The other night, it was the word ‘audacious.’ The word has two distinctly different meanings. I talked about that, in the Daily Post.
I have no idea why certain words come to me, usually between three and four in the morning. A friend of ours who’s studied strange phenomena, says it’s ‘woo-woo.’ Meaning that something involving spirituality may be going on.
But, ‘be that as it may,’ as a business colleague, of mine, used to say, the words — ‘common thread’ — drifted down from somewhere, at 3:29am one morning. (Our digital clock was showing that time.)
At that weird hour, I kept thinking about common threads, and I realized there may be common threads, in some of the articles I’ve been writing… articles about STRs (short-term rentals), and several about Washington DC politics, and an article about reality shows.
And, then, I’m thinking, what they all seem to have in common – the common thread – is contentiousness.
STRs, Washington DC politics and reality shows are “likely to cause” arguments.” That’s in the definition of ‘contentiousness.’
The reality shows a member of my family has on TV pit people against one another. That’s what always seems to be happening, when I amble into the room, where some reality show is underway.
A daughter marries someone her family winds up detesting, and, at get-togethers, arguments break out, with the bride’s family lashing out at the groom’s family. The arguing escalates, and eventually gets out of control.
And then — OMG, with cameras rolling! — it’s fight-night! At least, it seems to be. But when it comes to stuff like that, I’m a real cynic.
Maybe, it’s all being staged? Because, usually, a wrestling match of sorts breaks out, with folks in both families grabbing at each other… and sort of flopping around, and, maybe going down, rather gently on the ground. It’s got to be staged! Like in professional wrestling? Isn’t that stagecraft?
And in social media, I’ve discovered, people watching reality shows are taking sides, and writing awfully vile commentary. So-and-so, in a reality show, is a jerk! A scumbag! An SOB!
In politics, the violence is different.
Bickering is nothing new, in politics. But when he descended into our consciousness, riding down the golden Trump Tower escalator, as he was kicking off his 2016 presidential campaign, Donald Trump changed the game, targeting folks he chose to attack with his verbal warfare.
‘Pervert’ is one of his latest, demeaning words. He was calling a whole bunch of people ‘perverts’ the other day.
And now that other politicians seem to be copying the past president, demeaning, insulting rhetoric is becoming commonplace.
The common thread also extends to the short-term rental business. Maybe not all the time… but sometimes, when folks staying a night or two at an STR, are doing something annoying, that causes conflict in a neighborhood.
With contentiousness and conflicts going on in reality shows, and in politics, and, sometimes, among people renting short-term and neighborhood folks, what is all of this coming to?
I’m hoping, sometime soon, some answer will come my way, even if it’s crazy woo-woo, between three and four in the morning.
Harvey Radin is former senior vice president in charge of corporate communications and media relations, Bank of America Western Region. He makes his home in Redwood City, CA.