the seinfeld of blogs

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

bitches gotta learn

hey hey it's the blogosphere! what is going on.

if anyone but my mom read this blog, i would throw out some kind of "hey guys how is 2010 treating you." just to break the ice. because if a blog was a puddle, there would be ice on this one for sure. or possibly a layer of unidentifiable scum, and some mosquito larvae. this puddle don't get splashed through too often.

hey mom, how is 2010 treating you?

so far i like 2010. it's a lot less confusing than 2009. but you know what, i don't trust that shit anymore. just when you think "hey, i've got this life thing down! i'm maturing and growing as a person! everything's gonna be ok!" something else confusing happens and you realize you're still basically fourteen years old. (said the 20 year old.)

my communications teacher is a polish immigrant in her 30s who hates america, and americans, with a fiery burning passion. this was not immediately evident, but every class it becomes more apparent. the final thirty minutes or so of our last class session consisted of her making scathing remarks about american hypocrisy, greed, and brutality, all of which were prefaced by "i don't mean any offense, but" and accompanied by an ingratiating - and very fixed - smile.

now, i try not to be "that kid" who always has to have something to contribute, but i had to say something. i felt she was lumping our entire nation into a single ugly stereotype; possibly one of the less sympathetic side characters from "king of the hill." i tried to explain to her, respectfully, that while we are by no means a perfect people, one must take into account that there exists a distinct dichotomy in the american attitude. we are right or left; red or blue; conservative or liberal. rarely, if ever, shall the twain meet. and a lot of what she was attacking us for - our attitude towards immigrants, our tendency to get involved in countries that don't want our involvement - is, unfortunately, an image that our right-leaning citizens have cultivated.

she basically ignored me, and i would have shut up except that she then went on to ridicule us for watching the news. "it's so unreliable," she said. "it's so controlled. you have no idea if what you are watching is the truth, and you do not take the time to find out."

"okay," says i, "i'm not disagreeing with you, but in what country CAN they be certain that the news they're seeing hasn't been censored or edited in any way?"

again she basically ignores me. "it just amazes me; you americans trust your government so explicitly."

"no, we don't!" i say. i'm staring at her. i'm not smiling. (she still is.) "no we don't."

i shut up after that. but i mean like seriously you guys.

no we don't.

right?

that's what i thought.

5 comments:

Susan said...

this is your mom checking in:
2010 is treating me fine, thank you.
glad it's mostly the same for you.
your teacher sounds like something else - tell her you'd like her to invite your mother the journalist in to speak to the class.
so glad you're the fly in her ointment.
much love.

The Bug said...

Well duh! Our whole political system is based on how we don't trust the government (depending on who's in charge).

Maybe she's just salty because of the typical stereotype we have of Polish people (or am I showing my age & there's not really one now?).

lesthook said...

Hi. Your mom sent me. I have a granddaughter your age in college. keep speaking up kiddo!

heartinsanfrancisco said...

She has nothing but the most scathing contempt for America and its people, yet she is apparently enjoying the considerable benefits of living and working here. Does that not seem a tad hypocritical?

Always question authority! The person you confront may ignore you but I promise you, someone else is listening and growing courage because you demonstrated it.

Mclndesm said...

I agree "No We Don't!" Don't ever censor yourself or hold back when you feel in your gut it's right and important what you have to say.