The deterioration of American society
 

The other day I went with my family into NYC, went out to dinner, and attended a concert at Lincoln Center... and it struck me once again just how much our society has deteriorated.

1. The last note of the piece had scarcely died when several people booked it up the aisles and out of the hall - both before intermission and at the end of the concert. They didn't even bother to applaud, showed no respect for the performers, just whooooosh! (Well, they missed an encore :p )

2. Before the start of the concert, the message "Please turn off your cell phone and pager" was projected on the front wall. The very fact that this message had to be posted speaks volumes. As it was, some idiot's cell phone went off mid-concerto. :mad:

3. I could not believe the way people were dressed! T-shirts, shorts, jeans, sneakers etc. This was true both at the restaurant and at the concert. Even older people were wearing outfits more appropriate for the beach or the gym than for the concert hall.

It wasn't all that long ago that going to the office without a shirt and tie was unheard of and women were turned away from restaurants for wearing pants rather than a skirt. At this rate, it won't be long before people start routinely showing up to weddings and funerals in jeans and whatever T-shirt from the laundry pile was the least stained.

:(

The cell phone thing is annoying. Its distracting when you hear a ring in the middle of a show or movie.

I do like leaving early sometimes to beat the traffic though... but only at large events like footballs games and stuff like that.

I agree. People used to dress up to go anywhere other than the gas station. I can even remember when my mom wouldn't go anywhere w/o hair,nails, and make-up done. I'm a music major and I'm required to go to 20 concerts per year to fulfill my convo requirement. I'm amazed the number of shabbily dressed people who come when we have "big name" people performing. Sure maybe they gotta be there for a class or whatever, but would it kill them to wear khakis??? And manners in general have deteriorated too. I feel sorry for the generation that's slightly older than me (late 20s-early 40s) because they definitely saw the decline of civility.

Re: The deterioration of American society
 

i completely agree!! since when was this EVER appropiate?

Delta Gamma holds a very prestigious values and ethics speech each year and this yr we had former president ford come speak. we (of course) were all dressed appropiately, but some of the people that showed up (the lecture was open to the public) to hear his lecture were dressed horribly! jeans and teeshirts for that too. (the secret service men were dressed nice and were super HOT HOT HOT!! yum yum)

i have been to many shows and events where people just showed up in jeans and a teeshirt and their lawnmowing shoes when a nice suit would have been much more appropiate!!!

have some class and look appropiate!! :mad: :mad:

eta: i would be so embarrassed in nonappropiate crappy clothes that i would feel so uncomfortable that i would have to leave

***dances an appropiate dance***

Quote:

Originally posted by Thrillhouse

Or how about when someone actually answers the cell phone and continues to talk during the movie. OR better yet how about when this guy's cell rang and he carried on his conversation during my GRADUATION?! He was up on the side of the auditorium, and I actually watched him pace back and forth on his cell.

Re: The deterioration of American society
 

I have to say that I am glad that those days are over.

My grandma used to get dressed up to go to the DOCTOR - even if she was sick, the thought of going to the doctor in her old housedress was more than she could bear! That's a little excessive, but I don't know why people look like slobs at the theater and such. I'm not saying we should go back to the white gloves days, but there are ways to look nice and still be comfortable...elastic waist dress pants and a nice sweater, or a loose dress would work. It's really MORE comfortable than jeans. I think people who wear jeans to the theater and such still think it's the 60's and they're making some kind of big statement...little do they realize that all the people who actually made those big statements are now probably wearing $12,000 Chanel suits.

As for guys, you can wear a collarless shirt and khakis...again no less comfy than jeans.

I think that all cellphones should be left at the door when attending a movie or any sort of live performance...those who do not comply have the phone taken from them.

So America has deteriorated because of corporate casual? This is just a ridiculous statement.

-Rudey
--BOO! Shame on you! BOOOOOOOO!

no Rudey...at some businesses, what is considered appropriate "business casual" is just as stringent as the suit and tie days. What we are talking about is people looking like shit when they go someplace that is supposed to be a special occasion.

my dear rudey, it is because of the respect it shows (or doesnt show). not to say that one who wears casual doesnt have any respect. but people now care more about being comfortable than what their appearance is saying to people. one is taken more seriously when they are dressed nicely than someone who is casual. that is just they way it is. but america is just getting looser and looser with the appearance year by year.

back to the deterioration of America, i work at one of the most wealthiest areas of the jacksonville area. i hate being over there. one would think that these people would know a thing or two about being appropriate. the shopping center where i am working has one of the most disgusting parking lots i have ever seen. people are so arrogant to think that we employees are here to pick up after them. i find all kinds of things in the parking lot. like today, i found a half full bottle of wine in the grass with cups and papers everywhere. i even found dirty sneakers in the middle of the road. then when we cant get around to cleaning it, they have the nerve to complain that we are a dirty store. i mean honestly!!!!!!!!!!! for rich people, they sure are slobs:mad:

Manners are important! People annoy me to no end when they are so inconsiderate.

I thank my lucky stars every night that I went to college where manners were cherished. We still wore white gloves twice a year and have guidelines for appropriate dress. It also wasn't that long ago that Saturday night dinner was formal. I only wish they hadn't changed that... :)

Yes, I am a weirdo and people joke that my college is a "finishing school."

The way I see it:

I was raised with the utmost respect to deportment and presentation. My college wasn't like a finishing school--my HOUSEHOLD was. That said, I cannot fault or look down on anyone because they feel differently from the way I do about certain things. To each their own. If someone leaves the theater early, talks on their cell phone, or wears jeans to the symphony, it just emphasizes how much classier everyone else is.

I am also glad, however, that women can wear pants to work. Sometimes skirts just aren't practical!

I agree with you about the clothing. If people want to wear sweats to the opera and look like the Clampett clan, well, it's a free country. However, when it comes to cellphones going off in the movies or theater, it's past a point of whether it is "classy" or not. Their thoughtlessness is interfering with my ability to enjoy something that I looked forward to and paid good money (usually quite a bit of it) to enjoy. I feel the same about the people with screaming children who won't leave the theater or restaurant to get the kid to a chilled out state.

Yes and I look at people who wear cheap $500 suits and girls who shop at Ann Taylor and think they're dressing up as a bunch of lower class blue collar types/

To look down on people like this is ridiculous. Honestly, if you think dressing up shows respect, then you're plain old ridiculous.

-Rudey
--Let's all talk about how going to Outback is a black tie affair now.

I have to agree that it is extremely rude to leave a cell phone on during a performance event. Last fall, I was in a play, and in spite of the announcement to turn off all cell phones and pagers, 3 different phones went off during the show. It not only disturbed the audience, but it pissed off the actors to the extreme!!!:mad:

I guess I've just mastered the art of ignoring someone and tuning them out.

I didn't say it wasn't rude.

Rudey, I'm glad to know that I am not the only GC snob. :p

I guess I should clarify what I meant...

I don't mean that dressing up means you are better than someone else. I just wish people would dress appropriately and act politely.

Maybe I am asking for too much?

That's definately me.

I couldn't care less if someone doesn't dress up at certain places, leave early, etc...as long as they aren't with me somewhere important making me look bad.

Live and let live.

In 2003? You bet you are.

I've actually done the opposite. I've started wearing nice dress shirts and slacks, but nothing too fancy. I'm pretty much over the baggy clothing phase unless I'm just hanging out at home.

But, if you want to wear what you want, it doesn't bother me any....

this cell phone discussion reminds me of a completely true story.

i was in a musical when I was 16, called Li'l Abner (based on the comic strip). one of the characters, General Bullmoose did a rant about how the world wasn't the same as it used to be...called "Progress is the Root of All Evil". During a part of this song he lists the various modern evils, and we had adjusted it to fit into the year 2000. While in the middle of the song on of the last nights of the show, a cell phone rang in the middle of the otherwise quiet audience. it kept ringing and ringing. the ower dind't turn it off. then it rang again. while the phone was ringin it came to the part where Bullmoose listed off vaious evils of modern society, and in a loud ringing voice he yedlled "cell phones". i had never heard an audience cheer or laugh like that in the middle of the song (keep in mind that many of the audience members saw the show more than once during the 2 week run and knew that was a new addition to the song). i will never forget that moment.

end of story. my point is that you should always turn your cell phone off, or at least your ringer...you may end up being embarassed in front of over 200 strangers.

Rudey, you rock. The older I get, the less I give a shit about how anyone is dressed because crap like that just doesn't matter. I have clients who come to court with their pants hanging off their asses and their underwear sticking out, and they are usually the most polite, respectful people I encounter. I would never judge someone by clothing.

Which school was this? I always thought it'd be interesting to have a class that teaches basic table manners during formal dinners and things of that sort. Plus it'd be fun to have formal dinners every once in a while just for an excuse to dress up in your best. I want to live a life of luxury one day...the kind I see in movies where everyone dresses up for a glamarous party filled with delicious hors d'ouvres (spell check!) and men in tuxes (drool).

Onto other things on this post...cell phones...ahh the evil of cell phones. Yes it's one of my peeves too when you know for sure that someone's cell phone, PDA, pager will go off during a movie, concert, theater, etc. no matter how many times it's emphasized to turn all electronic equipment off or on silent. When I'm out with someone or a group of people, I usually put my phone on silent unless I have to have it on audible if I'm the only contact so they can find the group.

My mom STILL does the whole makeup thing before she has to go out even if it is to go to the store. One day we had a doctor's appointment and I asked her, "We're only going to the doctor's, why are you putting on makeup??" She just said it was natural for her to do so.

I always look at how others treat other people because that shows a lot of their character to how they'll treat you.

I can remember (barely) when people dressed up to fly.

I just hate to feel underdressed. If I am going to the theater or any type of live performance in a theater or concert hall you dress for it. Not necessarily all black tie, but for instance to a theater to see a commedian, at least wear non denim pants. Denim might be ok for a matinee, but even then its shakey. Khakis for the matinee and slacks for the evening shows. ESPECIALLY if you are on a date. Weither it be with your wife or girlfriend, it shows you respect THEM enough to see it as a special nite/event.

Thrillhouse, I understand some people like to avoid traffic (who doesnt), and I am not raising a stink here, just actually trying to understand that school of thought, BUT doesnt it make a little more sense to park strategically, at a better lot/garage or take a farther spot or even use the vallet to ease egress? I dont like traffic, but If I got the time to go to a show or something I can spare an extra 20 in traffic. I am not a surgeon and I dont have anyone waiting on me to plant a new kidney in someone. I am willing to bet most peeps leaving early dont have to either. The 30 mins extra? Yeah, its not gonna bankrupt you to pay the sitter an extra 10 dollars.

I understand where some of you are coming from with the whole not judging people by what they wear thing, but it happens. I'm a teacher, if I dress in jeans and a t-shirt how can I truly expect the parents of my students and my students themselves, as well as the administration of the place where I work to respect me as a professional?

With so many people nowadays complaining that they don't get treated like a "professional" (whatever that may mean to each person) but yet they dress like utter slobs at the workplace, what do they expect? There is a time and place for everything.

I was shocked last night, as my family and I went out for a very nice dinner for my Grandmother's 94th(:eek: ) birthday, and on the website of this restaurant chain (but classy-Ruth's Chris) they post a sort of dresscode and yet people were showing up there in clothing that was truly inappropriate. When the dress requirements state "Semi-casual to Formal", does semi casual mean leave the house looking like you rolled out of bed? Or for women or girls to wear pants cut so low you can almost get a dose of TWO cracks? (And I am serious here, I'm not referring to cleavage.)

Quite honestly, I don't think that because I think that people should dress nicely means that they respect me, it meas that they respect themselves enough not to look like a slob. If that makes me, in the words of Rudey, "plain old ridiculous" then fine. I'd rather be plain old ridiculous even if it is considered old fashioned.

*edited for typos*

Oh, yes. I agree. And what about these people who wear jeans to church? They can give me the "Well, God doesn't care what you look like as long as you're there" all they want, but I still say anybody ought to show some respect and at least wear slacks.

there are girls at my church who wear little lace tank tops and mini skirts. darn ol abercrombie and fitch model wannabes:rolleyes:

I totally agree with this whole post....

and don't even get me STARTED on what some of these little tarts are wearing to church nowadays. although in a way, I guess it's no worse than when this one girl (who had previously been hidden under a choir robe) wore an EXTREMELY tight fitting sweater dress and showed off her new twins. "Hello, I'm Jessie and these are my breasts!"

Unless I'm changing the oil in a car, I like to slightly overdress for pretty much every occassion.

I think that shows some respect for everyone around you.

As for cell phones -- I wish someone would "uninvent" them. We got along very well for a long time without them, and probably still would. They are the source of an awful lot of disruption.

I personally LOVE getting dressed up...now that I can fit into clothes that are pretty...

But, I will say this. When I was a kid, and even now, I go to church on either Saturday or Sunday night. These are the "informal" masses...I get to wear sweats, jeans, hell, even jammas...

Personally, I don't THINK God minds what I wear, I THINK he'd be glad I just showed up! My faith has nothing to do with my outfit...

I'm glad you brought this point up. I go to a very nice Episcopal Church and I'm just suprised every Sunday when I see people show up in jeans and shorts. I admit that I've been short of slacking off with my church attire:o It still bothers me that people can't at least put on a pair of khakis. I know it's hot in Texas right now,but that's no excuse

I have never attended church in jeans. I cant fathom going to see god in shorts or denim. My friend always goes to mass casual and actually refers to it as "Catholic Casual" lol.

The only time I dress up for Church is for Christmas midnight mass....

Catholic casual is def my style!!

The only times I've been to church are for weddings and funerals--so I can say that I always dress up for church. :p

I tend to overdress, but that's the way my parents raised me (and their parents, them).

i always dress up for church
sometimes i'm a little too dressed up for it
like if i have some awesome Enzos
i will buy an outfit to wear to church
just so i can show off my new shoes



by the way, something that i think parents are forgetting to teach the young joeys. . .eatting with their mouths closed and not smacking their food. . .that is just nerve wrenching

When I go to church at school, "Catholic Casual" is the order of the day - I mean, by all means, people wear like nice pants for Easter Vigil or Palm Sunday etc., but for most masses, boys wear khakis and a button down shirt and girls wear Seven Jeans and an appropriate shirt. My school seems to be weird though - we don't even wear "sorority girl black pants," just our Seven Jeans ALL the time.

I LOVE dressing up, personally... I have kind of always wished I lived in the 1940s or 50s! I love high heels, skirts, pearls, etc.

me too
except without the segregation and lynchings

other than that, i love the time period

I think that people should dress for the theater and symphony. I think that every woman should have a dress hanging in her closet for such an occasion.

My mother was a girl in a time when when women wore dresses, gloves, and hats when they went to Manhattan. Times have changed, but there are still places where people should dress a little nicer than their average daily wear. The theater ticket group to which my bf belongs requests its members dress appropriately meaning no jeans, t-shirts, sneakers, or shorts. I don't think that that is too much to ask.

White Chocolate, we could also do without the lack of career choices for women!

Oops, didn't mean to hijack the thread!

YES very very true... it's so gross when college guys smack their lips while they're eating... I was over at one of my sister's houses and her friend came over... we were eating subs and watching TV, and all I heard was him smacking his lips... I couldn't even look over. Another time I couldn't even watch this guy eat spaghetti at the dining hall. No table manners.

I remember, when I was growing up, there was an annoucement at every Mass during the summer months, about appropriate dress for church. People would show up in tank tops and short shorts. The church did not have A/C at the time, so I guess they were just being practical, but it didn't "look" right.

I also remember my dad getting dressed up to fly. Jacket and tie on the airplane even if we were going on vacation. People kept mistaking him for a business traveler. :p

I'm not saying we should return to the days of always wearing a jacket and tie at the office, women should wear skirts rather than pants, etc. I wear pants most of the time (though on Friday I wore a dress). But I don't believe that T-shirts and jeans have any place at a concert hall, upscale restaurant, or religious service (unless you are unfortunate enough not to own anything else).