[LMB] OT: Harlan, was request

[Paula Lieberman]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Paula Lieberman" <paal at gis.net>


>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Helen Fenton" <hifenton at internode.on.net>
>
> That is, the proposition was that Harlan rather than competing for 
> audience attention by verbal wit and cleverness, chose to be the center of 
> attention when Connie Willis was on stage with him, employing physical 
> actions--and de facto showed he was unable to unwilling to compete against 
> her verbally lest it show that her ability outshone his.
>
> Put that way it was a de facto contest, and he chose foul rather than fair 
> methods to hold the audience attention focused primarily on him and get 
> the limelight off Connie Willis and onto himself in primacy.

The term I should have used and didn't think of when writing the post, was 
"upstaged." Harlan's actions were of someone who wanted to upstage the other 
person on the stage and acted to become the center of attention...  and 
chose to do so through outrageous physical activity rather the risk looking 
outclassed and like second lead in a contest of verbal wit.