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lead section contains information that is not included elsewhere in the article. (September 2022) |
Booing is an act of publicly showing displeasure for someone or something, such as an entertainer or an athlete, by loudly yelling "Boo!" and sustaining the "oo" sound by holding it out. People may also make hand signs such as the thumbs down sign.
Players booed for their performance felt booing "spooked" or "bothered" them or their teammates, and that it "affected their performance". Nick Swisher stated "It hurts. Sometimes I'm a sensitive guy and some of the things people say, they get under your skin a little bit." Ledley King stated, "It just frustrates me when the crowd boo England, who is that going to help? It just heaps more pressure on the players and gives us even less of a chance of scoring". However, the counterargument goes that the combination of booing and applause help keep the quality of public performance high, by emotionally rewarding the good and punishing the bad. [1] [2] [3]
Booing is not always a judgement of performance, but can be an expression of disapproval of a third party. [4]
In sports, booing by fans is quite common. They may boo particularly-hated players on the opposing team (such as when they leave their original team to individually sign with another team in free agency, or get traded to said team and sign for a significant amount of money), or any opposing player when there is an intense rivalry between the teams. [5] Unsportsmanlike behavior is also booed, such as intentionally hitting home team batters in baseball or diving in association football or basketball (where it is a technical foul). Booing of referees or umpires after an unpopular ruling is also common. Booing of expelled players after receiving a second yellow card or a direct red card is also common for many reasons. In professional sports, one's own home team, players or coach may be booed due to a poor performance or season. [6] [7]
This section needs additional citations for
verification. (August 2022) |
In the Parliament of the United Kingdom, booing is officially not permitted; Erskine May states: "Members must not disturb a Member who is speaking by hissing, chanting, clapping, booing, exclamations or other interruption." [28] Nevertheless, jeering and heckling are somewhat common during Prime Minister's Questions. [29]
Although rare in the performing arts, opera remains one of the arts where booing remains, if not common, customary as merited. [30] [31] [32]
Rarer still is for motion pictures to be booed at their openings, and this is usually confined to film festivals when the production team is present. [33]
In traditional British pantomime, the audience is generally encouraged to direct boos and possibly other forms of put-downs towards the antagonist(s), while the protagonist and other positive characters are celebrated. [34]
The film The Princess Bride uses booing to show shame. Princess Buttercup dreams of her wedding with Humperdinck when an elderly woman interrupts:
Your true love lives and you marry another? True love saved her in the Fire Swamp, and she treated it like garbage! And that's what she is! The Queen of Refuse! So bow down to her if you want! Bow to her! Bow to the Queen of Slime! The Queen of Filth! The Queen of Putrescence! Boo! Boo! Rubbish! Filth! Slime! Muck! Boo! Boo! Boo!
The book Dreams on Film: The Cinematic Struggle Between Art and Science says this scene might be better labeled "Buttercup Unconsciously Booing Herself". [35]
It hurts. Sometimes I'm a sensitive guy and some of the things people say, they get under your skin a little bit. I've been lucky to be here for the past four years, bro. We're not going to go out like this. We're going to go to Detroit and give everything we've got.
It just frustrates me when the crowd boo England, who is that going to help? It just heaps more pressure on the players and gives us even less of a chance of scoring
Kansas City fans mercilessly booed New York Yankees second baseman and American League captain Robinson Cano on Monday night, cheering with passion every time he made an out and even louder when he was shut out in the contest at Kauffman Stadium.
Carmelo Anthony heard noticeable boos during pre-game introductions, but Mike D'Antoni and the rest of the Knicks deservedly felt the crowd's wrath, too, for the ugliness that transpired thereafter Sunday afternoon at the Garden. The negativity got so bad late in the Knicks' fifth straight loss, portions of the crowd chanted "Fire D'Antoni"—the natural progression from the boos that poured down from the stands through much of the second half.
During the ovations Mr. Audi and his designers received a loud round of boos from a segment of the audience, which seemed to miff Mr. Muti.
First came the boos, like an owl symphony, or a cattle crescendo. Then, a smattering of defiant applause. Then, the boos again. The antiphonal response could have gone on all afternoon, with catcalls winning in a landslide, but the critics had other movies to see.
![]() | This article's
lead section contains information that is not included elsewhere in the article. (September 2022) |
Booing is an act of publicly showing displeasure for someone or something, such as an entertainer or an athlete, by loudly yelling "Boo!" and sustaining the "oo" sound by holding it out. People may also make hand signs such as the thumbs down sign.
Players booed for their performance felt booing "spooked" or "bothered" them or their teammates, and that it "affected their performance". Nick Swisher stated "It hurts. Sometimes I'm a sensitive guy and some of the things people say, they get under your skin a little bit." Ledley King stated, "It just frustrates me when the crowd boo England, who is that going to help? It just heaps more pressure on the players and gives us even less of a chance of scoring". However, the counterargument goes that the combination of booing and applause help keep the quality of public performance high, by emotionally rewarding the good and punishing the bad. [1] [2] [3]
Booing is not always a judgement of performance, but can be an expression of disapproval of a third party. [4]
In sports, booing by fans is quite common. They may boo particularly-hated players on the opposing team (such as when they leave their original team to individually sign with another team in free agency, or get traded to said team and sign for a significant amount of money), or any opposing player when there is an intense rivalry between the teams. [5] Unsportsmanlike behavior is also booed, such as intentionally hitting home team batters in baseball or diving in association football or basketball (where it is a technical foul). Booing of referees or umpires after an unpopular ruling is also common. Booing of expelled players after receiving a second yellow card or a direct red card is also common for many reasons. In professional sports, one's own home team, players or coach may be booed due to a poor performance or season. [6] [7]
This section needs additional citations for
verification. (August 2022) |
In the Parliament of the United Kingdom, booing is officially not permitted; Erskine May states: "Members must not disturb a Member who is speaking by hissing, chanting, clapping, booing, exclamations or other interruption." [28] Nevertheless, jeering and heckling are somewhat common during Prime Minister's Questions. [29]
Although rare in the performing arts, opera remains one of the arts where booing remains, if not common, customary as merited. [30] [31] [32]
Rarer still is for motion pictures to be booed at their openings, and this is usually confined to film festivals when the production team is present. [33]
In traditional British pantomime, the audience is generally encouraged to direct boos and possibly other forms of put-downs towards the antagonist(s), while the protagonist and other positive characters are celebrated. [34]
The film The Princess Bride uses booing to show shame. Princess Buttercup dreams of her wedding with Humperdinck when an elderly woman interrupts:
Your true love lives and you marry another? True love saved her in the Fire Swamp, and she treated it like garbage! And that's what she is! The Queen of Refuse! So bow down to her if you want! Bow to her! Bow to the Queen of Slime! The Queen of Filth! The Queen of Putrescence! Boo! Boo! Rubbish! Filth! Slime! Muck! Boo! Boo! Boo!
The book Dreams on Film: The Cinematic Struggle Between Art and Science says this scene might be better labeled "Buttercup Unconsciously Booing Herself". [35]
It hurts. Sometimes I'm a sensitive guy and some of the things people say, they get under your skin a little bit. I've been lucky to be here for the past four years, bro. We're not going to go out like this. We're going to go to Detroit and give everything we've got.
It just frustrates me when the crowd boo England, who is that going to help? It just heaps more pressure on the players and gives us even less of a chance of scoring
Kansas City fans mercilessly booed New York Yankees second baseman and American League captain Robinson Cano on Monday night, cheering with passion every time he made an out and even louder when he was shut out in the contest at Kauffman Stadium.
Carmelo Anthony heard noticeable boos during pre-game introductions, but Mike D'Antoni and the rest of the Knicks deservedly felt the crowd's wrath, too, for the ugliness that transpired thereafter Sunday afternoon at the Garden. The negativity got so bad late in the Knicks' fifth straight loss, portions of the crowd chanted "Fire D'Antoni"—the natural progression from the boos that poured down from the stands through much of the second half.
During the ovations Mr. Audi and his designers received a loud round of boos from a segment of the audience, which seemed to miff Mr. Muti.
First came the boos, like an owl symphony, or a cattle crescendo. Then, a smattering of defiant applause. Then, the boos again. The antiphonal response could have gone on all afternoon, with catcalls winning in a landslide, but the critics had other movies to see.