I feel like a cliche right now; I'm sitting on the couch in my PJ's and a cardigan (hello, turning into my mother) drinking coffee, working on grad school homework, updating my blog, and watching Anderson Cooper.
Okay, the Anderson Cooper part is a little off. Let me explain...
On Monday I attended a taping of Anderson with three of my favorite gays (my mother was concerned that there were no girls going with me... I'll just leave that one alone) in New York City. It was ridiculously fun, and Anderson Cooper is even better looking in person -- and much more pale, which I didn't think was possible -- and is clearly well-read and very intelligent. Yum, yum. Anyway, since the taping I have been shamelessly watching the show to see myself in the promos for upcoming episodes, but today's episode, well, I actually have been watching bits and pieces. I'm almost ashamed to admit it, because the episode has on those Toddlers in Tiaras people. Is it rude if I say the one mother is INSANE? Probably, but I'm sure I'm not alone in that opinion.
Normally I think people are entitled to do what they want to do, but this pageant stuff seems out of control. The money put in, the shift in values... I have to admit, growing up my mom and I watched Miss America almost every single year, and I loved it, but these are little girls, and the focus is on looks. Where is the focus on education? Many pageant girls win college funds, but for these mothers in particular it seems that there is no emphasis on education. We skip the importance of reading and instead focus on that performance aspect.
Well, no wonder our society is falling apart.
My problem with today is that what's most accesable for kids and young adults is not education and literature, but television, video games, makeup, and other distractions. Why aren't parents encouraging education and reading anymore? I bought a book for grad class the other day that is a young adult book, and when I finished reading it, I gave it to a 12 year old boy, but I don't know if he'll get any outside encouragement to read it.
Why does our society lack support for the self-proclaimed nerds? Why shouldn't we be proud of our kids for just enjoying school and learning? Why do we need tangible rewards for success? If we awarded trophies and had more banquets for getting an A on a test, or reading an entire book in a week, would more parents encourage their children to focus on education? For a lot of people, the simple joy of finishing a book isn't enough anymore, and for parents in a society that wants to see the physical results of competition, it isn't enough, either.
What a shift in morals and views of the world. Oprah did something right with her book-club. When people can come together in a social setting and bond over a book, I'm happy. That's why I'm trying to get an online book club together, to bring a group of my favorite people together over miles and time zones and oceans. We're attempting to read The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which is difficult when one member of the experimental book-club is in a non-English speaking country, but the main goal is just for us to have a bonding experience over a book.
And really, what more could you want?
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