Do You Condone Workplace Violence?

Will rocked Chris, and the TV audience for the Oscars grew within minutes. Call it the synthesis of two communication streams…

Viewing and reacting to violence changed during the Vietnam War when TV brought it into our homes, and it changed again with the Russian invasion of Ukraine as social media carried the news to our phones within seconds.

Will rocked Chris…some thought it was scripted…so did I at first…and many shared their reaction with friends and followers. As word spread quickly, the great tune-in began. People rewatched, searched, and shared, no doubt hoping to see more…bummed that they had missed the act live.

The truth is, I thought I was done with the Oscars with my Monday post on its continued irrelevance…but the reverberation of the slap felt around the world, demanded my attention. Not in a prurient way. KNEE JERK ALERT…I’ll leave it to you to judge either player, both, or neither. I want to talk about how the viral phenomenon suddenly made the Oscars relevant (even if only for a hot minute). I also believe there are things we could—or maybe should learn, and it’s not the power of social media that I’m referring to.

I’m fascinated by the still-powerful presence of live TV…the communication fallout from a single act witnessed, in the same way, by multi-millions live. Not to mention, millions more in its shared form after, and the varied narratives that grew from each viewing. Each new narrative that emerged fed on popular culture, but in so many different ways, it makes it seem like we all saw something different.

• What’s funny these days? Comedians have been taking down movie stars for years at the Oscars and elsewhere. Yes, and often resulting in awkward audience reactions. This wasn’t new, merely tasteless as so many other routines have been before.
• How did people’s reaction to the violent outburst become a racist issue to some and not to others? And follow carefully, there is no racial divide here in terms of who thought it was and who didn’t.?
• What is entitlement? What are its limits?
• Where does accountability begin? And what are its limits? Is a second act apology a reset?

As always, I relate this to the workplace. Despite my younger acting fantasies, I ended up playing on a corporate stage. That is the world I know. And I know this...

Bullying, of any sort, is not acceptable. Violence, of any sort, is not acceptable.?

As a manager, as a leader, I helped set the rules of engagement. In an office, there is no pact like there arguably is in the world of “stars” that says you can make fun of people and they have to take it. Yet, I have worked for some miserable people who made a habit of that type of cheap takedown. And most people, often afraid for their jobs, just took it. I have no doubt there were quiet tears shed in the bathroom or moments of grief at home, but people always appeared in public with frozen smiles…Interestingly and sadly enough, I have seen punches thrown and threats made, but all were covered up…all involved corporate “stars”, but none on live TV.

However, had either player been “rank and file”, the outcome would have been different. I guarantee that either way the punch thrower would have been suspended, maybe even fired, and the bully would have suffered similar consequences. And that seems to be the issue…different rules for different folks.?

And different rules are what send bad messages to our children, to others, and sets a poor example for the workplace and beyond.

My view:

• Stop with the excuses. Deal with the issue. Violence, its repercussions, and accountability.
• Don’t conflate. Bullying and violence are bullying and violence. Period.
• Outcomes need to be quick. Swift justice.

Frankly, I feel bad for both parties as I am a fan, or was, of both Will and Chris.

• If you know someone is vulnerable…even if you think you have “permission”, you don’t…tread lightly.?
• When you know you are vulnerable…go lightly. You have no permission for violence. Stand up. Demand that others do, too, but don’t use physical or verbal violence in response.

Bottom line??

Guard your mouth and watch your fists…and please, in our age of fake news, violence, and hate—sometimes, Dr. Freud, a cigar really is just a cigar…deal with the issue at hand…

And one final lesson as shared by Rabbi D., there is also a lesson in the slap that wasn’t thrown in response. Think on that.?

The good news is that the tide seems to have turned on the original Knee Jerk response that made this everything but an issue of entitled violence.?

Don’t conflate…

What’s your view?