Applause and Facebook like buttons

(Baonghean) - In 2013, the Ig Nobel Prize (a parody of the Nobel Prize) was announced for 10 achievements that "first make people laugh, then make them think." Among them, the Peace Prize was awarded to Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko for making public applause illegal, and to the country's police for "arresting a one-armed man for clapping."

Commonly, applause expresses agreement, appreciation, support, and so on. However, applause doesn't always retain its intended value and meaning. Sometimes, applause at a symphony concert can cause the conductor to frown; other times, boisterous applause can distract a shooting athlete. Applause can also be a subtle way to get rid of someone who talks too much on stage.

I once sat in a concert with only a few hundred people in attendance, in a rather small auditorium. That night, the singer sang his last song just as it was past 11 pm in Hanoi. The singer bowed, but the long, resounding applause from the audience kept him there. While the band shook their heads and asked to leave, the singer stayed on stage to sing one more song, thanking the audience for their appreciation.

Sometimes, watching TV shows, I feel sorry for the presenters. Some presenters shout themselves hoarse, urging viewers to applaud, but all they get in return are a few insincere claps. Blaming the viewers is one thing, but sometimes the performers or presenters are too ambitious about the applause. Some singers, after each line of a song, yell towards the audience, pleading: "Clap, everyone!"

That night, the Hanoi Opera House hosted a live show by a singer specializing in sentimental music. I sat next to a woman struggling to restrain her unruly child. Just then, applause erupted in the auditorium, and the mother said to her son, "Look, isn't he singing well? Clap your hands!" The child seemed to find new joy, clapping and muttering something incomprehensible. As the auditorium fell silent, lulled by the singer's melodious lyrics, the boy remembered the applause and suddenly raised his hand to clap loudly, unconsciously. In the small auditorium of the Hanoi Opera House, a child's clap was enough to draw everyone's attention, prompting a chorus of applause, from sparse to boisterous. The boy seemed even more delighted, occasionally raising his hand to clap and relishing the sound as others joined in. Many people, while clapping along with the child's lead, were undoubtedly puzzled, wondering, "What's so great about this part that they're clapping?" But then they thought, "Oh well, if everyone else is clapping, I'll join in to go along with it."

Today, the advent of Facebook with its "magical" like button is like a real-life round of applause. Some likes express appreciation and agreement, stemming from genuine feelings. However, many internet users also liken it to audience members in a grand theater, blindly following a trend without realizing it originated from a child's applause, a mechanical response.

Viet Thinh