Elsewhere (244)
David Rutz on the “woke eight-year-old” manoeuvre:
The phenomenon came to my attention via @Neontaster, who discovered this trend of eight-year-olds (or children of a similar age, depending on their Woke Quotients) whose opinions, shockingly, seem to perfectly mirror those of their progressive parents… Let’s state the obvious: When pundits tweet out these little stories, all they’re doing is sending out their own opinions, but doing so in a way that (a) makes them look like great parents for raising such emotionally advanced children, and (b) shields them from criticism. Because what kind of jerk is going to attack a child, for God’s sake?
And what kind of person, I wonder, would be that preening and dishonest. And while we ponder that.
Madeleine Kearns, a young Scottish woman, on a bewildering year at a ‘progressive’ New York university:
It was soon obvious to my fellow students that I was not quite with the programme. In a class discussion early in my first semester, I made the mistake of mentioning that I believed in objective standards in art. Some art is great, some isn’t, I said; not all artists are equally talented. This was deemed an undemocratic opinion and I was given a nickname: the cultural fascist. I’ve tried to take it affectionately.
Tim Newman on life skills and the lack thereof:
What isn’t normal is for a kid to run around swearing. Letting slip a swear word indicates the kid has his ears open. Running around swearing indicates his parents don’t care, and if they don’t care about his language you can be absolutely sure they don’t care about other things, some of which are essential to his development. A child who routinely uses bad language, especially in front of adults, is not going to do very well in life.
And again, entirely unrelated, of course, on polyamory and children:
Were any of these friends shagging either or both of your parents? I ask mainly to understand how you’ve turned out.
As usual, feel free to share your own links and snippets, on any subject, in the comments.
And what kind of person, I wonder, would be that preening and dishonest.
Iowahawk’s reply. https://twitter.com/iowahawkblog/status/900862904966283264
Iowahawk’s reply.
Who would have thought that the public transportation system would be crawling with highly political, oddly outspoken – and uniformly leftwing – eight-year-olds? It’s uncanny.
My 8 year old, all he does is wonder what footy team to barrack for and which is better out of McDonald’s and KFC. Won’t be invited to any Brunswick soirees anytime soon with his attitude. Lift your game son!
As an eight-year-old, I had strong opinions on bedtime, the evils of Brussels sprouts, and whether Spider-Man’s webbing could actually hold five tons; but I don’t recall being overly engaged by, or aware of, the politics of the day.
whether Spider-Man’s webbing could actually hold five tons
As a former chemical engineer, I was always a bit put off by Peter Parker’s constant moaning about money. You do realize, son, that the adhesives industry would sacrifice their own grandmothers for a compound as strong and lightweight as spider silk that also magically dissolves after one hour?
You do realize, son, that the adhesives industry would sacrifice their own grandmothers for a compound as strong and lightweight as spider silk that also magically dissolves after one hour?
Well, you say that, not unreasonably, but the comics disagree:
Specifically,
Hey, they were simpler times.
I can’t believe I remembered that and went to look it up.
not all artists are equally talented. This was deemed an undemocratic opinion
Uh what? o_O
I can’t believe I remembered that and went to look it up.
I must say, of all the things I’ve seen on this site, this was the most disturbing.
I must say, of all the things I’ve seen on this site, this was the most disturbing.
Heh. I was a keen collector.
Wait. That probably doesn’t help my case, does it?
That probably doesn’t help my case, does it?
No.
Seeing the comments that followed that subway story I bet the journo that wrote it is probably wishing he hadn`t, that`s going to follow him around like a bad smell for years.
that’s going to follow him around like a bad smell for years.
And you have to wonder how Mr Karem, a grown man, could tweet that, very publicly, and not realise how implausible it sounds, and what people might think of him as a result. Incidentally, the paper Mr Karem writes for boasts of being a “winner of Excellence in Local Journalism awards.”
At least he didn`t say the boy was disabled, a Hispanic Tiny Tim struggling along on crutches while a single,silent tear rolled down his cheek.
As a child in Glasgow, I learned that sticks and stones might break my bones but words didn’t really hurt. I’m now at New York University studying journalism…
Well there is your first mistake…
Meanwhile, how not to be seen, and much self-righteous preening and strutting while sitting down.
Yeah, how dare those famously right wing (OK maybe they are in comparison) media types dare film one of your purposeless riots, comrade.
Heh.
That is all, carry on.
he was given a final warning that if he continued his camera would be smashed,
As I’ve noted many times, it’s curious just how often leftist ‘activism’ is difficult to distinguish from a mental health issue.
The GREAT thing about the journo’s New York University are churning-out, if I read Madeleine correctly, is that they’re being groomed to be the next-gen vanguard for the progressive left – and the only newspapers likely to hire them are all failing, being ignored, and falling into disrespect and bankruptcy. Oh dear. Wah.
Madeleine though, sounds like she’ll do just fine.
Meanwhile, in the world of avoirdupoisity an ASU professor is shocked by her study findings.
The participants were obviously sizeist beotches.
Because “…stigmatization of obesity is “connected to patriarchy, sexism, and the oppression of women…” of course.
Because “…stigmatization of obesity is “connected to patriarchy, sexism, and the oppression of women…” of course.
The harpies are still shaking their fists at the stars, I see.
The harpies are still shaking their fists at the stars, I see.
Yep, though I think the saddest, or maybe most pathetic, thing is the total lack of any originality in any of these “studies” all of which come to the same conclusion about some -ism causing oppression, “violence”, and the boilerplate cant.
I note that the corpulent ASU professor’s intellectual < cough > output includes”Out for Blood (SUNY Press, 2016), a book of essays on menstrual activism and resistance.” I understand that’s the first volume in a trilogy which will include tomes on unwanted ear hair and ingrown toenails.
Don’t recall where I originally saw this, Iowahawk or Instapundit maybe. It’s been copied a few times. After reading so many “woke” children stories from leftists, this literally made me LOL. And by literally I literally mean literally, not just literally.
all of which come to the same conclusion
But that’s the reason for, let’s call them ‘post-modern studies’.
You’re a student, and you want to understand a novel, or a set of ideas, or the world in general. Well, that takes time, and application, and intelligence. It’s hard work to understand a complex novel, or a work of philosophy, or why people act the way they do, why societies arise as they do, etc.
Then Prof. Foulfellow comes along and gives you the Magic Reason. It’s oppression. Once it was just the evil rich bourgiousie, now expanded to men, whites, Westerners, Modern Civilisation, ad nauseam.
So now the student can sneer at the stupid, ‘uneducated’ squares who don’t understand. And with the dumbing down of universities, you have very many more people who find that Thought Is Hard. So it’s implied that you are an initiate into the Truth of things (and therefore must be a very clever person), and given the propensity we all have to have our ego flattered, this result is all but inevitable. Especially given the unfalsifiable nature of it – any critiques or countervailing explanations can be dismissed and ignored becuase the only reason you wouldn’t go along with the Magic Reason is that you are one of the oppressors.
Oh, and in the context of what Spiderman’s webs could hold…ok, not really the exact context but kinda close…but really off topic…but still…argument over whether a fish in water is really wet.
https://mysterytacklebox.com/blog/lets-debate-are-fish-really-wet-while-theyre-underwater/
As I understand it, this sort of thing was quite common amongst our ancestors before the Hindus invented the zero. True story.
Perhaps there should be a Severely Educated tag?…
Perhaps there should be a Severely Educated tag?
Heh. By now, it’s kind of implied by the ‘academia’ tag. It wasn’t planned that way, ten years ago, but I can’t offhand think of any entries that aren’t evidence of someone being severely educated.
The use-of-child-as-mascot bit, I’m reminded of the infamous “CheChe” post at Kos that Ace and others had so much fun with back in 2006:
It turned into a snowclone/meme at Ace’s for years.
Well, its more of a pudge-wobble than a shake, with some bingo wing flapping.
her eyes began to fill with tears, “Daddy” she said, “why are the Republicans doing this to the country?”
Someone really should explain to this person, while shaking their elbows, that this kind of thing is not something that sane people generally do.
Edited version for my sentiment.
Reading Brian Karem’s twitter feed reveals that he’s no journalist. He’s an opinion writer, so wonder at Playboy’s decision to make him a White House Correspondent? Are there no standards? I guess not. I’m beginning to believe there are NO STANDARDS for the American press.
Playboy’s decision… Are there no standards?
Perhaps. Have you seen him in a silk teddy?
re: Woke 8 y/os…
Most kids check out when parents start talking politics at the dinner table (that assumes even most parents even eat at the dinner table any more)… this includes up into teens.
I was born in 1954 … so as a kid my brief surfacing to anything like current events during grade school never dominated my life or sent me sobbing to my parents.
Oh, I was 9 when JFK was assassinated, which dominated the news – but I remember it as events that didn’t really affect me. I watch my teachers cry and all tv programs were pre-empted for coverage for days (back in the day of having all of about 3 major stations in glorious black & white). The dominant thought I remember thinking was “Wait, how could ANYONE kill someone else ON PURPOSE? Don’t they know they will go to hell and not see God FOREVER?”
I then wondered when cartoons would return to tv.
The vast majority of my friends and classmates, even through high school, didn’t give politics much deep thought. When stuff did come up, like a week of anti-war activities & wearing black armbands (Vietnam protests)on campus, or riding bikes to school for the first Earth day, it was more about socializing and being part of the group than being politically committed.
This elevation of kids as founts of wisdom who must be deferred to isn’t just creepy, it is warning sign.
“Mummy, why is Trump trying to immenentise the eschaton?”
I was born in 1954
[ Fetches comfy chair for Darleen. ]
I was 12 when Nixon stepped down. This was history, so it came up a good bit even in sixth grade. I think we kids knew more about impeachment and what it meant than some parents did. I attended a parochial school where religion and politics were discussed in classrooms. It was easy to get our Spanish teacher sidetracked and we would spend the whole class time talking about either. Actually, when I was 11 we had a chapel session where the dean spoke of how the events in the bible describing the end times were imminent. Now that I think of it, he actually was immenentizing the eschaton. The creepy is more wide spread than is commonly believed. It should have been a warning sign back then, but no one cared.
I was thinking of something more along these lines.
Fetches comfy chair for Darleen
Bless you, dear. Help yourself to an extra slice of cheesecake in the frig.
(BTW … twin grandsons’ first home football game tonight – they are in band. So I’ll be spending about 5 hours tonight on my feet helping run the snack bar…I LOVE it, but I’m going to need that chair when I come home …)
Alas, too late for East Germany.
OTOH, the women’s events are going to get some, shall we say, interesting competitors.
I can’t believe I remembered that and went to look it up.
That’s all right, my favorite Avengers issue is the one where Iron Man is suspended from all Avengers activities for one week for not coming to the weekly status meetings on time.
Because parliamentary procedure is much more important than fighting evil.
I attended a parochial school where religion and politics were discussed in classrooms.
Excellent! My dad started me reading the newspaper when I was 10. He’d lead me into discussions over the dinner table.
I startled my 9th grade world history teacher (a Marxist) when I challenged his contention that the USA went into foreign countries to exploit them but the USSR has mutually beneficial relationships. I asked him to then explain Soviet reaction to Prague Spring.
I then learned you didn’t challenge a Marxist with a grade book. Heh.
Indian with cell phone ? the Daily Mail asks wondering if the painting proves time travel.
Clearly it is not a cell phone, but maybe it proves time travel as Captain Morgan rum wasn’t around until 1944…
Iron Man is suspended from all Avengers activities for one week for not coming to the weekly status meetings on time.
“But Mom, punching giant robots is such fun…!”
Excellent! My dad started me reading the newspaper when I was 10.
Not so Excellent, IMNSHO. Time that was supposed to be spent on subject matter, especially Spanish lessons, was sidetracked into politics and religion. Some of that is understandable, but not taking up entire class times. And I don’t care what the higher purpose is, presenting doomsday prophesies in a tone of inevitability to children, many of whom haven’t even hit puberty yet, is wrong.
As for reading newspapers, we had the CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite on every night at dinner as long as I could remember. I recall my mother commenting, somewhat derisively, on how WC came across so disappointed when reporting bad news for D’s during the elections. I remember seeing Viet Nam body counts, stories of US planes being shot down, and even recall seeing a monk light himself on fire. I started reading the paper out of my own curiosity about what was going on, which itself was an introduction to being misinformed. I challenge anyone under the age of 56 to, without looking, tell me what the words “Learned Hand” refers to.
You’re a student, and you want to understand a novel . . .
Then Prof. Foulfellow comes along and gives you the Magic Reason. It’s oppression.
Coooool!!!, Thank you!—Now of course you are also going to explain, in detail, the method and mechanism of this process, so that you can demonstrate your knowledge and so that I can learn what that process actually is and how it actually works.
. . . . . . . Oh, do take your time coming up with your reply, I don’t mind if you take awhile, there’s this novel that I’m reading through so that I can understand it . . . . .
. . . my favorite Avengers issue is the one where Iron Man is suspended from all Avengers activities for one week for not coming to the weekly status meetings on time.
. . . . . . particularly as so helpfully portrayed by Robert Downey Jr., Tony even actually showed up for these meetings????
I challenge anyone under the age of 56 to, without looking, tell me what the words “Learned Hand” refers to.
Some judge guy.
—Of course, and indeed for that reason of Huhn?!?! I did actually go look that one up rather some years back . . .
. . . tell me what the words “Learned Hand” refers to.
. . . . on an other, ah, appendage, with a name like Billings Learned Hand, he’s subsequently not going to become a lawyer or a doctor?????
I challenge anyone under the age of 56 to, without looking, tell me what the words “Learned Hand” refers to.
Meh, he’s no Kenesaw Mountain Landis…