Jive talkin'

I'm much better today. My friends in the computer reminded me that I don't hate the whole world, just a few people who inhabit it. Even if it's not really their fault since they have no idea that being fertile and talking about it was what they did wrong (well, most of them, anyway).

But to take my mind off my Troubles^TM, I turned to the one thing guaranteed to take away the pain: TV!

I watched an episode of Shalom in the Home with ubiquitous Orthodox Jewish tv personality, Shmuley Boteach, aka Rabbi to the Stars. He takes families with Troubles^TM, tells them what they're doing wrong and shows them how to fix it. Actually, I think the two psychiatrists that consult on the show tell him what to tell them.

Anyway, so me-n-Hubby are sitting there watching the show, commenting on the fact that Shmuley gives hugs to the women who appear on the show. Obviously, he is not Shomer Negia. Then we started discussing the family that was featured.

In Judaism, there is a concept of Lashon Harah (literally, "evil speech"). It is forbidden to gossip. Whether the gossip is good (Chavie got that promotion!) or bad (Chavie got that promotion by sleeping with her boss), it is not allowed. There are loads of books on the subject, the most famous being "Chofetz Chaim" by Rabbi Israel Meir HaCohen Kagan (who is also known as the Chofetz Chaim). Lashon Harah is such a big no-no that there are websites, classes, lectures, even a foundation dedicated to the topic.

As we're discussing this family, and talking about what a media whore great family facilitator Shmuley is, I suddenly realized that Hubby and I are committing serious Lashon Harah by discussing Shmuley and this family. Shmuley created this show and hosts it, and presumably wants people to watch it. Research has shown that the success of these reality shows is primarily based on the viewer's reaction of superiority. "We're so much better than these people - we don't fight like that; we would never give in to our kids like that; we wouldn't raise our voices like that" etc., etc. And the very nature of holding someone up in public for criticism inspires the public to agree or disagree with that criticism, thereby causing them to discuss that person. Shmuley must know this. Doesn't that mean that this Orthodox Rabbi is not only providing an environment that facilitates and encourages Lashon Harah, but is also profiting from it?

And yes, I realize that this post is also a perfect example of Lashon Harah.

posted by projgen @ 22:21