I'm sure that everyone has heard about the Miss California, Perez Hilton incident. But what they probably don't know was that Perez's reptilian response was very typical. Don't get me wrong, I am certainly not excusing or condoning his behavior.
Perez felt, as do most people with differing opinions, that when an opposite view is merely presented, no matter how nice a manner, that he is under attack. I'm sure lots are reading this with a “not me” attitude. “I can surely listen to a counter opinion placidly.” And you may indeed. I'm here to tell you it's tough. Not that we all respond on national television as belligerently as Perez Hilton. But we all have the capacity to do it.
So, Perez, a gay man who relishes in being different as well as being the underdog,
takes any dissent as a personal attack, and reacts accordingly. Even though, Carrie Prejean answered a completely loaded question with more grace than most could muster in a similar situation, it was the “wrong” answer in Hilton's eyes. This triggered an automatic belligerent response. He was stuck in his lowest brain [the brain stem], probably letting her opposing response fester there so he was rendered incapable of reasoning. Tolerance was simply not an option for him. Tolerance requires thinking from our higher brains. Often by the time we realize what is happening, the damage has already been done.
This may be the case with Perez Hilton. I hear he is requesting to have dinner with Prejean, which she is understandably declining. Even though it is an automatic reptilian response, we must still take responsibility for any harm done. He may be attempting to reach out to make amends, but I kind of doubt it.
c.2009
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