The Instant Historian: Britt McHenry Was Classist, So Is The Internet
By Ty Duffy
Britt McHenry berated a towing company employee. The tape leaked. It trended worldwide. ESPN suspended her for one week. She apologized. While the leaker edited the footage, it’s hard to envisage context that would soften what was said, which was ugly.
Reactions, as they are wont to do, polarized into two camps. Supporters felt McHenry had a lamentable outburst, a relatable low moment unfortunately caught on camera. Critics argued the sharp, personal attacks were odious and character defining. Treating another person that way was not something reasonable people did. The truth, as usual, was somewhere in the grey area between.
My initial reaction skewed critical. I’ve been angry. I’ve been frustrated. I’ve had low moments, unfit for film. But, I’ve never, to my recollection, lashed out at another person about their perceived education, skill-set, domicile or teeth. Maybe that’s empathy. More probably that’s a combination of conflict avoidance and guilt or perhaps just not having being provoked to that point.
The thing is…I’ve done this, in a broader sense. So have many of you.
McHenry’s biting insults – profession, education, weight, dental care, take your pick – centered on the tow truck employee’s class. Media, to large extent, have grown attuned to race, gender and sexuality sensitivity. Class is another matter. The same folks hounding down every slight and malapropism in the former realms have few compunctions about reducing working class people to a tableau.
Most Internet humor that goes viral (not involving cats) is some variation of we the educated laughing at the zany antics of the great unwashed. Many media members told us they stayed on Twitter for the jokes. The jokes and memes are, often, cutting, impolite jibes about many of the topics McHenry touched on. Look at this outfit I saw at the stadium. Everyone’s off to #LexingtonPoliceScanner, right? How do you guys feel about Olive Garden? #TCAP still on? Everyone loves Shirtless, towel-waving N.C. State fan.
Speaking for myself, I’ve made fun of people I didn’t like for their weight and their physical appearance. I’ve belittled others’ educations and professions. As a Michigan fan, I’ve made comments about rival Ohio one may consider classist (I’ll shut up about the sweat pants. I promise). Much of my activity, writing about college football, is finding folks like this or like this to ridicule. I laugh, heartily, at the rubes who call into Paul Finebaum’s show.
A world that causes no offense would be dour and humorless. There’s a difference between tongue-in-cheek and deeply-held belief. There’s a difference between playing with stereotypes and spewing direct vitriol in someone’s face. But, the differences are not enough for me to start spouting off about virtue. Maybe your conscience is clean.
McHenry has been labeled as a “Mean Girl” for this incident. Undoubtedly, bearing as strong a resemblance to Regina George as any member of the sports media is having a strong bearing on how this is being processed. But, it’s worth noting the point from Tina Fey’s movie was that everyone has that “mean girl” inside them. A quick cruise through McHenry’s mentions on social media will attest to that.
Opprobrium has descended upon her. McHenry’s actions warrant it. She was, without question, wrong. But, when we adjudicate these matters over the Internet, we tend to exculpate ourselves and brutally castigate the isolated individual. That’s the precise mistake that got McHenry intro trouble.
One person won’t alter the prevailing social media wind. But, remember, pretty much at any moment, that torrential wind can come down on you.