Distateful

I can hear some of my former students chuckling...there are certain crude words and phrases which, though perhaps not swear words, are not appropriate in the classroom. One of my classes chose to replace one of the taboo phrases with, "It's distateful." And now I will always think of them whenever I say that something is 'distasteful.'

So, Werty was invited to be part of an octet in the program for the ward Christmas party. One particular song the choir leader chose for them is that I would call distasteful. It's supposed to be humorous, but it's so dated, and it draws it's humor from ethnic stereotypes.

Another member of the group objected when the jist of the song was explained to him. Werty was relieved, because he had the same feeling about it. But the choir director chewed the first guy out and convinced him to look at the music and give it a shot. So, the music was dropped off at our door this week. Werty and I each looked at it. Yup, it's as horrible as he feared. Each verse is sung in a different accent, the worst verse labeled "the mysterious east" instead of an actual country, and the verse consists of menu items from a chinese restaurant instead of actual words or phrases.

Last night, Werty had the chance to voice his concern to the other member who had originally objected. I was proud of him as I heard him explain that we are members of a worldwide church, and "as a worldwide church, I don't think a song like this is appropriate." (Yeah, there's a reason I married him.) Together the two of them are going to talk to the others in the group and get rid of the song. It's a touchy thing, with the choir director having picked it, and we have been in the ward less than a year and don't know very many people.

Everyone seems to know my husband and his voice - they gave him a solo in the primary program this year, they put him down for a solo on Christmas - he just wishes they would ask him instead of putting him down and telling him later...because it's hard to get music and accompaniment together that quickly when you don't know very many people in the ward. No, no one has asked me to do any singing. Let's face it, Werty is the superior singer with more experience, and tenors are more in demand that altos. Have you ever seen a ward that says, we have plenty of men in the choir, but we need more ladies...didn't think so.