E.G. BellI was at a Mark Chesnutt concert some years ago in the venue where the Pittsburgh River Hounds play soccer. Flat as a pool table. I sat several rows back from the stage behind a swaying womanbottom under significant chemical influence.
I have no problem with womanbottoms, swaying or otherwise, but I have never seen one that I preferred over an artist I paid to watch. Very unsatisfying concert.
The last concert I was ever at was Garth Brooks in the Civic Arena. I had to stand for the whole thing because everyone around me was standing. I’m not a party person. I prefer spectating over participating and these experiences ruin events for me. I no longer go to concerts, and this is the backdrop for a news item that occurred a week ago (as I write this). It has taken on a small life of its own as it unfolds and brought to mind baseball being, as we are, in World Series season. The story started as a report of a disturbance during a live performance of Beetlejuice (suggested age range 10 and over), an old movie starring Michael Keaton.
The disturbance turned out to involve Colorado U.S. Representative Lauren Boebert and a date. Other patrons complained that Ms. Boebert was singing, dancing, taking flash photos, and vaping at the event. Disrupting the performance. I understand their complaints.
The pregnant woman sitting behind Ms. Boebert asked her to stop vaping (vaping being prohibited at this venue). Ms. Boebert refused. The pregnant woman requested a seat change but management had already had several other complaints and Ms. Boebert had rejected requests by ushers to tone things down. Action was taken to eject the couple. They refused until police were called. They were escorted out before the police arrived. Ms. Boebert was upset. She asked if the staff “know who I am”. Obviously, her position includes a pass for boorish conduct. She was also seen on video flipping off the staff as she left the theater.
Two days later an evolutionary apology took form:
““It’s true, I did thoroughly enjoy the AMAZING Beetlejuice at the Buell Theater and I plead guilty to laughing and singing too loud! (emphasis by author)””
She denied vaping (through her campaign manager).
“The smoke came from the theater’s fog machine”.
Omitted the demand for recognition of her congressional perogatives; Omitted the single-finger salute; Dismissed any hint of the seriousness of her behavior at the event. She went on NewsMax and rationalized her behavior with her ‘guilty’ plea of innocent exuberance.
Oops. There was video of her vaping and photography and finger-flipping. The apology evolved:
“I genuinely did not recall vaping that evening when I discussed the night’s events with my campaign manager,”
There was yet another boot to drop. Ms. Boebert is currently going through a divorce (which her husband claims is his fault). They are separated. Her date on this evening was not her husband. And here is where baseball crossed my mind.
The theater has infra-red security cameras. Night vision. They captured Ms. Boebert’s date getting to ‘second base’ (touching above the waist.). They captured Ms. Boebert getting to ‘third base’ (stimulating anywhere below the waist). Remember the recommended age for the Beetlejuice performance. Remember that Ms. Boebert’s date was not her husband. After the video was posted for all to see, the apology evolved to fully-formed contrition:
“The past few days have been difficult and humbling, and I’m truly sorry for the unwanted attention my Sunday evening in Denver has brought to the community,”
There are several things disturbing in this news story. First and perhaps foremost, Ms. Boebert is a consistent critic of exposing youth to sexualized information/performances. How would she have reacted if this had been a trans person doing what she did? In public! She defended her inexperience dating in an infra-red-camera world. The message is that such public conduct is acceptable, even when children may be present, if those involved cannot be seen. “It was dark…” (Note: While there is little likelihood of prosecution, such public ‘base running’ is illegal in Colorado.)
She now admits she did not live up to her own values, but she has been quite outspoken and unforgiving about the conduct/values of others. Ms. Boebert regularly courts controversy and outrage. Outrage is a lot like laughter. When either is with you, it is great. When AT you, not so much. She was quite exuberant at a recent State of the Union address. Outraged AT. Confronted with outrage involving the state of her union, she pleads that it is “difficult and humbling”.
Ms. Boebert has ditched her date of the evening, a Democrat bar owner who has hosted the very drag shows, etc. of which Ms. Boebert has raised such regular public outcry. In the future, she says, she “will make sure of partisan affiliations” of her dates. Is she blaming his politics for her conduct? I hope not. Her latest apology seemed to signify growth as a human. We all need growth in that area sometimes. Red, blue, etc.
I don’t want to leave this as a critical screed against Ms. Boebert or her politics. I hope the difficulty she is experiencing truly has had a humbling effect on her. I’m sure she learned a lesson. I have used the same finger language in less public situations. I am also sure that most people have some experience with baseball metaphors in dating. Marital difficulties and failures are a plague. It is sobering that cameras are such a ubiquitous part of our lives. I would never have thought of them in theaters. How many of us could have been caught in compromising/embarrassing situations by cameras we had no clue existed; By cell phones we saw or did not? It pays to conduct ourselves as though we are being filmed. At all times. Thoughtless/inconsiderate moments, even of fun/joy, can stain forever.
It should also be a cautionary tale that we should focus on the rafters in our own eyes because there are none without fault. Measure our measures of others. Judges are judged more harshly. Ms. Boebert’s final apology is the one she should have led with. I’ll be watching how this experience colors her conduct going forward.
