Is Boo Hoo, Boo Hoo a good idea?

I am glad the Karnataka crisis seems to be petering out. Though yesterday's blubbering Chief minister on TV has done neither himself nor the party any good in terms of image. In fact, I think a weepy Karnataka state CEO has only furthered an image of weakness.

That brings me to an important question. Is blubbering in full public glare a good idea? Forget what new age pop psychologists say about having a good cry, I say, Perish the thought.

Save for one condition. Let me explain.

Blubbering souls that come to my mind when I think about it are, Kapil Dev, Vinod Kambli and Paul Gascoigne. All sportspeople. Two of them messed up. One got it right. Kapil's blubbering came across as pathetic. Because it seemed as if he wanted his tears to have us believe he couldn't be bought. Vinod's blubbering was again ill timed. His crying when India forfeited the stopped match against Sri Lanka seemed to suggest he needed our sympathy. I guess we didn't do him that favour because we knew he was on his way out of the team, thanks to his lousy batting. And so we didn't care if he howled.

The man who got it right was Gascoigne. His weeping turned him into a celebrity, overnight. Remember Gazza mania? Here was someone who cried because England's loss really seemed to have got to him. Hey, we almost had all of England wanting to put a hand or whatever out to comfort him.

Why did Gazza make it where the other two messed up? The answer is that 'one condition' I was referring to, earlier. For blubbering to hit home, make sure the tears don't come across as 'plotted'. I mean don't cry as part of a script. Most people are lousy actors, and so the tears would only result in smirks from the ones who witness it. Cry, off the cuff, because its natural. Because you are overwhelmed. Gazza's was such a cry. Another who cries because of pure emotion is Roger Federer. The moment overwhelms him. Such cries are fine. No smirks earned.

But if you ask me, don't cry at all, if you can. If you still think you want that howl to get you off your stress, I'd say, go to your room, pad the walls and give it a go!