World of Pageantry

These days it seems that nothing is ever good enough for people when it comes to sports and entertainment. For example, a movie that breaks new ground in visual effects is often trashed for “bad acting” or lack of plot before it is praised for what it has done for the industry, if it is praised at all. In sports athletes are doing things today that were only a dream 50 years ago. Yet we hear all too often how top athletes of our time “suck”.
It seems to me that more and more every year color guard has become an activity that is more about being negative and finding flaws with every program then it is about praising the hard work and entertainment value of the shows we see. All to often people will put down a show or group with little more reason then “I don’t like them”, before they will admit to the group’s performance having any merit at all. I find it rare that people point out the good things a group is doing first, before they rip into it and trash it as much as they can. My question to everyone is why? They say that everyone loves a winner, but in the world of color guard it seems that everyone would rather hate the winner and point out 100 reason why any group is not that great. I see this happen a lot in the A and Open classes, as people often uphold groups in those classes to the same level as world guards. It’s really a shame because this is where most World class members get their start and if it wasn’t for the training performers get in these groups, we sure wouldn’t see half the things we are seeing at the world level. I would urge people to find the good in shows that you DON’T like. Take a look at what they are doing well, before you point out all the things you THINK they are doing wrong.

During this time of terrorism and fear isn’t it more important to focus on all then good we are doing in every thing we put our time and energy into, instead of fueling the hate machine

That was very well put. I am glad that there are people that still think this way and stay away from the negative animosity some people show towards other groups. I applaud you.

Tawny

I have to disagree with your feeling that the world of colorguard is hateful and negative. If anything I see way more posts on this site about people loving another guard and being supportive of each other. Sure there is always going to be the people who have a negative comment or favor one guard over another, that is human nature. And this is a competitive sport!! In a sport where judges decide the winner, there is always going to be someone who doesn't agree with the outcome, this isn't a race where there is a clear winner.

I think it is interesting that you have written this long post about people hating, when the only other post you started has been locked down for being negative.

Finch wrote: I think it is interesting that you have written this long post about people hating, when the only other post you started has been locked down for being negative.

I wrote this post BECAUSE of the last one. I tried to be very clear that I did NOT dislike any of the groups I talked about in the last post. I think they are both good, but I am of the opinion that one is better. Never the less, I was still respectful of the other group and tried hard to point out things they were doing well. If you take a closer look there was only one negative person on the post who seemed to get upset at the praise I was giving to another group. That's is what sparked this post. I just found it interesting that someone started to be hateful when they didn't agree whith what I was ASKING.

Interesting topic. We just discussed this in my history class about a week or so ago when we were learning about President Roosevelt and the new deal. A math teacher at my school who has since retired once told my history teacher that Roosevelt had destroyed America with this plan. My history teacher's response was, so what should we have done instead? To that the math teacher had no answer. My history teacher then went on to point out that this is true in other areas of life. And he used guard as an example, but in a good way. he said (and this was directed at the entire class, whom are all athletes and bandos, I’m the only guardie), "you see a girl drop her flag and you think, wow she sucks, but then I don't see you out there trying it." my history teacher earned all my respect that day. Anyway my point is that I agree that we shouldn't tear other groups down, we aren't in their shoes we don't know what they are coming from, and we don’t know what we would do if we were. But, if I dislike a show it is because they aren't clean, have bad technique or aren't performing. I just can't enjoy those shows. But I really don’t see this huge amount of hate that you do. Sure there is the occasional person that is a bit harsh on other guards when critiquing, but for the most part we are pretty supportive of each other. Before shows there are always a ton of people wishing others luck and afterwards there are congratulations to the winners. There really isn’t a huge amount of animosity. Anyway, just my two cents.