

I shouldn’t be surprised at this point, as it’s a basic of human nature, but I’m sick to death of the amount of exaggeration that happens in the discussion of weekly “hot topics” or “water cooler” conversation.

This week, it’s the “guy who trampled the little boy to catch the fly ball.” Now I’ve read about this thing, heard people describe it, read pittings of it on this board ad nauseum, but it wasn’t until last night that I actually saw the damned thing.

What’s the big fucking deal? The guy barely - barely - bumped the little kid while diving for the ball. He didn’t “knock him out of the way,” he didn’t “trample” him, he didn’t “smash” him, he didn’t punch him or body slam him or assault him- he practically nudged the fucking kid, and even then the kid didn’t look upset- he didn’t even seem to notice!

But by the descriptions of the even that I heard - FUCK. I expected to see the guy first completely pancaking, then beating the kid with a chair before anally raping him with the caught ball. Way to overblow it, nation of exaggerators!

The other recent mind-numbing example of this is the now infamous “Dean Scream” that Howard Dean emitted after a colossal loss in the primaries. Again, I heard imitations of the “scream” from everyone from coworkers to talk show hosts. The Drudge Report even transcribed it as someting along the lines of “YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGHGHGHGHGHGGGGGG!?!?!?!?!?!??!!”

I guess the actual “scream” - which, upon actually seeing/hearing it, was little more than a quick, polite yelp - wasn’t dramatic enough for everyone. Again, I imagined a satanic, guttural, extended primal soul holler, not the brief, slight, quarter-second, polite exhalation of sound that it actually was.

Don’t even get me started on the Evlis Costello “wait a minute…” on SNL, which I recently heard described third-hand by a dumb whore as “he slams down he guitar, screams “wait a minute,” then punches out the bassist, before…”

2

I think that his stupid antics jeopardized the kid. Let’s face it a guy like that shouldn’t dive over the seats with reckless abandon… Lucky he was ok, but if that was my kid I still would have fucked him up, though.

[quote]
I guess the actual “scream” - which, upon actually seeing/hearing it, was little more than a quick, polite yelp - wasn’t dramatic enough for everyone. Again, I imagined a satanic, guttural, extended primal soul holler, not the brief, slight, quarter-second, polite exhalation of sound that it actually was.

A quiet polite yelp? You’re listening to the wrong recording then, that motherfucker was straight out of the WWE

Hadn’t seen, nor heard about this one.

3

I think that his stupid antics jeopardized the kid. Let’s face it a guy like that shouldn’t dive over the seats with reckless abandon… Lucky he was ok, but if that was my kid I still would have fucked him up, though.

A quiet polite yelp? You’re listening to the wrong recording then, that motherfucker was straight out of the WWE

Hadn’t seen, nor heard about this one.

4

i say the exaggeration is appropriate in the first case, because it raises the word “trample” to a metaphorical level, which addresses the fact that the boor trampled the kid’s rights (for lack of a better word) in being such an asshole after he had the ball: refused to apologize, refused to give the kid the ball, etc. His behavior would certainly not be described accurately, on the whole, by the more neutral word “bumped.” “Trampled” definitely gives a more accurate impression of the whole episode.

In the second case, I largely agree with you: the media’s bizarre fixation on that scream was inexcusable. Although I have to admit, I lost a little respect for Dean myself, watching that.

In the third example, this person who told you this is an actual sexworker, or is that just a sexist remark, calling her a whore?

5

Dude, I think you listened to the wrong recording. Freejooky is absolutely correct that Dean’s exuberant voice was way over exaggerated. I didn’t see anything wrong/unusual/offensive with his speech at all. Stop exaggerating.

6

Elvis was told not to play Radio, Radio on his SNL appearance. They started playing Less than Zero, but only for seconds. Elvis said “wait a minute,” turned and said something to the band, and they ripped into Radio, Radio.

7

Right. Elvis barely halts, goes “wait a minute…” and then they launch right into “Radio, Radio.” He doesn’t scream, he doesn’t gesticulate, he doesn’t slam anything, he doesn’t violently protest, he doesn’t even appear angry. Yet over the years, recountings of this have him doing any and all of those things.

8

Why wasn’t he supposed to play Radio, Radio? I looked up the lyrics and didn’t find them overtly political…

9

The song is not very complimentary towards radio stations, or the state of radio (the more things change…), and my understanding is that it was his record company that didn’t want him to play it. I guess they figured it would cost him air time.

10

I get the feeling he may have just exaggerated a bit :wink:

11

I didn’t say there was anything wrong, I didn’t I was offended, but it was pretty unusual to me, and to millions of other people. To be honest I found the whole thing to be amusing as hell. As for my WWE statement, I stand by it. Dean would have been at home in a ring talking shit to Vince McMahon (sp?)

12

Well, I think you’re just exaggerating. :slight_smile:

13

What. EVER. The only place I’ve ever heard that song is on the frickin radio!

14

Obviously you don’t own a copy of This Year’s Model. :stuck_out_tongue:

Did I say anywhere in there that I thought the record company was right? Dumbass.

15

I’m sure the record company wanted him to play something off the new album to promote sales.
I do agree with the OP on the exaggerating.

THIS IS THE TRIAL OF THE CENTURY!!!

We got it with the weather man last year. They would predict storms so bad that people were panic buying supplies as they thought they would be snowed in for weeks.

16

I think they ought to start putting roman numeral after “Trial of the Century.” Like the Superbowl.

“Remember the “bloody glove”? Was that Trial of the Century XXI or XXII?”

17

He says “Stop! Stop! I’m sorry ladies and gentlemen, there’s no reason to do this song here.”

18

Exaggerate? Hmmm. You don’t suppose any politicians might do that, from time to time? … surely not.

19

When yours does it, it’s exaggeration. When mine does it it’s merely hyperbole to make a point.

20

You’re right. Freejooky successfully implanted a memory in my brain. I remembered Elvis had said something calmly, but not what. I hope it’s not too late to correct that memory in my storage system.