a life of performance
The word performance pops up often in obscure and unlikely places. A surgeon performes surgery. At the Giant's game, Amani Toomer performed a dance in the endzone after he scored a touch-down. A military veteran performed the Star Spangled banner before the game. In a eulogy of Bob Tisch during half-time, he performed many acts of philanthropy and kindness. It could be said that my mom performed the act of making dinner and I performed as I recounted a story I had heard that day at dinner (while really I was just telling it). If the word perform actually means "to function, to operate in a certain way" or "to carry out a task" is it possible that we are always performing?
If we consider the denotation of the word, we literally are always performing by carrying out our actions, but we are also quite possibly performing all the time for others in the more abstract sense of the word. While Toomer probably danced in the endzone because he felt genuienly accomplished on reaching his goals, it is also probable that he danced because he knew his audience would approve and enjoy it. Bob Tisch perfomed acts of kindness, which he may have very well done for his "audience" of co-workers and associates who would approve of his use of time and money. I performed a story at dinner because I knew my parents would enjoy it. And as for homework, I think most of us can agree that while we might get some pleasure out of learning from the assignment, we perform it to the best of our abilities because we know it will please our professors.
We often accuse the media of misplaced priorities when they consider entertaining their audience more important than reporting the news accurately. In a sense, they are "performing" in order to get approval and offer enjoyment to an audience. I wonder if we can be so critical of the media for doing what we quite possibly do all the time. Is it okay for us to perform to please others but demand that the media perform differently or really not perform at all?
If we consider the denotation of the word, we literally are always performing by carrying out our actions, but we are also quite possibly performing all the time for others in the more abstract sense of the word. While Toomer probably danced in the endzone because he felt genuienly accomplished on reaching his goals, it is also probable that he danced because he knew his audience would approve and enjoy it. Bob Tisch perfomed acts of kindness, which he may have very well done for his "audience" of co-workers and associates who would approve of his use of time and money. I performed a story at dinner because I knew my parents would enjoy it. And as for homework, I think most of us can agree that while we might get some pleasure out of learning from the assignment, we perform it to the best of our abilities because we know it will please our professors.
We often accuse the media of misplaced priorities when they consider entertaining their audience more important than reporting the news accurately. In a sense, they are "performing" in order to get approval and offer enjoyment to an audience. I wonder if we can be so critical of the media for doing what we quite possibly do all the time. Is it okay for us to perform to please others but demand that the media perform differently or really not perform at all?
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