My respect for Curtis went down some tonight...

The ClubHouse: Big Brother 2000: General - Archives: Houseguests: Curtis: My respect for Curtis went down some tonight...
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Archive through September 29, 2000 25   09/29 03:43am
Archive through September 29, 2000 25   09/29 05:45am

Dortega

Friday, September 29, 2000 - 06:31 am Click here to edit this post

Im very surprised to the limited number of replies to this thread...Eddie/Josh supporters, where are u guys?

Bigbrofan

Friday, September 29, 2000 - 06:38 am Click here to edit this post

Webrover- I think if you read my post it was almost completely directed at Kuh. I answered your question and then elaborated on some my opinions towards Kuh. I thought that was clear but apparently not! I woke up too early!

Webrover9

Friday, September 29, 2000 - 06:53 am Click here to edit this post

Well I guess I woke up too early too. I saw my name, started reading and felt most of it was directed at me. I sure wouldn't want to be Kuh! :)

Sbw

Friday, September 29, 2000 - 07:03 am Click here to edit this post

Reference was made to a comment made by Eddie a few days ago. What "dead baby" joke did he make? Reference was made to it in this thread, but did it really happen?

Nishy

Friday, September 29, 2000 - 07:41 am Click here to edit this post

SBW: It was a chicken crossing the road joke with a dead baby twist. I recall from my youth that there were a series of bad dead baby jokes, just like "no arms and no legs" jokes or leper jokes.

Franny1

Friday, September 29, 2000 - 07:46 am Click here to edit this post

bigbrofan..I agree with you. Some people think that they have the right to bash you personally for what you believe and it is not right. You have every right to speak your mind and they have every right to not read it, respond to it with a valid opinion of their own, or agree, but never belittle. Some who claim HGs to be crude and vulgar need to look in the mirror.

Ginap

Friday, September 29, 2000 - 08:40 am Click here to edit this post

It would be nice if there was someone else who actually heard this before we all start roasting Curtis over the coals. Neither BBFC or Jokers sites feed reports have any proof of this ever happening to begin with. At least when George supposedly sang his little Brit song we had a live feed poster and a couple of others who said they heard it. With this we only have one poster as far as I can tell. Considering the only place I've heard about this is from this one poster and an either copied or spammed post on Bigbrotherblows.com I have serious doubts whether this ever occured at all.

Nishy

Friday, September 29, 2000 - 09:19 am Click here to edit this post

Someone on BBB posted that he/she went back and checked and it didn't happen. Eddie said what the song was about and that was it.

Noslonna

Friday, September 29, 2000 - 10:43 am Click here to edit this post

Yes it did happen even though it may not have been posted. I heard Curtis call Tears In Heaven, the baby out the window song. Eddie told him off and said "Some role model you are."

Dortega

Friday, September 29, 2000 - 10:46 am Click here to edit this post

Curtis bashers: we need more comments!

Jake

Friday, September 29, 2000 - 11:26 am Click here to edit this post

If it DID happen, and I can imagine it did, then I have to agree with the comments saying that way too much is being read into it.

Given Curtis' track record, he is an intelligent, very witty guy. His one-liners are quick and clever. His personality is such that he is genuinely a "nice" guy, and he shows that he often takes into consideration other people's points of view/feelings/personalities when he either relates to them, or talks about them.

Thus, when he makes an off-colour remark, it's the EXCEPTION to his behavoir and should be taken in with the overall picture in mind. Similarly to when we hear Eddie speak, we EXPECT him to be off-colour, and we're surprised (to a degree) when he comes up with deep, insightful statements/feelings. Not that we think he's incapable of it, but merely that it's not the normal thing we hear coming out of his mouth. I'm sure those seeing Josh be so funny with his dancing on the show last night were somewhat surprised at how funny he could be even tho' we've all seen glimpses of it between his mostly inane behavoir.

Curtis made a mistake - that's it. I know there are a LOT of us who, in the attempt to be humourous and witty, have blurted out something that has gone completely flat or has caused a pall to fall among our conversational group. We didn't intend for it to be taken the way we said it, or we said it so fast - it was out of our mouth before we realized how it sounded, or we had a completely different picture in our mind about what we're saying than the way it came across, or we simply just flubbed it - being stupid instead of clever. We felt the proper mortification at the gaffe but we couldn't pull it back, and to explain it would only make the matters worse, so.. therefore... the comment lies there - dead in the water - thought-provoking - embarrasing.

I think Curtis is odd-man-out in this group of three. He knows he's with two guys who have voted him consistently, as he has voted them. He's aware of their cultural/social differences, and one of the things that is obvious to him is that they are more "mens men" than he is. He likes them, he enjoys them, but he does know they are different from him. As humans, we all want to be accepted by our peers. Josh and Eddie are the only peers left with Curtis in the house. For him to "loosen up" and get more crass so he can "fit in" with the rest of the guys (even if it's not a conscious action on his part) is understandable. There are two of them, and one of him. If anyone adapts, it will have to be Curtis. Not that he HAS to adapt, but in human nature, it just happens sometimes.

I've also seen many posts regarding the frat mentality that has become apparent since Jamie left. Curtis' getting "crasser" falls within that movement, and again, is understandable. Since Curits is NOT used to being that way, his attempts at humour in that arena and/or his attempts at being "one of the guys" may have some flaws in it - perhaps to the tune of saying something tasteless that falls flat. His wittiness has not ventured in the "good ol' boys" arena much, so his jokes that way will be stiff and/or inappropriate. I can bet you money he was NOT making SERIOUS comments regarding Clapton's lost son.

Perhaps Curtis didn't even know the background of the story. I often hear PARTS of lyrics, but don't know what the whole song is about so in an effort to be "economical" with words in describing what song I'm talking about, I capsulize into a few words ("You know, the song about the dead baby out the window?") to reference it.

I think we have gotten so sensitized to each and every nuance of the BB house (just as the HGs, themselves, have) we latch onto EACH word, action, look, whatever and think that has to indicate entire personalities/merits/etc. However, I believe that EACH item should be taken into the WHOLE over the course of time the HGs have been in the house and THAT's where we'll get the total feel of the person. Everyone makes mistakes, everyone gaffes sometime as well as everyone has their shining moments. This was not one of Curtis', but let's not make a mountain out of a molehill.

MHO

Jake

Friday, September 29, 2000 - 11:26 am Click here to edit this post

PS: Sorry for the long post. But I needed to say what I needed to say! *smile*

Lisat

Friday, September 29, 2000 - 11:31 am Click here to edit this post

Jake - That was a very thoughtful and insightful post...well said! Thank you!

Curious

Friday, September 29, 2000 - 12:15 pm Click here to edit this post

Many lawyers have a pretty warped sense of humor and it wouldn't surprise me if it just slipped out and Curtis made such a remark. When I first entered the legal profession I use to yell at people making those kind of remarks. After a while I understood it to be a way of releasing stress from dealing with a lot of despressing accounts and often pictures of some pretty horrific things. It was like second nature for many people I worked with and after a while of seeing pictures of stabbings, gunshot wounds, decapitations and body parts spewn about, I could pick up a picture while eating a sandwich, point to a blood splot and say "Hey, check this out, it looks like Bugs Bunny!" I know it's gross and insensitive but if I sat and thought about it I'd be depressed all the time.

BTW, I am NOT a Curtis fan and I am not defending him. I'm just sharing that inappropriate humor is often a coping mechanism that's easy to slip into at times. That's why Eddie doesn't offend me. If you don't build a sort of tough hide to deal with certain things you might drown in sorrow.

Sixtieslibber

Friday, September 29, 2000 - 12:24 pm Click here to edit this post

I've always thought less of Clapton for taking advantage of this tragedy. So an intentional referring to this song as Curtis is alleged to have done could also be a shorthand way of criticizing Clapton, not making light of his and his family's terrible loss. I happened to see Clapton get the Grammy or whatever for this and I was sickened; I thought he should have refused to come on stage.

Larrblue

Friday, September 29, 2000 - 12:31 pm Click here to edit this post

This thread is ridiculous. I am also not a Curtis fan but I WILL defend his right to joke. I have made the same and similar jokes too - does that make me a bad person? Does that mean I am mean-spirited? Does that mean I do not understand someone else's tragedy? I don't think so.

There's a line in a Woody Allen movie that is a joke, but it's really true - "Comedy equals tragedy plus time." How true this is - everyone can joke about Abe Lincoln's assassination because it was so long ago. People are even joking about Kennedy's too. It doesn't mean that these events weren't tragic - joking is one way of dealing with the grief.

My other joke, by the way, about the Clapton song was that he was so excited about winning the Grammy for "Tears in Heaven" that he went right home and tossed his daughter out the window... then headed for his guitar.

Jenhavins

Friday, September 29, 2000 - 12:32 pm Click here to edit this post

Jake, that was a great and thoughtful post. I agree 100%. I've tried to imagine what it would be like on the inside looking out, and I can also imagine all the flack I would receive just by the slightest instantaneous error.

Nobody is perfect, and when you are in an odd situation such as this, your flaws are magnified 10+ by others. It is pretty sad if you ask me, that everything that comes out of his mouth is torn apart and analyzed. If we were to analyze everything that came out of Eddie's mouth (yes he is a caring guy, but that mouth of his--wow), we wouldn't be done until next year.

Nishy

Friday, September 29, 2000 - 12:34 pm Click here to edit this post

Jake: too right.

Curious: I am a lawyer and don't know "many" lawyers who have a sense of humour that could be described as warped. Most, in fact, have a keen sense of humour and a quick wit. You say you are in the "legal profession". In what capacity?

Please excuse me for being a bity defensive, everyone, but there are always a lot of negative generalizations bandied about regarding lawyers. I have, in fact, seen a lot on this board, since Curtis is a lawyer. Words like greedy and dishonest have been used (usually with Curtis being called an exception). The fact is that lawyers, unlike most people, have to swear an oath of honesty upon taking up their profession and can lose not only their job with a law firm, but the ability to even be a lawyer if they breach their oath. It's strange, you hear many people slam lawyers but in the same breath say that they have a good one. The truth is, people don't like the other guy's lawyer (understandable, but also unfair).

Sorry, end of rant.

Bigbromo

Friday, September 29, 2000 - 12:46 pm Click here to edit this post

Curtis should stick to what he does best: gossiping with the girls and serving as a backup hairdresser. What a total weenie.

Ginap

Friday, September 29, 2000 - 12:52 pm Click here to edit this post

Personally I couldn't care less whether he made the remark. I thought it was funny when I started reading this thread because I have referred to the song in the same way in the past. That said though I find it even funnier when people criticize the HGs for saying things like this because this board has for 3 months been filled with people who seem to take the same kind of pleasure in making fun of them. I guess tasteless and snarky comments are OK as long as they are directed towards the HGs.

Bernie

Friday, September 29, 2000 - 01:42 pm Click here to edit this post

Jake's thoughtful post took most of the words out of my mouth on this topic, and thanks for such an insightful commentary, Jake - well said. One thought which came to my mind when reading the intitial description and Eddie's calling Curtis on it was, did he recall tossing the very lifelike baby doll over the compound wall, after the mud challenge? Not only that, but he beat the poor thing into the ground beforehand, and THAT was sickening, and a lot worse to see and hear than a descriptive phrase re a song. Eddie is a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

Leef57

Friday, September 29, 2000 - 01:56 pm Click here to edit this post

Your right Bernie!
Thanks for the great post Jake!

Jake

Friday, September 29, 2000 - 04:32 pm Click here to edit this post

Thanks peoples for the supportive words! Frankly, I expected to be ripped apart at the very least, for the long post! *laughs*

I dunno about lawyers having warped humour, but I come from a mainly medical family, and when my folks would have hospital parties, you should HEAR some o' the jokes THEY told. Definitely NOT PC! And I admit to having a warped sense o' humour too, and I LIKE it! *grin*

I agree with some other posters above that:
1)humour can be/has been used as a defense mechanism.
2)humour is subjective
3)humour is often based on tragedy
4)humour is in short supply in the world in general with all the PC regulations nowadays.

NISHY... don't take lawyer jokes/comments too sensitively. *smiles* There's ALWAYS a negative remark for just about ANY occupation out there. I hold up for example: prostitutes, police, doctors, models, engineers, puter workers, government, etc. And don't forget the Italian/Jewish/Polish/Chinese/Redneck/American/English/Irish/etc. ad nauseum jokes that are out there. Name a subject/occupation/cause/religion/political issue/ and there will be a joke. Just the way it is... We rely on the average Joe to understand that a jest is in fun, but the REAL people are varied in hue.