9th July 2004, 08:56 am
I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty sick of reality shows. Having been bitten by the fad during Survivor 2: Africa, I eventually gave up after Survivor X: New Jersey. For me, reality shows are navel gazing – a bit of “aren’t we interesting” TV that now show that, by golly, we just aren’t that interesting after all. Sorry, but if you want to contemplate your navel, try Zen instead.
That said, Amish in the City is yet the latest reality show to hit the airwaves. It’s about Amish teenagers, who get to visit the world of the English, to decide if their faith is right for them. Consider it a bit of “wild-oat sowing” for kids who do a lot of farming.
I like the Amish. I’ve visited Lancaster County numerous times over the years and respect a people who believe what they believe and aren’t interested in the slightest in making me believe it too. They are pacifist – but not in the Michael Moore way. Screw with them, and your liable to get a pitchfork in the ass – or worse. And they actually hold their beliefs sacred – unlike most of the Limousine Left.
According to the story linked to above, the kids will live with six non-Amish kids in a home in Hollywood Hills. “Among the landmarks: A visit to the beach, a resort island and a Hollywood movie premiere. The city roommates include “a fashion-forward party girl, a swim teacher and a club promoter.”
The show is premised on the assumption that the Amish kids will be overwhelmed by the “culture” of the life they are missing. How much you want to bet that the Amish kids end up showing how shallow the other kids, the producers, and more importantly the viewers are?
The fact is that the vast majority of Amish kids returns to their community after their “rumspringa” and seemingly don’t miss the supposed “culture” they are cut off from. It makes you wonder, considering the Amish have been in America for a good 200+ years and are still going strong.
6th July 2004, 08:59 am
“It’s time to duel!”
If this statement conjures up two guys standing back to back with pistols raised, then you obviously don’t have boys under the age of 12. If you did, you would know that this is the signature line of Yu-gi-oh! A card game that spawned an animated feature – or was it the opposite – and is the latest fad to infiltrate our society from Japan. Yes, Japan lost the war (or so they want us to think…) but the Japanese are slowly taking over our society with their addictive fads – and Yu-gi-oh! is the latest to drive parents insane with overpriced merchandise ($30 for a single “Egyptian God card”? Are you f$^&ing nuts?)
I collected baseball cards: my kid collects Yu-gi-oh! He carries his deck with him wherever he goes, and discusses the cards with just about any kid near his age.
He met one of his friends yesterday at the pool. They began talking excitedly about the cards when the kid’s mother interrupted. “Peter! You know that those cards are the devil’s work and you are forbidden to talk about them.” The kid looked crestfallen, mine looked puzzled.
It turns out that the kid’s mom has evidently swung to the fundie side of things. She’s pulling her kid out of public school to homeschool him – against the kid’s wishes judging by what my kid reports. And she obviously isn’t keen on Yu-gi-oh! (Neither are other fundies judging by this link.)
Now I’m not pleased with our kids’ school (see the previous post), and last night I had to explain to my kid why the woman thought the way she did without telling him “Son, contrary to what you believe now – but will believe soon – some adults are screaming nutcases.”
I am still amazed at how fragile some people’s faith is as to be threatened by something as innocuous as trading cards. I’d hate to see what Dungeons and Dragons would do to this woman’s faith. Probably have her frothing at the mouth and barking…
Of course hearing this, I wanted to run out and shower the kid with $4 packs of the damned things.
3rd July 2004, 08:55 pm
Ed Note: I am the source of this story. I am not making it up because a) I don’t have time and b) The Razor is about Truth – and making stuff up kind of defeats the purpose of the online journal I write, design, debug, rebuild (after being hacked) and pay for with my own cash. The school is Carrcroft Elementary in Wilmington DE. Ms. Norman is the Principal there and supposedly told my friend, the kid’s mother, that there was no way to get in contact with the teacher over the Summer break. -SK 7/7/04
The following essay was written by a second grader at a public school in suburban Wilmington Delaware this past May. It was read by the student in front of the class. After it was read, the teacher – who has been teaching for a very long time – said the following: “If you ever write anything like that again you are going straight to the principal’s office.” The kid started to cry, and ran from the room after being humiliated in front of his classmates. He came home upset, not understanding what he had done wrong.
So Will I
My grandfather remembers when he was in the Navy. He fought in World War Two. When I play GI Joes with him he would always take the gun he used when he was in the war. He would always tell me about the gun he use to use. When I grow and go to war I want to have the same gun and do the same things too.
I have wanted to be a warrior since I was four. The reason why I want to be a warrior is so I can help others and be remembered. My dad doesn’t want me to be a warrior, but I am still going to be one. If I was alive when they had the Vietnam War I would have been in it.
My grandfather was a warrior and so will I.
The End
The parent of the second grader brought the matter up to the teacher. She turned to the student and berated him for telling his parents about the incident. The parent also brought the matter up to the school principal, who has ignored the issue by saying that she has no way of contacting the teacher during Summer vacation.
