Like the formula for beer goggles that Anthony posted a while ago, I wonder if one could calculate a similar formula for rudeness; whether - if you like - it could be proven that the more money and power one obtains, the ruder one becomes.
Last night I was finding my seat at a concert to discover that someone was sitting in it - a critic with a broadsheet daily newspaper who I will not name. I said, 'I think you are sitting in my seat', to which she replied, 'no I'm not, this is my seat'. 'G13 is my seat, here, as it says on my ticket' I offered. Her reply, 'but I'm a critic', was ringing in my ears all night. How can anyone who is trusted with the responsibility of providing an opinion on the world premiere of a significant new work compose such an ignorant, irrelevant and rude comment?
After a few minutes of protestation during which she blamed everyone in the building for the fact that she had parked herself in the wrong seat without ever looking me in the eye, this delightful character moved to the seat which had been assigned to her. I'm not sure I'll bother reading her review.
Is it me, or are there too many important people with this attitude? When will the nice guys get a break? And is it just in the arts that people behave like this? Please - put me straight!
I think you have to read her review now. I bet it ruined the performance for her.
Posted by: JRWB | January 31, 2006 at 02:58 PM
Wow, I can't stand when people are like that! Although, I have a data point for the other side: I once worked for a fabulously wealthy and powerful owner of a fishing company. He was very direct but also very courteous.
I believe it is people like this critic who are the most rude because they are not rich or powerful and they know it. Powerful people didn't get there by luck, but rather by knowing how to relate with other people.
Posted by: David | January 31, 2006 at 05:35 PM
I'm a critic, and I'm very nice. So f**k off.
Posted by: Julie Birchill | January 31, 2006 at 05:41 PM
Julie - that's the point, I'm a critic too. And I know that there are many decent and delightful critics out there. Why doesn't their (our) success preclude the nasty people?
Posted by: Andrew Mellor | February 01, 2006 at 09:48 AM
Oh, I see. Thanks Thomas. I thought it was a little strange that Britain's highest paid female journalist was reading The Filter!
Posted by: Andrew Mellor | February 01, 2006 at 11:12 AM
hey - we've had one of Britain's most famous female journalists write for The Filter^ - by Polly Toynbee
Posted by: AJE | February 01, 2006 at 01:41 PM
Of course - but Polly Toynbee is much more 'The Filter' than Julie Birchill.
Thanks for re-flagging Polly's article anyway - always nice to be reminded of that. Are you planning to ask her to pen anything else shortly? How about something on the Blair authority issue?
Posted by: Andrew Mellor | February 07, 2006 at 10:40 AM