Cell Phones- The New Karaoke

Cell phones are the new karaoke. You have only to watch an over loud performance and you will see the similarities immediately. The same overly loud and overly emotive manner is inherent in both.

On the cell phones, you can see a charming rendition of the old French favorite “regarde e’ moi,” (look at me).In both karaoke and cell phone performances the actor wants all around him/her to “look at me,” and will make whatever noise is necessary to attract that attention.

It's too bad we didn’t have scores of judges like Simon to give them a caustic review and a suggestion that they “not quit their day job.”

In airports, restaurants and other public venues, you continually see variations of this karaoke performance. Whatever happened to private telephone conversations and consideration for others?

Sometimes you will hear a performer enact the “look who I know,” or “look where I have been,” performance. It is a variant of the “regarde e’ moi” scenario, trying to impress listeners with how important the performer is.

In frustrated response, we can only but do what the judges on the American Idol Program do. Make a grimace and then start laughing at the performer. Perhaps if several, or maybe many of us, laughed at the obnoxiously loud performers, they might be embarrassed into turning down the volume or keeping their phone chats more private.

If that doesn’t work, perhaps we should do what another reality program has shown us. “Vote them off the island.”