A Rumble on the Message Boards — Page 3

Frankly, Namo, I’m surprised you of all people would bring up the “Bless Your Heart” issue, considering your sugar sweet post, dripping with disrespect, to Juliana. Anyone with half a brain picked up on what you were doing and really saying to her. The one decent you said was “Bless your heart” and even then you did so knowing full well you were using it as a slur for weeks beforehand. There was no indication it meant anything different in the post.

I make no apology either to you or her for bringing up that it had a double meaning. I simply supplied the information. I even gave you the chance to come clean and explain it yourself.

How convenient for you that Broadway.com is no more so I can’t find the thread with the exact meaning and post it here for all to see. Or is it? You can imagine my surprise when I stumbled onto the old board a few weeks ago. Had I known at the time this would become an issue, I would have looked that information up and done a print screen on it. I can’t speak for the state of the board as of right now, but at the time I was on it, it was still pretty much intact. Perhaps I can recreate whatever it was that I did (still not exactly sure) and access it one more time.

But what any of this has to do with having enough strength to admit you’ve done someone wrong and apologizing for it escapes me.

With regards to making me cry for two days—I confess that is true. I only let it be known when a pack of curs were attacking a young lady. Rather than stand safely on the sidelines, I
stepped in to ask them to think about what they were doing because they could be hurting someone badly without knowing it. For those who did not experience Broadway.com, I can only point out what goes on this board and leave it to your imagination as to what an unmonitored board was like. And yes, it was YOU, Namo. Even in my post telling I had cried, I didn’t mention your name because I had forgiven you and didn’t want you to feel bad (Silly me!). Take whatever sick pleasure that gives you but understand this: the ONLY reason you had the power TO make me cry was because, even though we had our many disagreements, I respected you and what you said meant something to me. That condition no longer exists.

I commend you on your definitions of an apology. It’s clear you had your Webster’s dictionary to hand. There can be no doubt you know the meaning of the word. Whether you UNDERSTAND and can apply it is another matter. I’ve seen no evidence of either. I won’t dignify the manners snip with a reply.

I will speak no more of these matters. The subjects are closed as far as I am concerned. There only remains one last bit of business that I need to attend to.

It would seem I do owe someone on this board a public apology. My exposure to slurs hid in kind words made me take offense where none was intended and I lashed out at someone because of it.

My most humble and sincere apology, Broadway Bulldog. You behaved like a true gentleman with your PM and I was very wrong for snapping at you. I can only hope that we can get past my misunderstanding and move forward toward many interesting (but no fighting) threads in the future.

D

My sentiments exactly~

"Bless Your Heart" being used as a slur????

I remember the post on Broadway.com where the phrase "Bless Your Heart" was mentioned. My remembrance was that one poster explained that he was orginally from an area in the South where this phrase was traditionally used as a formal closing. My take was that it was a non-offensive closeure attempting to put a positive spin on something that was very (see I spelled the entire word although I realize those three extra letters can be tasking) banal or trite. Nothing more sinister or nefarious than that. It's not a message to the Anti-Christ.

Bless Our hearts, and of course I mean that in the nicest way because what other way could it be meant!

---

*Raising hand and waving it vigorously in the air*....


I was the one that brought the phrase "Bless your/her/his/their heart" to the good people of the Broadway.com board. Seeing as this has become an issue akin to the asassination of Kennedy, I must speak.

Sonofamamiasam is exactly correct in his definition of the acursed (according to some) phrase. It's a uniquely southern thing -- because as you all know, we born-and-bred southern folk can rip someone to shreds without them ever knowing it happened, all with a smile on the face while offering you a chicken salad sandwich (white meat only -- anything else is just "tacky").

SIDEBAR: When I lived in NYC, I got rid of my southern accent, but pulled it out of the hat when I wanted something from the oh-so-sophisticated New Yorkers. You see, more often than not, when an Easterner hears a southern accent, they automatically assume that you are dim. And that, Scarlett, can be the greatest weapon in the world. EXAMPLE: Back in the 80s, I snuck into the balcony of Carnegie Hall while Liza Minnelli was rehearsing for her concerts one day. After watching for about 30 minutes, a hunky staff member saw me and made a beeline -- presumably to throw me out. Before he had a chance to open his mouth, I said "Hi, how are you? I'm from out of town, and heard singing, and came on in." Spoken, of course, with magnolia dripping and dipthongs stretched and a smile on my face. He stopped in his tracks, grinned, and said "where in the world are you from?" Suffice it to say, I got to watch the rest of rehearsal (he moved me down to the orchestra section), met Liza, got a backstage tour of Carnegie Hall....and went out that night with said hunky staff member for a night of revelry not soon forgotten by my haunches. Southerners dumb? Dumb like a fox.

But I digress. Regarding my friend Namo: If his commentary drives you to weep (which is unbelievable and pathetic), I hope none of you ever get around witty, erudite, sarcastic theatre folk in NYC, because you wouldn't last a nano-second. Seems to me his biggest "fault", according to you, is that he doesn't suffer fools gladly. Thank Christ.

And why, WHY, would anyone take anything said on a message board to heart, whether it be from Namo, Broadwayguy2, Bruce Kimmel or Juliana? To THAT I say, with every nuance you can infer from the positive to the negative: BLESS YOUR HEART.

Updated On: 8/28/03 at 09:24 AM

Broadway Bulldog, I agree with everything you said. Bravo!

Cheers,
The Balladeer

---

With all this Bess Your Heart talk...it makes me want to sing that fabulous broadway song

"BLESS YER BEAUTIFUL HIDE"

I love you Namo, sonofmama and Rlbgbc! Bless your hearts a thousand times! Dof, I said this on the old board and I'll happily reiterate here. Grow a thicker skin my dear and try taking a much needed break off your soapbox now and again. A respite seems a bit in order for you.