The Ugly Reader: Is Ugly Culturally-Specific?
(Part 8 of 10.)
I don’t know, probably. In some Asian countries, where politeness and decorum come naturally to members of society, belching and slurping soup, which also come naturally, are considered part of politeness and decorum.
In some Western countries, where neither politeness nor decorum is a natural part of society, belching and slurping soup, which are natural, are considered the opposite of polite behavior. This is clearly a choice. In the East, this facet of ugly has been embraced and is now an expected tool in a civilized person’s repertoire.
The ancient Romans, whose civilization lasted a long time, held contests in which the gladiator who treated the other gladiators in the most ugly way, usually involving murder, would win general acclaim. The man in the realm with the most ugly convictions would become Caesar, a position from which his every ugly desire could be made real. They were also constantly throwing up on things and tossing bones over their shoulders.
We would today consider these acts unseemly, even though all the beautiful people are sticking their fingers down their throats in the bathroom at Spago. However, ugly is always a secret in America, be it well-concealed or well-known.
by Jack, October 20, 2003 1:13 PM | More from The Ugly Reader
Within the Chronology
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Somewhere along the line, then, between our cultural forbears in ancient Rome and the Western world of today, we lost sight of "ugly". How did we lose our way?
Culture for bears? You're talking crazy.