Work is work, even if part of the job is to look like best friends on TV.
The goal of the sports studio is for jocks to tell jokes. But not everyone can be Ernie, Charles, Shaq, or Kenny. SometimesIt’s best for everyone else to keep the jokes light and the fake TV laugh perfect.
During halftime of Vanderbilt’s 31-24 victory over Florida on SEC Network, Peter Burns made a clever joke about Benjamin Watson’s suit. He was right — the former Georgia, New England Patriots, and New Orleans Saints tight end was considerably shinier than anyone else on the set.
Watson didn’t make much of a comeback, so he took it with a sense of humor, smiled, and said he wouldn’t mind as long as his wife emailed him. I happily went with the second joke when I said, “That’s not what I sent.” He’s lucky that Watson didn’t end up imprinting some of the suit’s sheen on his forehead.
Both Watson and Burns disappeared from the set when the halftime show returned from the commercial break. Chris Doren started the next segment, directly addressing the noticeable difference, and Watson angrily returned to the set. Her shiny suit jacket is clearly unbuttoned, with a look that looks like she has a rock on her chin.
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Those who weren’t raised with boundaries generally should always be careful who they make fun of. Just because you’re joking doesn’t mean the other person will take it that way. That’s how communication works, the recipient interprets it and reacts accordingly.
Not everyone cares what great joke you, a non-professional comedian, come up with at a given moment. And for those who can’t help but playfully tease their fellow humans, a good rule of thumb is to leave people’s families alone.
A few “yo mama” jokes between classmates who have known each other for a while at school are not the same as being rude about the people adults consider the most important in the world.
It’s always best to assume that jokes about people’s parents, significant others, and offspring are off limits, especially in settings where the whole world can see. Hurting someone’s feelings, whether it’s pride or the body, can bring some pain to the problem area.
Burns and Watson later took pictures and played around with it so there was no beef left between the two. I don’t think I’ll be making jokes about his wife, wardrobe, or anything else anytime soon.