From: aelman@Xenon.Stanford.EDU (Adam Elman)
Subject: Re: Stanford banned again
Organization: CS Department, Stanford University, California, USA
Distribution: usa
Date:  1 Oct 92 22:03:16 GMT

randall@informix.com (Randall Rhea) writes:

>If you wish to be humorous, you must do so in the right context
>for your audience, otherwise you simply offend people.
>The Stanford Band owl show displayed ignorance and insensitivity
>to the economic problems of the Pacific Northwest and the
>extreme controversy of the whole environment-logging issue.  The message
>that the Oregon audience got from the show was, "We're a bunch
>of rich kids from California, and we're going to make fun of your 
>problems."  That may not have been the intent, but that's what it
>looked like.  I have been to a games in Eugene, and I can tell you 
>that they already harbor deep resentment against Californians.
>A show like that simply added insult to injury.

Well, if they already harbor deep resentment towards Californians,
then anything we were to do would have offended them.  We were booed
as soon as we took the field.  If they hate Californians that much,
then we (and for that matter our team) should probably just have
stayed home.  The LSJUMB has no wish to go back to Eugene.

>The LSJUMB mention of the hostage-shooting incident at
>Henry's bar in Berkeley during the 1990 halftime show at Cal
>was also insensitive and tasteless.  This was a terrible
>incident that involved several students and some very
>gruesome behavior by a deranged individual.   This "spoof"
>is supposed to be funny?  

As I remember it, that formation was referring to another incident
entirely.  I agree that, had that been the incident referred to, I too
would have found that repugnant.  However, I think it was referring to
incidents of false bomb scares which had been plaguing the Berkeley
campus recently.  Not quite so gruesome.

>Let's say that the Oregon Band came to Stanford and did a show
>about the Stanford-government-money scandal, former Stanford President
>Kennedy, the Oakland fire, the 1989 earthquake, the Giants
>moving to Tampa, Silicon Valley unemployment, etc.   It is possible
>to do a "good spoof" on any of these subjects, and some people
>in the Palo Alto crowd might think it was funny- but thousands
>of them would simply find it to be offensive.  Why ruin a 
>nice afternoon of college football with stuff like that?

We have done stuff about the Stanford scandal (as have the USC band
when we played there last season).  Our post-earthquake show was
supposed to have been pretty funny.  The Giants moving to Tampa sounds
like a great show idea -- I'll have to mention that one.  Silicon
Valley unemployment might also make a funny show if done well.  Frankly, I
think you underestimate the Palo Alto crowd.  Those who hate us will
continue to hate us, but those who don't mind us would find these
shows quite humorous.

>This is the problem that I have with so-called "humorous"
>marching bands.  It is very easy to do a "timely",
>"witty" show in front of 50,000 people and cause offense
>to a lot of people, especially when you try to deal with
>politics.  Frankly, I go to a college football game to
>get away from day-to-day conflicts like politics. 

Fine.  I go to games to have fun, which includes making fun of a few
things.  

Adam Elman
aelman@cs.stanford.edu


>-- 

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>Randall Rhea                                        Informix Software, Inc. 
>Project Manager, MIS Sales/Marketing Systems    uunet!pyramid!infmx!randall