I don't get this Western cultural embrace of the no-shoes-in-my-house thing. I have my suspicions though: It has Oprah's fingerprints all over it. Sort of like the whole: "Eighty-percent of women do not wear the correct size bra." info that was on Oprah's show. Just where and how did they get that particular statistic? Did they go around and measure women? Nobody measured me, except me and I am keeping that information to myself, thank-you very much. Who decides what constitutes the appropriate bra fit? We'll accept just about any sort of nonsense as long as it is prefaced with "Oprah says". This current trend towards forcing a guest to take off their shoes before entering someones house just seems like some of the big O's handiwork. "Do you know how many germs are on the bottom of your shoes?" No. Do you know how many germs are on my floor? My husband lived in Korea for awhile and they are so crazy about taking your shoes off over there his landlady actually made him take his shoes off in his own apartment! This is one trend I am bucking. I am going to insist that people wear shoes in my house. If for no other reason than to piss off Oprah. We have four cats, and if you have ever had cats, you know damn well why you wear shoes in the house. They try, but accidents happen. This whole "take-your-shoes-off" thing has gone so far that some well-trained people (not me) step inside my door and start whisking-off their shoes. I have to insist that they stop. I cannot be responsible for whatever crap (figural or literal) that they step on, bare or sock-footed, in my house. In fact, I think it may even be part of our home owner's policy. You should probably also have a tetnus shot before I allow you inside. What sort of message is it to tell your guests that the bottoms of their shoes are so disgusting they must remove them before entering the extremely sterile environment that is your home? "But, I have a toddler crawling around on the floor!" I promise not to let the little gipper lick the bottom of my shoe(and just where do you think I have been?), but have you seen the crap a two-year old will shove in their mouth? How the heck are they supposed to build an immune system if they are never around any germs?
Very nice diatribe...although I admit I prefer to take my shoes off most of the time. Except in people's houses who haver four fur balls shedding all over the place and sometimes missing the kitty litter when they do their business. Does Oprah have cats? If she did, would you like her any better?
ReplyDeleteOprah is, of course, a dog person. She demands followers. I have a love/hate relationship with Oprah. Of course, my belief that I have any sort of relationship with Oprah whatsoever is surely indicative of some mental illness I have developed because my husband is gone too much. That said, I once put Oprah's people on hold back in the day when Phil Donahue was hot and she was, um, not so much. You can wear nothing but a thong and a top hat in my house for all I care, it's just this forced removal of shoes to which I object.
ReplyDeleteI don't see anything wrong with politely asking people to remove their shoes.
ReplyDeleteI have an whole blog on this subject: Shoes Off at the Door, Please You might like to take a look.
As long as I am able to politely refuse to remove my shoes we'll get along great. Also, I believe you would have the affirmative duty to inform me of this situation before I come to your home. Otherwise, I may find myself humilitated by exposing the white tube socks I had so cleverly hidden in my chic boots I paid too much for that no one is going to see.
ReplyDeleteHow can you be sure I am not wiping my butt on one of your guest towels?
We don't remove our shoes here either. I put on shoes as soon as I get up. Slippers and I will wear them outside to take the garbage out and put mail in the mailbox. I found it amusing in Japan that we had to remove our shoes everywhere we went but when flying out of Tokyo, we removed our shoes at the security check-point and this little Japanese girl came running up to us with our shoes BEFORE going through security. Take your shoes off everywhere else but at the airport you can be a shoe bomber!
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