Klarinet Archive - Posting 000837.txt from 1999/10

From: "Michael Whight" <michael@-----.uk>
Subj: Re: [kl] re: Yo there, piano guy! Boooooo!
Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1999 15:36:36 -0400

> Being very British I probably do, but I also don't go back. If enough
> customers feel the same the restaurant goes bust (as many do).
> If too many people dislike a performer they won't come again, and if he
> doesn't draw the crowds, eventually he won't get hired.
> --
>
I wish it worked like this but believe me it doesn't. The reasons people are
attracted to concerts are more complex than the appearance of one artist in
one concert. But my response was not intended to be all that serious.

However I have to say that the feelings of audiences on the continent are
more immediate than in the UK. Italians don't mind letting the performers
know what they feel, good or bad and the Parisians are also quite direct.
Personally I find this refreshing. I think booing during a performance would
be in bad taste but if something is really crap then why not say so at the
end? It would have to be really terrible to get a reaction like that and of
course it would only happen in a professional situation.
>
It reminds me of an article I read once about social groups and behaviour.
It compared human society to apes. In an ape troop social cohesion is
achieved through grooming and the author likened gossip in our social groups
to this grooming process. We connect through gossip and if someone goes
beyond the boundaries of what is acceptable to the group then the gossip can
become malicious in order to bring the individual back into line. Maybe
booing is sending out a message in a very basic way? I don't necessarily
endorse this theory but it may be amusing to some.

Michael

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