North Carolina's finest... :-)
I wonder what her former teachers think... :-)
posted by Andy W. Rogers | 7:14 PM
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Wednesday, December 12, 2007
I wonder what her former teachers think... :-)
8 Comments:
I wonder what her former teachers think... :-)
Since she is obviously a product of the North Carolina Public Schools, I'm sure her teachers think she's brilliant.
It just stands to reason.
Ah, who cares. She's talented, pretty, and making a good living. I'm sure her music and drama teachers are quite proud. Further, the dumb blonde act is mainly just that ... an act. Her audience loves it and she plays to them. Off camera, I'm sure she's clever enough.
Music and Drama both being subjects requiring critical thinking skills, right? Whatever, Strother.
I'm not buying the act part of the dumb blonde act. I feel relatively certain this girl is just as big a dumbass as she seems to be, cute as she may be.
My cynicism is warranted. I recently overheard a conversation between two twenty-somethings of native NC descent that went something like this:
"My cousin went to Ireland"
"Where is that?"
"I don't know. I think it's in England or Australia or something."
"I thought England was a country. Is it in Europe?"
"No Europe is a country. England is like a state or something."
"So where is Ireland? I thought it was in Europe"
"I don't know. It's a long way from here."
Indeed, it says something about schools. But I think it says something greater about culture and values. If you're looking for a good book that will speak volumes about American society, see Jane Jacob's Dark Age Ahead.
We're there.
To stand out from the rest of the crowd on American Idol, Ms. Pickler (or her advisors, or both) developed a dumb blonde persona to match her strong Southern accent (which, right or wrong, worked quite well), helping her stand out from the other talented, pretty chicks in the competition. Now she has a country music record deal. All this is clearly contrived. She continues to play off of it since it works so well. This clip is yet another example of giving the audience what they want — pretty smart. And the joke's on those who call this entertainment.
Music and Drama both being subjects requiring critical thinking skills, right?
... yep, an expected response from someone not likely skilled in music and/or drama. Take a music theory course, go into the studio, and/or join a musical or drama ensemble ... then get back w/ me regarding critical thinking skills in music or drama. You obviously have a few things to learn, too.
BTW, knowing where Budapest is isn't 'critical thinking skills.’ It's remembering a factoid; it's storing a bit piece of info on the ol' flesh hard drive.
I'm not buying the act part of the dumb blonde act. I feel relatively certain this girl is just as big a dumbass as she seems to be, cute as she may be.
Most Americans don't know where Budapest is. I'm pretty sure of it. But the difference is that they aren't skilled in making one little example of ignorance (trivial to Americans, at least) entertaining television (well, entertaining for some).
But linking this silly clip to public school teachers is ludicrous; most parents don't know where Budapest is and couldn't/wouldn't/don't teach their kids where it is. Making this an example of the failure of NC public schools is quite a stretch. For example, compared to RJ Reynolds High, do you think more kids at Calvary Baptist know where Budapest is? I doubt it.
Spoken like a true public school apologist, Strother.
Ms. Pickler (or her advisors, or both) developed a dumb blonde persona to match her strong Southern accent...
IIRC, it wasn't a dumb blonde persona as much as it was a trailer trash persona, and also as I recall, it wasn't much of a stretch: grew up in a trailer park, barely made it through school (in NC no less!), Dad (or Step-Dad or something) in prison. I know all of us with Southern roots are deeply indebted to Miss Pickler for playing into this ugly stereotype.
All this is clearly contrived.
Really? I'm not sure how so. It is obviously not clear to anyone with less than an adoring knowledge of Miss Pickler, else why would so many be certain that she is dumber than a bag of hammers?
...an expected response from someone not likely skilled in music...
I can't speak for talent, but I have been playing the piano since I was 8. I have some skill at it.
Take a music theory course...
Been there, done that. Remember, I didn't say there was no effort or skill involved, I said there wasn't a lot of critical thinking involved. I hope you aren't going to try to sell the story that being a guitar player requires the same critical thinking skills as, say, a nuclear physicist. As for drama? Oh please.
Most Americans don't know where Budapest is. I'm pretty sure of it.
Most Americans are products of public schools. So what's your point?
...most parents don't know where Budapest is and couldn't/wouldn't/don't teach their kids where it is.
ibid.
For example, compared to RJ Reynolds High, do you think more kids at Calvary Baptist know where Budapest is? I doubt it.
I don't doubt it at all, I would almost be surprised if they didn't. And I would bet real money that more home-schooled children, as a percentage, do.
You're missing the point, Strother. It isn't about knowing where Budapest is (or whether it is a different place than Bucharest). It's not even about knowing geography trivia. It's about the fact that kids aren't actually taught anything in school any more. They are encouraged to express opinions and share their feelings, but they aren't made to "remember a factoid," as you put it. Here's a news flash for you: the sum effect of remembering factoids is called knowledge. Yeah, I'm sure singing a song or being in a play is much more fun than doing your trigonometry homework, but if we'ra all holding hands and singing songs, who is going to get us to the stars? For that matter, who is going to keep the lights on and the water running? Who is going to make sure we know that we can't grow crops by watering them with Gatorade?
This isn't a stretch at all, it's a shining example of the utter failure of public education.
Spoken like a true public school apologist, Strother.
No, not really. I'm just calling you on one or two of your presumptuous 'points' ... one product of public school to another.
it wasn't a dumb blonde persona as much as it was a trailer trash persona, and also as I recall, it wasn't much of a stretch: grew up in a trailer park, barely made it through school (in NC no less!), Dad (or Step-Dad or something) in prison...
Well then — thank God for public school. It's obvious that Pickler would've done far worse in life if she were home schooled. Thanks for pointing that out; I had no idea.
I didn't say there was no effort or skill involved [in musical or dramatic studies].
Right. You said, "Music and Drama both being subjects requiring critical thinking skills, right? Whatever, Strother." You explained yourself just fine the first time around; there's no need for you to try and redefine what you said.
BTW, 101 classes in the music dept. and piano lessons aren't exactly composition and theory training. For those who know what the hell they're talking about, music has a very complex science behind it. As usual, sciences exist that most people don't realize the depth of; music theory and composition is critical thinking like most have never experienced.
In other words? You don't know it all. Don't claim to. It's not flattering.
But I digress waaay off the subject of an American Idol finalist, obviously.
Most Americans are products of public schools.
Like most American guitar players and American nuclear physicists?
You're missing the point, Strother.
No, I get your point. We all get your point. You don't like the public school system and think it's beyond repair. But try to avoid throwing the baby out with the bath water ... unless you enjoy being occasionally called on it.
But try to avoid throwing the baby out with the bath water ... unless you enjoy being occasionally called on it.
I'm not sure what baby is being thrown out with the bathwater. I'm trying to save the babies from the poisoned bathwater of the government schools.
And I have yet to be called on anything regarding public education in a rational manner, so there is apparently nothing for me to mind. And no, maudlin appeals to emotion don't count. So far all you've offered is a subjective opinion that Miss Pickler is a fake, a couple of non sequitur one-liners, and a moving target argument that music is hard. Nope, I'm pretty sure you are still missing the point.
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