Weekend Wedding Brawl Hardly A Sign of the Times, Says Philly Psychiatric Expert

By John Ostapkovich

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The news, and the Youtube video, of that wedding reception brawl in Society Hill over the weekend have gone all over the world (see related story and video).

But what does this incident have to say to the rest of us?

The answer, according to Dr. William Dubin, chair of the Department of Psychiatry at Temple University Hospital, is very little.

Despite the fact that weddings, funerals, and holiday gatherings are notorious mixers of pent-up feelings and alcohol, most end with, at most, a slip of the tongue, not a swing of the fist, says Dubin.

He calls this event one in a billion.

“I don’t think it ever reaches this potential,” he told KYW Newsradio this morning.  “And, look, we’re human beings.  Unless we can change ourselves as human beings, I don’t think there’s a strategy you can use to minimize this.  And God help the bride and groom who have a wedding without alcohol,” he adds with a chuckle.

And Dr. Dubin says the cellphone-to-YouTube-to-TV news triple play is a reminder of just how public our slip-ups can be.