Skip to main content

Who's a Dork?

I don't really know who this guy is, but last night he became extremely unpopular on Twitter.

@jimrome: Is there anyone not in a marching band who thinks those dorks running around with their instruments are cool?

You can look him up if you want. Not a truly impressive piece of work, this guy. Not surprising that he was taking potshots while live tweeting a game. But perhaps he is the one who is surprised now.

If you are on Twitter, search #JimRome or #JimRomeFacts or #MarchonRome. Band kids, band parents, music teachers and music professionals are pretty ticked off. Some examples:

@CollegeMarching: Hey @jimrome we hope you don't mind 5am rehearsals on your front lawn. #MarchOnRome

@clarinet_jen: Very disappointed with @jimrome and his tweet last night about marching band. Way to insult the entire music education community.

Some folks are calling for him to be censured, and some folks would like to see him fired. Others are demanding an apology. And I'm sure some folks think, "what's the big deal?" or, "don't even dignify his comment with a response." This man has made a career out of this kind of behavior, and he's still getting paid, so apparently it works for him.

But it pays to know who your audience is. I don't think Rome had the slightest idea how many people watch those college bowl games in the hope of getting to see and hear the band show. Sadly, most of the time the networks don't show them anymore. So, the networks are missing the boat, and I guess he takes his cue from them. "It's okay to marginalize the band," he must think. "They're good for an easy joke."

@areveroberle: Enjoying some of these #JimRomeFacts a bit more than I probably should. Don't make the band kids angry. We can use twitter too.

There's a lesson in this. Wonder if Jim Rome and his employers will get it?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Teacher Gifts

Today is the last day of school before the Winter Break. It’s a good time to remember the far-reaching nature of our public school system. You may not have children. You may have sent your children to independent schools. It matters not. You will be impacted one way or another. Yesterday I read a long thread on Facebook about several waves of illness in the schools right now. There’s influenza A and norovirus, I believe. And of course there’s COVID. Apparently in some individual schools the rate of illness is high enough for school admin to notify parents.  When I was little the acceptable holiday gift for a teacher was one of those lovely floral handkerchief squares. (I don’t know what it was for male teachers. They were rare in my elementary years.) These days the range of teacher gifts is wider and I have fond memories of Target gift cards which I have written about before. I think it’s safe to say that giving one’s teacher Influenza, norovirus, or COVID is not the ideal holiday...
1 comment
Read more

Getting Fresh

One of my favorite days in the Spring comes when this year’s list of Farmer’s Markets is released. That happened this week. New this year are markets in Old Ellicott City and the “Merriweather Market” which, according to the address, will be located here . I mistakenly thought at first glance that it was in the new-construction part of the Merriweather District. I find the name confusing considering its actual location. I’m going to guess that this market is an initiative of the Howard Hughes Corporation because the name seems chosen more for branding purposes than anything else.  Alas, the market in Maple Lawn is gone. The thread on the markets on the County Executive’s FB page will provide you with quite the education in who actually runs the Farmers Markets vs what people often think is going on. Short answer: they are not  chosen nor run by the county. Each market is an independent entity, sometimes started by community volunteers, other times supported by local businesses...
1 comment
Read more

They Can Wait

This is not a typical Saturday post. That’s because, in my community, it’s not a typical Saturday.  Oakland Mills High School, after years of deferred repair, needs massive renovation. It’s pretty simple: when you don’t fix a problem it gets bigger. The school system itself said the the OMHS school building was  "no longer conducive to learning" back in 2018.  2018 .  But Thursday the Boad of Education voted to push it out of the lineup of important projects which will be given the go-ahead to proceed soonest.  In my opinion it’s a terrible decision and sets a dangerous precedent. To explain, here’s the advocacy letter I sent in support of Oakland Mills High School. I was rather proud of it. I am writing to ask you to proceed with needed renovation at Oakland Mills High School in the most timely and comprehensive manner humanly possible. I have read the letter sent to you by the Oakland Mills Community Association and I am in complete agreement. You are extremel...
1 comment
Read more