I now live in WASP world - where I have found it very striking that my in-laws and my neighbors never say anything directly... everything is passive-aggressive. Example - book club with my neighbors, one other woman there is also from inner-city, working-poor background, the rest all upper-middle class WASPS. Fellow inner-city woman announces that she "hated the book we read that month" about which we had gathered to discuss. This did not concern me at all. It is after all a book club. The others talked about this for weeks, maybe months after... they were absolutely shocked and appalled that 'she would say such strong direct words with no regard for the others in the club who liked it or the person who chose it!' They found it very offensive and there was much discussion for how she could have phrased her opinion in a more palatable manner. I was quite perplexed.
They wouldn't like me too much, considering every other thing that comes out of my mouth is either sarcastic or exaggerated (including this statement since it's not
really every other thing). Really, the thought of having to censor every little thing that I say, or feel like I'm walking on eggshells all the time, would make me want to just stay at home. I wouldn't want to attend a book club unless I could make fun of the book if I feel like it! Of course, most people would gauge the reactions of others, for instance if everyone else loved the book, you wouldn't ramble on for 10 min. about how awful it was (unless someone asked), but it doesn't sound like that was the case with this woman. They sound like a bunch of Stepford wives. Or is that an Un-PC thing to say? Oops!
