How can parent of a daughter not look in those drugged-out, hollow eyes, and look at that skeletal face, and not feal fear? This society is @#%$ed up.
That's why my kids have never seen a US TV show (we buy all their videos from here and here). Well, that's one reason. The other is to spare me from Hannah Montana, Sponge Bob, Barney, and the rest of the crap marketers dream up to sell trashy toys, DVDs and CDs.
"No dear, you can't see the new Pixar movie until it comes out on DVD in Taiwan". I wonder how long we can hold out?
What, you mean me learning how to say "I didn't ask you if you wanted to or not, I told you to..." in Chinese won't hold back the barbarians forever? ;-)
John, I suppose you could try to put up some sort of cultural Great Wall in order to protect them, but I'm thinking you're heading into Dad's Delusion Land if you think it's going to be effective. Just sayin'.
Oh, I konw it isn't, I'm just tryin to innoculate them from the worst of the urban based US materialism by keeping them locked in Chinese for a while, and what US culture they get is my own redneck version.
The first song I taught to my daughter was "Where Oh Where Are You Tonight?" from "Hee Haw".
I had the same reaction - that is one seriously scary looking kid. For some reason the term 'vampire' comes to mind every time I see one or both of the Olsen twins. And what's with the bizarre makeup?
The Olsen twins are living proof that yes, you can be too rich and too thin.
And John, I loved Hee Haw. I remember the song you mention - and the "Picking and Grinning" dueling strings bit too.
My ex is extremely religious right and censors the boys hard when they're at his house. He has an aftermarket profanity filter on the tv, previews and vetos their books & music lyrics, and doesn't allow movies beyond a soft PG-13. This would be ok if they were not 15 & 18 and, well, the horses have already left the corral.
I lived an extremely sheltered life as a child. Music was mostly classical, TV was whatever my mother wanted to watch (e.g. anything involving Lucille Ball and Shirley Temple), we saw maybe a handful of movies (a trip to the theater was a memorable occasion), and I was restricted to the children's section of the library for books (my parents would've preferred it if I didn't read fiction at all, since all fiction is a waste of time (unless the school has called it "classic")).
In practice, what it meant was that I missed out on a lot of historical and cultural-type references that everyone else knew. Like who Elvis Presley was, who Richard Nixon was, what Star Wars was, what roleplaying games are, etc. I had to do a lot of catching up when I hit late teens.
I think that the purpose of a parent isn't to hide the world from their children. It's to show it to them. Let them see it as it is, have open discussions with them on what they see, guide them on how to form educated opinions without restricting them on what opinions they should have.
It's another reason why I do like John Scalzi so much. Athena knows what all the crap is, and she doesn't care for it. To me that's much better than not knowing at all.
MWT - By the time they're 8 or so, they'll be immersed in it. I just don't want to introduce Bratz, the Olsens, and other assorted trash into their life before peers push them in that direction. We'll deal with it then, but for now, they stick to the good stuff. Hopefully, that will help define their tastes as adults. Same with food. I didn't have McDonald's until I was 10 or so, and I'd prefer to keep them in the same tradition. I don't think they're too sheltered: I have conversations with them that I never had with my folks:
"OK, finish your jellyfish and you cna have some shrimp."
Man, I hated shrimp as a kid.
On the other hand, they've seen every Dinsney movie that's available in Chinese.
And we listen to Country in the car, so they know hwo Elvis is...
I totally remembered that song once you posted the lyrics. Hah!
And I, your intrepid cosmopolitan celebrity connection can now inform you that I was walking by Heath Ledger's building when the ambulance first responded. I didn't know it was his place or what was going on, but I did know something was going on. Usually, ambulances here show up all by themselves. In this case, an ambulance, followed by two Fire Department Chief's cars came flying up Broome Street going the wrong way for two blocks. My connection is firmly established. Yes, I know you all want to be me.
Also, yesterday at about 5:30, we're getting our last shot of the day, (Cassie drops a letter in a mailbox) when three Twenty-something women come down the street giggling like thirteen year old girls, and ask us where Heath Ledger's apartment is. They actually flew to NY from Florida to place flowers at his doorstep.
Holy shit, I don't get it. I'll announce it here. If I ever die in a horrible car crash, I really don't want flowers, teddy bears, balloons or any other thing that will look ragged and sad within three days placed in some pathetic tribute by the side of the road where I died.
I am a Hot Chick living in Castle Rock, CO with my fabulous family. We have a rescue dog named "Jackson," and she's a Basenji/Shepherd mix. She's something of a head case, but we love her. I'm a U.S. Navy vet, and I currently work as an Enterprise Solutions Architect, specializing in VoIP and multimedia contact center design. I care about social justice, libraries, science, the U.S. Constitution and the military. I'm a tax and spend liberal in a largely red county, but I try not to be stabby about it. I knit for charity. Stupidity, cupidity and wanton assholery piss me off, and I'm more than a little soft when it comes to dogs and those who serve others. I blog about whatever I feel like. I use foul language, so if that sort of thing offends you, feel free to fuck off now - if I'm unwilling to clean up my language for my fabulous Great Auntie Margie, I'm unlikely to do so for you. Newcomers are welcome here, especially those who disagree with me, but trolling and spamming will be met with the Shovel of Doom™.
20 comments:
How can parent of a daughter not look in those drugged-out, hollow eyes, and look at that skeletal face, and not feal fear? This society is @#%$ed up.
That's why my kids have never seen a US TV show (we buy all their videos from here and here). Well, that's one reason. The other is to spare me from Hannah Montana, Sponge Bob, Barney, and the rest of the crap marketers dream up to sell trashy toys, DVDs and CDs.
"No dear, you can't see the new Pixar movie until it comes out on DVD in Taiwan". I wonder how long we can hold out?
John, how long you can hold out depends on how old you kids are and if you choose to leave the U.S. before they hit critical mass.
Because you are correct - it's only a matter of time.
What, you mean me learning how to say "I didn't ask you if you wanted to or not, I told you to..." in Chinese won't hold back the barbarians forever? ;-)
John, I suppose you could try to put up some sort of cultural Great Wall in order to protect them, but I'm thinking you're heading into Dad's Delusion Land if you think it's going to be effective. Just sayin'.
Oh, I konw it isn't, I'm just tryin to innoculate them from the worst of the urban based US materialism by keeping them locked in Chinese for a while, and what US culture they get is my own redneck version.
The first song I taught to my daughter was "Where Oh Where Are You Tonight?" from "Hee Haw".
Ayup.
Hee Haw? Dude...
I always say I'm a Yankee Liberal's worst nightmare, a redneck with a Ph.D.
"Hee Haw's" my first TV memory. That and Kung Fu.
Hey, I just realized - that sort of explains my interracial relationship, doesn't it? Our second date was to the pistol range...
John, there's no doubt about it - you're an odd duck. And that's okay with us here at HCDSM.
I had the same reaction - that is one seriously scary looking kid. For some reason the term 'vampire' comes to mind every time I see one or both of the Olsen twins. And what's with the bizarre makeup?
But seriously, John, Hee Haw?
The Olsen twins are living proof that yes, you can be too rich and too thin.
And John, I loved Hee Haw. I remember the song you mention - and the "Picking and Grinning" dueling strings bit too.
My ex is extremely religious right and censors the boys hard when they're at his house. He has an aftermarket profanity filter on the tv, previews and vetos their books & music lyrics, and doesn't allow movies beyond a soft PG-13. This would be ok if they were not 15 & 18 and, well, the horses have already left the corral.
Jeri, I feel your pain. I won't discuss my children's father in a public forum, but I do feel your pain.
Where oh where, are you tonight?
Why did you leave me here all alone?
I searched the world over and thought I found true love;
You met another and pbthhhhhht you was gone...
;-)
You know, I'm not sure if I care less about Mary-Kate being interviewed by the police, or Hee-Haw lyrics.
Decisions, decisions...
Gloom, despair, and agony on me
Deep, dark depression, excessive misery
If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all
Gloom, despair, and agony on me
-- Buck Owens and Roy Clark (1969)
Oh, so that's where the Olson twins are now? Huh.
I lived an extremely sheltered life as a child. Music was mostly classical, TV was whatever my mother wanted to watch (e.g. anything involving Lucille Ball and Shirley Temple), we saw maybe a handful of movies (a trip to the theater was a memorable occasion), and I was restricted to the children's section of the library for books (my parents would've preferred it if I didn't read fiction at all, since all fiction is a waste of time (unless the school has called it "classic")).
In practice, what it meant was that I missed out on a lot of historical and cultural-type references that everyone else knew. Like who Elvis Presley was, who Richard Nixon was, what Star Wars was, what roleplaying games are, etc. I had to do a lot of catching up when I hit late teens.
I think that the purpose of a parent isn't to hide the world from their children. It's to show it to them. Let them see it as it is, have open discussions with them on what they see, guide them on how to form educated opinions without restricting them on what opinions they should have.
It's another reason why I do like John Scalzi so much. Athena knows what all the crap is, and she doesn't care for it. To me that's much better than not knowing at all.
MWT - By the time they're 8 or so, they'll be immersed in it. I just don't want to introduce Bratz, the Olsens, and other assorted trash into their life before peers push them in that direction. We'll deal with it then, but for now, they stick to the good stuff. Hopefully, that will help define their tastes as adults. Same with food. I didn't have McDonald's until I was 10 or so, and I'd prefer to keep them in the same tradition. I don't think they're too sheltered: I have conversations with them that I never had with my folks:
"OK, finish your jellyfish and you cna have some shrimp."
Man, I hated shrimp as a kid.
On the other hand, they've seen every Dinsney movie that's available in Chinese.
And we listen to Country in the car, so they know hwo Elvis is...
;-)
Hey, if they don't want their jellyfish, I'll be happy to take it!
It was a lot of jellyfish. She finished it.
I totally remembered that song once you posted the lyrics. Hah!
And I, your intrepid cosmopolitan celebrity connection can now inform you that I was walking by Heath Ledger's building when the ambulance first responded. I didn't know it was his place or what was going on, but I did know something was going on. Usually, ambulances here show up all by themselves. In this case, an ambulance, followed by two Fire Department Chief's cars came flying up Broome Street going the wrong way for two blocks. My connection is firmly established. Yes, I know you all want to be me.
Also, yesterday at about 5:30, we're getting our last shot of the day, (Cassie drops a letter in a mailbox) when three Twenty-something women come down the street giggling like thirteen year old girls, and ask us where Heath Ledger's apartment is. They actually flew to NY from Florida to place flowers at his doorstep.
Holy shit, I don't get it. I'll announce it here. If I ever die in a horrible car crash, I really don't want flowers, teddy bears, balloons or any other thing that will look ragged and sad within three days placed in some pathetic tribute by the side of the road where I died.
Nathan, I don't want any of that crap either.
And yes, you are da man when it comes to celebrity connections.
::envy, envy::
Post a Comment