Listening to the cretinous outpourings of the early morning 'TalkSPORT' offering I was once again irked by the false politeness each caller offered. Whether they caller was a football or sporting personality, a tabloid hack, (I cannot use journalist here) or white van driver himself calling the call started in the same manner. Each and every person, all male, began "Morning lads, how are you? This annoyed me, and ought to annoy 'the lads' also! Why ask this question? have they not been listening to the hundred taxi drivers who have already called in and asked that question? Have they gone deaf? Are they stuck for words? Don't ask dumb questions from false politeness, when they call you to speak JUST SPEAK! Murmur, "Morning," and make your point, answer the question, lie in your teeth as appropriate but don't ask how they are WE ALL KNOW!
False politeness has been encouraged by those PR people who train folks in dealing with the media. Almost every person who is heard on news programmes begins by saying "Morning," even if they are about to answer the question first, they stop, mutter "Morning," and answer. This is how they have been trained and it is false. It can be worse with Americans, the home of false politeness. When interviewing someone from the States they almost always give the "Good morning, I want to thank you for having me on your programe today, it's an honour to be here," pap! Being Yanks they will have bever heard of the programmes that has honoured them, just as we have never heard of them.
The New International Version of the bible is similarly affected y this. Americans call everyone sir, even if they are holding a gun at their heads, and almost every one who speaks to Jesus in the New Testament calls him 'Sir.' The word did not exist in Hebrew, Aramaic or Greek, it does not fit the portion on offer, it is an Americanism that ought to be dumped. ('please' similarly exists there, but not in the originals!)
There is nothing wrong with being polite. It is sadly a dying art in many places. However a quick "Thank you," "Ta," or "Cheers," is enough for most folks. If everyone you met asked prolonged questions most folks would never get their business done. Politeness can get things done by making people feel you regard them as important rather than a disturbance to your day. The awful word 'please,' can help ease some, especially women, in doing their job. I have come across such women who insist on me saying please and feel upset when I retort "I will when you actually do your job!!!" For such politeness is important, actually working in between does not matter. To waste politeness there appears folly to me.
However I am a believer in 'Thanks.' When I remember that is. I am always grateful for decent service, and happy to commend folks for it. So 'thank you' for listening. Just don't ask 'how are you' when phoning Talksport!'
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