I don't think I've ever received so many personal emails and messages regarding anything I've ever written in a blog post. That's saying something! When I stated that I'd 'Clooney'd myself' - the word and phrase caught people's attention. Most who wrote were also distressed that another celebrity participated in the advancement of the use of hateful language in reference to people with intellectual disabilities. But that aside, there was great good humour about it all. Here's a sample of what I received:
First Email on the subject:
What I liked about your post was that you coined a term for an experience that needed naming. As soon as I read what you had written I thought to myself, "Self, you've done that!!!" I propose the following definitions for the term:
To Clooney
a situation wherein an individual makes a decision or performs an action that accidentally reveals their true nature
or
a situation wherein an individual makes a decision or performs an action that does damage to their reputation
I've been there, I've done that, I'm going to use this word from now on to describe it! I'll get to explain what it means and that will give me an opportunity to explain about that word.
Another Email:
After I read your post today I was in a situation and as I was getting upset I remembered your post and thought, "Don't go all Clooney, here." Thanks for giving me a quick way to think about the way I react and what I do.
Another Email:
I hesitate to admit that I have a George Clooney poster in my bedroom. I'm way passed my teen years but I don't care. I'm not going to take the picture down, I'm just going to imagine spanking him for being such a naughty boy.
So there you have a sample of what came in to my mailbox. I enjoyed the messages and, I must admit, I enjoyed the sense of support that they gave me. Sometimes we all feel very alone in the struggle. So these, along with my comments, made my day better.
Here's to the disability community having a new word ... ! Celebrate, but remember, don't Clooney your day.
Although I love it and I think I myself and a very close circle of friends have used my and their own names in such vain... the thought did cross my mind when I read it that if the shoe we're on the other foot we'd be offended. My opinion of George who I definitely saw as one of the "good guys" is for sure tarnished! I hate that my brain tries to see things from all sides!!!
ReplyDeleteDear Dave,
ReplyDeleteI had to think about your last two posts all through the day.
Yes I am the one who spoke up for the "big woman" at my public transport. And I am not amused by people using the "r-word" making it into a joke...
But I am too the one that got sometimes carried away by inner anger and tiredness and than does things and judge people in a way that would "clooney" myself. At public transport I was so angry about a woman who crammed into the s-bahn beside my and nearly squeezing me to not being able to breathe with her backpack. And than this woman stoppe me from going out of the door, because she simply did not move. And yes everything in my head went red and angry and I gave her a little push while trying to walk out the door. And yes I did not apologize because I did push her, no I did apologize because you do apologize if you do that to someone. Maybe she was in deep thought. But she took my place and she didnt let me through and I was tired.
And sometimes I worry, why I am always finding myself beside someone who sits half on my seat too or is smelling like an alcoholic garlic. And somtimes I just can not stand it any longer and I wish away with those people.
And sometimes I dont know what to do with my feelings and than I might be intentionally mean.
And maybe even if I know about all those things I clooney myself too.
I am sorry. But I am thinking about it and I am not yet ready to be able to make a decision about what to feel about it.
Sorry, but I am glad you always make me think Dave.
Julia
Bubbles and Julia, thanks for your comments. I wrote this whole blog with humour because I thought the emails I got were funny and that's the spirit in which I wanted to present them. But, you are right, I need to look at things from all sides. I just wonder why we always have to be the people who are reasonable.
ReplyDeleteI love George Clooney, and one mistake does NOT change my mind about him! Jeepers, if somebody turned against me for every wrong thing I did, and decided that that wrong thing represented my TRUE nature, I'd be in deep shit, with no friends and no family and no God.
ReplyDeleteBut I should clarify - despite my disapproval of extreme reaction, the "Clooney'd" thing IS funny.
ReplyDeleteThe Yarn Harlot invented a word once, "Kinnear" as a verb, for 'taking a picture of a famous person surreptitiously', or something. It actually made it into the Urban Dictionary, I think...quite hilarious.
Yes, it's in the Urban Dictionary: here!
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=kinnear