This is your American Idol?
When I caught word of this latest American Idol tid bit I lost it, I really did. I don't watch American Idol. I think it is void of any real entertainment and this is an opinion quite contrary to popular belief. This isn’t a showing of my patented haughtiness, it's that I don’t always adhere to the mainstream. And have no fear, I am not going to slam those who do watch it. We've all got our dirty little tv addiction secrets. Although this show does nothing for me, I know for a lot of people out there this is the penultimate reality show, second only to the latest iteration of Survivor or something. That being said, I am going to get on to the real crux of my post.
In today's day and age and in certain current generations, there is no excuse for illiteracy. Reading is a fundamental lesson taught in elementary schools across the nation. There are thousands of teachers out there right now, assisting kids and adults how to embrace this tenet of communication. Ms. Barrino cites her functional illiteracy to be a fear of misspelling words. I've got to say that I would have the knowledge of reading and writing to have the privilege of making the mistake of spelling a word incorrectly. Everyone misspells something. Blame it on synapses that misfire and let you put i before e even after c. Big deal, erase and move on. But no, not for this American Idol.
How fitting it is that she now has a book that's been published and has a recording contract. Her four year old daughter reads to her. The once hard times that she endured have been swept away with promotional considerations and endorsements. I think what ires me most is that there are people out there who idolize her for being so amazing. And now that she's come forward with this information will rush to blame the school system. Well I'm sorry, the blame here goes back to the so called idol and not to the school. I suppose there will also be a great campaign to feel sorry for her, for all that she's been through; for being a single mother high school drop out, for waiting in the mammoth audition lines for the show and for flubbing her way through scripts citing that ”Oh, I'm sorry, you know, I'm country, you know” and having to endure the harsh judgings of a stodgy brit, a portly record producer, and an all too friendly ex Laker’s girl.
Now with her 15 minutes of fame she feels she can finally come forward and bear her soul to the American people. It's good to know that if you can exploit one of your personal talents that you can ride by on that alone and not worry about making a contribution back to the lemmings that helped you rise to fame. I guess that is what happens when you get a book deal, recording contract, promotional considerations, and endorsements do to a person. And we're supposed to feel sorry for you? Sorry, that is a pill a little too bitter for me to swallow. There are thousands of teachers who put their heart and souls into teaching each day to prevent this from happening. Teachers, who already are paid a measly salary, would stay after school to tutor students in any area of difficulty. Perhaps in a humanitarian effort, Ms. Barrino could take a few hours out of her rigorous schedule to spend time with special needs children who overcame the odds against them to learn to read.
One in five Americans are functionally illiterate. That's a travesty. No wonder the national trend is to leech onto reality programs. The half hour or hour programmed "reality" is that much kinder than the harsh world outside the door.
America, if this is part of your idol system it is high time to rethink the hierarchy. You can't accept felons or those with a checkered past but illiteracy is something she couldn't help. Yeah, I am sure she thought the same when she found out she was going to be a mother. How is it so easy to latch on to a shiny object than to look for what lies beneath, the diamond in the rough as it were? There are thousands of people out in everyday life that should be idols far before the latest singing sensation or the most enduring competitor. I am but one voice clamoring to find stronger and verifiable idols before this nation sinks itself into a ruin that cannot be merely buffed off to give it a new shine. Think of what kind of legacy this leaves for future generations. I can see now what kind of harrowing future lies ahead at the reins of popular culture.
Thank you mom and dad for playing classical music when I was a mere bun in the oven. Thank you public broadcasting for putting letters with colors and pictures on a street that promised sunny days that swept clouds away, for having a cardigan decked man who threw his shoes in the air to take me on a magic trolley ride, and a future trekkie who took us on adventures to every day places and made words leap off the page just by taking a look in a book that showed us the spectrum of reading.
I don't have some high profile background. I did spend some time in a private school but my greatest growth and exploration came because I was enrolled in public schools.
In today's day and age and in certain current generations, there is no excuse for illiteracy. Reading is a fundamental lesson taught in elementary schools across the nation. There are thousands of teachers out there right now, assisting kids and adults how to embrace this tenet of communication. Ms. Barrino cites her functional illiteracy to be a fear of misspelling words. I've got to say that I would have the knowledge of reading and writing to have the privilege of making the mistake of spelling a word incorrectly. Everyone misspells something. Blame it on synapses that misfire and let you put i before e even after c. Big deal, erase and move on. But no, not for this American Idol.
How fitting it is that she now has a book that's been published and has a recording contract. Her four year old daughter reads to her. The once hard times that she endured have been swept away with promotional considerations and endorsements. I think what ires me most is that there are people out there who idolize her for being so amazing. And now that she's come forward with this information will rush to blame the school system. Well I'm sorry, the blame here goes back to the so called idol and not to the school. I suppose there will also be a great campaign to feel sorry for her, for all that she's been through; for being a single mother high school drop out, for waiting in the mammoth audition lines for the show and for flubbing her way through scripts citing that ”Oh, I'm sorry, you know, I'm country, you know” and having to endure the harsh judgings of a stodgy brit, a portly record producer, and an all too friendly ex Laker’s girl.
Now with her 15 minutes of fame she feels she can finally come forward and bear her soul to the American people. It's good to know that if you can exploit one of your personal talents that you can ride by on that alone and not worry about making a contribution back to the lemmings that helped you rise to fame. I guess that is what happens when you get a book deal, recording contract, promotional considerations, and endorsements do to a person. And we're supposed to feel sorry for you? Sorry, that is a pill a little too bitter for me to swallow. There are thousands of teachers who put their heart and souls into teaching each day to prevent this from happening. Teachers, who already are paid a measly salary, would stay after school to tutor students in any area of difficulty. Perhaps in a humanitarian effort, Ms. Barrino could take a few hours out of her rigorous schedule to spend time with special needs children who overcame the odds against them to learn to read.
One in five Americans are functionally illiterate. That's a travesty. No wonder the national trend is to leech onto reality programs. The half hour or hour programmed "reality" is that much kinder than the harsh world outside the door.
America, if this is part of your idol system it is high time to rethink the hierarchy. You can't accept felons or those with a checkered past but illiteracy is something she couldn't help. Yeah, I am sure she thought the same when she found out she was going to be a mother. How is it so easy to latch on to a shiny object than to look for what lies beneath, the diamond in the rough as it were? There are thousands of people out in everyday life that should be idols far before the latest singing sensation or the most enduring competitor. I am but one voice clamoring to find stronger and verifiable idols before this nation sinks itself into a ruin that cannot be merely buffed off to give it a new shine. Think of what kind of legacy this leaves for future generations. I can see now what kind of harrowing future lies ahead at the reins of popular culture.
Thank you mom and dad for playing classical music when I was a mere bun in the oven. Thank you public broadcasting for putting letters with colors and pictures on a street that promised sunny days that swept clouds away, for having a cardigan decked man who threw his shoes in the air to take me on a magic trolley ride, and a future trekkie who took us on adventures to every day places and made words leap off the page just by taking a look in a book that showed us the spectrum of reading.
I don't have some high profile background. I did spend some time in a private school but my greatest growth and exploration came because I was enrolled in public schools.
Midnite Raven said it at 8:24 AM
3 Comments:
You know where I live so this has been all over the radio here. Can I just say, you can't pay be to put C1 in the schools she attended. I would be afraid she would come back out stupid. I think its a good thing she came out and admitted it. This girl is hard luck product of her envirnoment throguh and through. The radios stations were mostly sayig the sme thing. well look where's she's from, her being illierate and a ababy momma didn't shock anyone as much as they thought it would. so whats sadder the fact that she was illerate and no one knew or the fact that in her home state, people are saying, "hmm not surprised."
One of the reactions I have to reading entries like this is being taken aback by the complete lack of compassion the person who has written it shows in her eagerness to kick the target. A mistaken target at that. The school system in High Point, N.C. is much more responsible for this situation than Fantasia. It had a responsiblity to teach her and it didn't. Yes, some kids learn to read and write with just a nudge. But, most don't. That is why we have educators.
The second reaction I have is to smirk at the schadenfreude revealed by this kind of thinking. If you were lucky enough to have parents who read to you, fine. But, again, most kids aren't. The parents of most poor children are often working an additional job just to make ends barely meet. Furthermore, there's an irony here. For all your privileged upbringing, you don't have talent, and Fantasia does. You can sit here and sneer at her all you want, but she is more successful than you can ever hope to be.
Last, but not least, Fantasia has a heart. You don't.
Yeah, I posted on my blog as well... http://kissmyentireass.blogspot.com (cheap plug!) having little fun at Fantasia's expense... and I got a little sh*t for it... The bottom line is that people (like the way too emotional poster above) need to stop being so sensitive...
Besides, I may not be as talented as Fantasia, but I can read "See Spot Run." Face!
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