I Wave My Rights

When I was young, I loved doing the wave. Half the fun in going to hockey games was anticipating that activity. If the wave hadn't come by the time the third period rolled around, the night was a waste.

Since growing more cynical, I've come to deplore the wave as a clear symbol of mob mentality in an already stupid world. If your neighbor is standing up, then damnit, you best stand up, too. I face enough peer pressure as it is, I don't need the asshole in a beer-stained shirt yelling to me about how important the wave is and how our section needs to prove we are the biggest fans. I'm even less likely to participate if I know that a lousy, self-important fucktard is in charge of the operation. Really, who finds standing up and sitting down to be so impressive?

Last night, I watched Murderball, a commendable documentary on the intense sport of wheelchair rugby. Toward the end of the film, the American and Canadian teams face off in the Paralympics. Going wild, the crowd repeatedly does the wave around the stadium. Now as dumb of an activity the wave is, this setting is probably the least appropriate of all. Referring back to my earlier question: Who finds standing up and sitting down to be impressive? People who are paralyzed! To me, it came across as the crowd taunting the athletes. "You think you're the shit because you play wheelchair rugby? Well look at me standing up and sitting down!"

The wave: once moronic, now insensitive.