September 7th / 9th, 2007
"Miss S.C.’s Stupidity Part of Larger Problem"
In the late 1970’s , for example, the Episcopal church trashed its
traditional Book of Common Prayer in favor of a more modern version. All of the
beautiful Old English phrasing was removed so that young people could better
understand the text. It was the first time I remember a systematic attempt to
dumb down a product. Youth will be served.
Then began the politically correct, feel-good era where every kid is a
winner and no one is a failure. Ask folks in High Point how that turned out.
American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino revealed that she was graduated high school
without being taught to read. And, last year another Guilford County high
school student told the news media that she didn’t know who Columbus was.
Youth will be served.
Higher education lowered its bar as well. I taught for a few semesters at
UNCG. My students came from all disciplines –music, psychology, science –
and only about 20% of them could write or verbalize a coherent paragraph. As
far as I know, they all went on to graduate. Youth will be served.
Today we live in an email society which forgives poor grammar and misused
syntax. Parents don’t seem to care. Youth will be served.
CNN now allows YouTube to control questioning for Presidential debates. As
such we were treated to queries from several young people who looked like they
were high, and one question from a talking snowman. Pretty cute, huh?
Youth will be served.
The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences of which I am a member, decided to
let Ryan Secrest host this year’s EMMY show because we needed to attract
younger viewers. Gone are the days of emcees who excelled in public discourse
as well as in comedy and drama. In Secrest we have someone whose big
achievement is babysitting competitors in a hyped up “talent” show which celebrates
mediocrity by making instant stars out of people with very little talent.
Youth will be served.
And on the big screen, movies with intelligently written dialogue have given
way to films filled with special effects which dwarf the acting, all because
young people have a short attention span. Youth will be served.
And then there’s minor league baseball games, where young boys used to learn
about the national pastime from listening to Dad explain the rules and
nuances. Today, that experience has degenerated into a cacophonous mish mash of
loud music and sound effects. The rite of passage has been replaced by funny
mascots, in a park where little boys can’t even hear Dad speak to them even if
they wanted to . Youth will be served.
Newsflash. Catering to kids is only dumbing them down further, and robbing
them of their right to grow into an adult society by learning about and
adhering to societal norms and traditions.
Education Resources Informational Center recently listed a report by several
noted authorities about why todays students have declining verbal skills.
The report cited the following reasons: parents who work; divorce;
substance abuse; stressful classroom environments; and increased use of television.
Are they kidding?
Television was more important to society in the 1950’s than it is today, but
that’s when people of all ages watched news and documentaries. Families
have always been dysfunctional, and classrooms have always had some element of
stress.
No, the reason why young people can’t read a map is the same reason Lauren
Caitlin Upton can’t speak or think on her feet. They have been overly served
by adults who think it’s necessary to cater to kid culture. They aren’t
pressured to understand the history of their family much less that of their
nation, nor are they encouraged to conform to societal norms to which they
should first embrace before trying to change or discard. They get by on
mascara, muscles, cliff notes and instant messaging, and are defended by robot
apologists like Matt Lauer.
It is also ironic that many of today’s teens brag about their skills with
oral sex, but lack any skill in oral communication.
Adults of each generation have always warned that America was going to hell
in a hand basket, and now I think they were right. Not because of Elvis or
the Beatles, or P Diddy, but because young people lack a common knowledge, and
appreciation of what will be expected of them as future adults. It’s the
same logic that tells us the problem with illegal immigration isn’t with the
immigrants themselves, but with those who fail to assimilate in order to
preserve their culture.
Miss Teen South Carolina may be stunningly beautiful, but her actions were
neither cute or excusable. Her lack of intelligence is a tragic reminder of
what happens when youth continue to be served by “U.S. Americans”.
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