By now, pretty much everyone on the planet knows about that pair of shoes that were lobbed at the President on his visit to Iraq last week. I’m not going to comment on the propriety of throwing shoes at world leaders, nor on the (apparently poor) aiming skills of certain Iraqi journalists.

I’m going to bitch about the media.

I went to a party the evening it happened, and overheard an acquaintance telling another partygoer, “You know, they said on the news that in their culture, throwing a shoe is the worst insult imaginable.” Realizing that I was nearby, heads turned to me. “Chris, you know those people. Is that true?”

Now, I don’t mean to be awful here, but can we step outside of the box for a second? The media did, for a bit, wet themselves in an attempt to get self-proclaimed culture experts in to discuss the seriousness of the incident as it is reflected in Arab culture. In fact, I witnessed a similar conversation here between two faculty members. “I just don’t think people understand how serious it is,” one of them lamented.

Here’s where Chris would like to offer some “get real” commentary:

The man threw a shoe at the President of the United States, arguably the most powerful man on earth. Who in their right mind would have watched CNN and thought to themselves, “Hmmm. I wonder if that’s some sort of greeting? Maybe it’s a benediction. Yeah, that’s it! I’ll bet that in Iraq people throw shoes as a way to make people feel welcome! Wait, here’s a culture expert … it’s an insult? They insulted my president? I never would have known that! Thank you, Fuad Ajami, for clearing that right up for me! I was about to go throw my shoes at my new Arab neighbors to make them feel welcome, but thanks to your two-bit commentary I know better! Man, that was close!”

Yes, throwing shoes is an insult in Arab culture, as is pointing the soles of your feet at people, but, really. Are we so clueless without the news media that we have to have someone explain the implications at us?

Fortunately, more serious things have come up in the media, such as a lively debate on the gender of Santa’s reindeer.

Times like these … I kinda wonder if the Unabomber had a point …

Tags: art, bla, cat, CNN, faculty, feet, HBO, iraq, me, media, men, news, party, power, shoes