According to the Wall Street Journal, The Isley Brothers’ “Shout” is one of the earliest and best-known party songs. Immortalized by the frat-house dance scene in the 1978 comedy film National Lampoon’s Animal House, “Shout” was originally conceived by Ronald Isley during a 1959 concert in Philadelphia as a way to extend the audience’s excitement. And did it ever!
Later in the 80s, the band Tears For Fears came out with another song called “Shout.” “Shout. Shout. Let it all out. These are the things we can do without. C’mon. I’m talkin’ to you. C’mon.” It was one of my favorite songs to blast in my starter Chevy on my way to high school. (Editor’s note: I played this song on the radio, as my car did not have a cassette player– frankly I’m lucky it had power windows and four wheels.)
And let’s talk about the people who named the genius laundry stain remover Shout! What a perfect name for a stubborn stain. Shout. Shout. Get it all out! I think Tears For Fears might deserve royalty payments on this, no?
Growing up in my family, we were yellers– all of us. I think it was common in the 70s to literally shout it out– for s/he who screams loudest must win? (That award would most definitely have gone to my Dad by the way—loudest, but not necessarily the winner.) Yelling seems to be a passionate way to express one’s self in an effort to be understood. Sometimes shouting just feels good.
The funny thing about yelling during a confrontation is that it encourages the opposite person to either scream louder escalating the fight or to retreat… which could completely doom the conversation if the silent party completely checks out. Either way a loud exchange rarely sinks in to the opposition. When you’re screaming that loudly, it’s nearly impossible to absorb what the other person is saying, nor are you really in the mood to listen since you’re so focused on being heard. Don’t you just feel like saying, “Will you be quiet and just let me scream??”
Which brings me to those quiet yellers. These are the intense folks who neeeeever raise their voices, especially when they are angry. Instead their body language tells most of the story. They’re known to either clench their jaws or raise their brows really really high or lace their fingers together. And when they’ve harnessed their internal power, they lean in purposefully and usually point a finger in your face so you know they’re about to unleash! And in a super intense low voice (even if nobody else is listening besides you) they radiate a torrent of fury using harsh words to make their point. Whoa! They also seem to focus specifically on one word per sentence for extreme emphasis. Like I have a friend “H” who once leaned in and said, “We are NOT going to let those fuckers get away with this for one more goddamn second, Jen. DO you hear me? Do you HEAR me?” Oh yeah. Loud and clear, baby. Love it! (Thanks, H.)
Sometimes shouting is a pure exclamation of happiness. Like when you get good news or win something or get a surprise or bump into an old friend unexpectedly in a remote location. Shouting in a group can be so much fun, too. Like when your team wins color war or your sales division breaks the record for company revenue.
Shouting can also be a pure expression of anger. Like when you drop your iPhone on concrete and crack the glass or drop a full bag of groceries including eggs on the driveway or your flight gets cancelled just as you’re about to board or you accidentally delete a huge file you were trying to save.
I think the best kind of callouts are when you give a shoutout to someone who deserves it. And I’m talking about YOU, my faithful readers! This blog marks numero 250 in my library of posts. Wow that went fast! So thank you for reading all of my words, sending in comments, and inspiring me to share more of myself and more of my stories. And a special shoutout to all of you quiet readers who have a reaction to my posts that you don’t share, but you find meaning or solace or humor in some of my thoughts.
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