Indiana-Police?

Twenty-one years ago, I worked as a scheduler and my job was calling people to set up their insurance exams. I spoke with a very heavy Filipino accent, but understandable nonetheless. My company serves several different insurance companies and one day, I was calling a client who applied for insurance with Indianapolis Life. "Hi, this is Ritchie with Indiana-police and I need to set up your insurance physical...." Click. The person on the other line hangs up on me. I called again and as soon as I open my mouth, I hear click. So I asked my co-worker, a 23-year old blond, green eyed aspiring musician named Frank to try and call him, see if he would hang up on a man, I thought maybe this client didn't like women. Frank is very sweet and soft spoken with very thin balding hair that he nourished to grow past his shoulder. "No, it's not about you being a woman, it's your accent, he thinks you're with the police force."

Why am I bringing this up? because Lydia, a reader of my blog sent me a link to a concert review done by a blogger named Elise. Elise wrote about Journey's concert in Indianapolis and people just about skewered her for her opinion - which by the way, you and I are entitled to also. Ok, she didn't like "My Arnel's" tight white pants, she thinks he jumps too much and that Neal should cut down on his guitar solo. That's what float her boat, would you wish her ill for that? It's cute that people rally behind "My Arnel" with the loyalty of the American pit bull and the ferocity of the Taliban, but it's hoi polloi to skewer people who dislike what we like.

Back in September 2008, I tackled Andy Greene with Rolling Stone magazine because he took Arnel Pineda's statement out of context, which is not the same as speaking out your opinion. Another reason why I am also more forgiving of Elise, is because she must be like me -an amateur, or newly self-appointed music enthusiast or she would not say what she said "I didn’t detect any trace of an accent when Pineda sang, so it was a little strange to hear our city name mispronounced." Hello? Have you heard (of ) the The Beattles (or what's left of them) and the lippy Mick Jagger? Listen to them talk and listen to them sing. I think Randy Jackson would say - "Shut yo mama dawg, just sing dawg, just sing."