Dude-ness

In a meeting this week, my boss called me " a bit scary", presumably because if I'm annoyed about something I verbalise it.  Usually quite graphically.  Apparently this may be seen as intimidating.

For me, its pretty laughable because I'm actually the softest person you're likely to meet.  I'm just wrapped in a couple of layers of Denis Leary style dry-sarcasm/acid-tongued/piss-ripping fluff. 

Quite frankly, sometimes people ask for it.  They say things SO remarkably stupid or uncultured or uneducated or totally lacking in common sense that I can't help but laugh at them.  Like the person who asked if Gotham City was in Gothenberg and when told it wasn't real and that it was where Batman lived, countered with "but R Kelly sang a song about it?".  Or perhaps the time we were talking about Hulk Hogan and someone said "Oh yeah...he was all green and his shirt ripped when he got angry."  Its hard to just nod, smile and think "bless them" because in my eyes, there's no excuse for that sort of lack of cultural knowledge.

We're bombarded with media information at an alarming rate.  Somehow though, it slips past some people and I can't work out if they're the smart ones for not noticing and not being immersed in the media deluge we're subject to.

Anyway, digression.  My boss says I'm scary.  I used to swear too much but I've toned that down.  I've been told I also need to stop using expressions like "...rip his vocal chords out with my bare hands" and "...guage her eyes out with spoons..." - not that I ever could do that I hasten to add, I just like the descriptive langauge.  So, in an attempt to be a good employee I'm going to try and find a way round it.  A mental image that I can conjure to cause waves of calmness to flood my oft-raged mind.  I've given it serious consideration and decided on a film quote.  Because of course, everything has a relvant film quote. Thats the beauty of films, we can all find something we can relate to.

Wondering which quote?  In my eyes there can be only one:

"Nothing is fucked here, Dude. Come on, you're being very un-Dude."

Being very un-Dude.  Thats me when I'm angry.  Not that I'm all that "Dude" when I'm not.  But I'm more un-Dude when angry.

So thats my mission.  I need to be more Dude.  I could drink White Russians.  I don't bowl though.  Or indulge in any illegal substances.  But the general Dude-ness - I think its do-able.

For anyone unsure of this origin of that quote...you're not a Coen Brothers fan are you?

Comments

[David]

I dont think you want to live your life according to The Big Lebowski. In fact, dont live your life according to any movie. Just live it the way you want to. Loud and brassy or shy and classy, make it your own. People will respect you more and my guess is, they'll follow your way. Of course, if you really need to be more dude, a couple puffs of Dro could help...

[Leah Vanesssa]

I struggle with this as well. The trick seems to be to find a way to get your point across as forcefully and with as much personality as only you can, but without offending anyone. It's a daily struggle for me.

[Beth]

David - I'm not going to live my life according to a whole movie, I was just looking for qualities in a character that I'd like to have in myself. Calmness is something I could do with more of and the Dude is certainly pretty calm - substance enhanced or not!

Leah - Isn't it a nightmare? The nature of my job is that I have to do that a lot. The catch is, after 5 conversations where you try to be forceful but polite, you start to lose it a little...leading to the scary.

[Aidan]

A Swedish Batman is an interesting idea indeed - though surely some Scandinavian porn producer has got there first....?

[oe]

I'm loving "piss-ripping fluff"

[Beth]

Aidan - I would imagine so. There aren't many things the porn industry isn't in on!

OE - Its good stuff. I believe it constitutes as much as 53% of my biological make-up.