We need to tell kids when they're stupid.
 

Originally written by Carlos Mencia for FHM Magazine.

People are getting stupider and it's making me crazy. It's mental laziness more than anything else. If it was plain stupidity - like they're just so dumb they don't get it - it might be OK. But People can do better, they're just not trying.

Every day I drive by this sign for a dry clear that reads, "Open seven days a week. Sundays too." Every time i see it I'm like, "Is this some kind of joke that I'm not in on? Am I the only idiot who doesn't get it?" So, one day I went in and asked the owner about it. He said, "Look, when I first opened the place, the sign read 'open seven days a week', bt so many people came in and asked about Sundays I had to put on the sign." Idiots!

Meanwhile, everything in this country is slowly being dumbed down to cater to the stupid. We have newspapers like the Los Angeles Times being written at a sixth grade reading level. Look at our president! He never got higher than a C average in school. How are you supposed to tell a kid to get better grades? He'll say, "I got C's, bitch. I could be president!!"

Here's the solution: First, we need to exercise the minds of our young. When I was a kid, we had Schoolhouse Rock. You didn't know you were learning from it - you just sang along, then you'd be in school like, "Oh my god, I know how a bill becomes a law!" But, look what kids have today - SpongeBob. "Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?" Nobody, dick. There are no pineapples under the sea, and there's no squirrel with a breathing apparatus either. It doesn't work that way.

Secondly, we need to tell kids when their stupid. Nobody tells them anymore. They go through school being told they're smart and special. In Little League, we give them trophies when they lose. They have no incentive to work hard because they're rewarded for mediocrity. From now on, first place should get a trophy and second place gets a tiny trophy with a little cup on it. Third through fifth places get a ribbon, and everyone else gets to go and think about how much they suck.

As for the rest of us, we need to educate ourselves. Look up big words like "soliloquy" and "gymnasium" in the dictionary. Stop turning on the news and believing everything it tells you. Ask questions. Don't be intellectually lazy. Think.

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sorry for the long read. :thumbsup

Carlos is awesome

I agree 100%. problem is today that parents blame under paid teachers for not "parenting" their kids for them...If they gave a shit like I do, their kids would excel far above their peers...like mine do.

My 8 year old designs websites, has a cell phone and her own bank account. All by choice, her idea, no pushing necissary. if you teach them to be enthusiastic and motivated they will yearn for information. Today's fat ass parents teach their fat ass stupid kids to eat McDonalds and be babysat by nickelodian...

USA going nuts?Dumb and dumber?

Sadly the the intellegent people breed less.

Ok fuck I just came off like a nazi.

As father of two school-age girls - I think the blame should be shared equally between parents, the education system...as well as the collective media. I think it would be a mistake to point fingers in only one direction based on generalities.

That's right SilentKnight!

I don't know...I don't wanna debate it because nobody will change their opinion here. but, you can change where your kid goes to school, or get a tutor, and you can personally intervien with the media thing by curbing some content and teaching them what they need to know about the rest.

Maybe it's not for everyone, but I take 100% responsibility for any failures.

He is pretty funny, but I gotta disagree with him somewhat here. "Grades" does not determine how smart someone is at all; that argument is bunk. Fuck, have of the Forbes Top Richest Men in the world all dropped out of college.

Quite true. This year, in fact...we took our youngest daughter out of the public school system and got her in to the Catholic separate school curriculum. My wife and I had lost all faith in the local public school she was previously attending last year.

And so far her marks have gone up dramatically on her first round of reports, so we figure we've made the right decision in that particular situation.

:1orglaugh :1orglaugh Good stuff!

I totally agree. People let TV, video games and internet take care of kids now. People dont read to their kids anymore or buy them educational games. All the cartoons nowadays are made for adults and have so many sexual innuendos that those of us who actually care about raising a smart child, dont even dare let them watch. This world is going downhill fast. I wouldn't say we need to tell kids that they are dumb, this doesn't do anything but lower their self esteem. Rather than doing that, start acting like a REAL parent and educate your child rather than depend on our failing school system.

Although there's no denying that a good parent is one who takes the time to work alongside the school system in educating children, the fact that more and more people are realizing the school systems are often failing to provide adequate education - is symptomatic of a bigger issue. Someone here in GFY the other day (sorry, forgot who it was)...turned the famous JFK quote around and restated it as, "Ask not what you can do for your country...but what your country can do for you." This trickles down to a taxpayer funded school system that we all pay for, yet get less and less of a return on for our tax dollars.

Yet, there are some people who will just sigh and say, "Well, the school system is failing...so now the onous to educate your child is now on YOU the taxpayer." Meanwhile, we continue paying higher and higher taxes....and now are feeling compelled to allocate a much greater percentage of our time towards educating our children in areas where the school system previously had a responsibility. Because of higher taxes, we're forced to work longer hours to stay afloat financially, while at the same time we're expected to devote more hours than previous to home-educate our kids.

Both my wife and I have consistently worked with our kids throughout their years in school, embellishing on what they learn in the classroom by going over things with them at home in the evening. Its family time well spent - and helps them to fill gaps and learn things from a second perspective. However, its now becoming a situation where we have to spend much more time than in the past going over things like homework, assignments and class projects. There are only so many free hours in a day. And where you used to spend 1-2 hours each night helping them out....more often than not it grows to 2-3 and even 4 hours many times.

Meanwhile, some of us spend 8-12 hours a day at work. Some work much longer...some work two jobs to make financial ends meet.

Its fine to say "teach your children" because the education system is failing. And ideally, that's good on the surface. But not everyone has the time resources to accomplish it. Yet meanwhile, we keep paying those taxes and wondering where all the money truly goes.

Raised a daughter. She's 30 now, married and they have a beautiful 5 year old daughter. They are doing very well.

I love kids, don't get me wrong...but personally, I think they should be freeze dried till they are 25. :)

Some days...I tend to think you're right :winkwink:

Good points by everyone.

I agree that although I may not be the best speller in the world, nor am I the best writter in the world, I don't think this makes me stupid, for I also have abbilities that alot of other people do not. I can play guitar, I can sing, I can write poetry, I can look at something and not know what the hell it is, and just figure out how to do it. I am self tought in alot of ways, and because of it I lack certain abilities but that does not make me dumb, stupid, or "mentally lazy" I strive to learn, I love to learn and although you think alot of kids out there don't like to learn, if you throw them something worth learning they will learn it, if you provide them with a decent learning system where teachers actually work with the kid, and learn what they teach, not just speak what they teach, and have parents who are involved and love there children and not point blame at everyone but themselfs, and also have a goverment who preches about how the kids are our future but don't do shit to help them out. The fact is, the minds of the youth are starving for knowedge wethier you think it or not. That is why our so called lazy kids of my generation, are learning things most people couldn't even learn in a entire lifetime, they are doing things at such a young age that has never been done before, they have a freemind and they know what a load of bullshit most of the world is, so before you go calling kids or anyone else lazy I think you should look further into things about the people you know nothing about. (no offence intended, everyone is titled to there own opion)

You know it's funny you mention that Joel.

Because if teachers and parents would have applied themselves, imagine where you'd be now.

Everything i've learned, Photography, Graphics, Web Design, etc, is all self taught, But I can't help but think back to Jr High and High School and go "what if my parents pushed me more, or what if my teachers took a closer look..." imagine where i'd be today.... Not that i'm not proud of where I am, because I worked fucking hard to get here, and i'm happy.

But what if...

what if...

You have an intresting point bro, but I was lucky to have the last 2 yrs of highschool where i had teachers who gave a shit and did there job and made me feel good about myself, the truth is, I knew what I wanted to do, and although school tought me some things I wanted to move on. I already knew more about networking, web design and 3d animation then anyone in college i knew, hell even some professors, I do not know it all but what I am saying is I also think school can hold some people back.

People are not getting stupider...others are just getting smarter :)

Nothing can replace good, involved parenting. It all starts and ends there.

Dumbing down everything is killing writing and reading skills. I guess instant message style short cut typing is part to blame as is street signs that state Thru instead of through, etc.

Oh yea I hear ya. But i come from a family thats very artistic, but no one bothered to take their time and be like, put it to use.

So I did it on my own.

My dad can draw, so can my mom. But they didn't really influence me to do anything. As a matter of fact, I took only ONE art class in high school, technically two if you count 9th grade, but only because I had to.

If i had gotten that little push, and started using Photoshop, 3 or 5 or whatever was out, I might be a lot further in my skills than I am now.

My mom finally woke up with my little sister who graduates this year from the Art Institute of Seattle in a degree of animation.

The moral to my story, when I have kids, if I see something in them, i will push them to achieve something their good at, but i won't be that Nazi parent.

Carlos is awesome.

I always talk to little kids like an adult, and put them in their place when necesarry.

I remember who did that for me, and I appreciate it.

I wouldn't wish to have been born later on. Generation keeps on getting dumber.

Yet another reason not to be a parent -- :thumbsup

Does anyone have a shorter version of that hugeass post?

I cant be fucked reading it all

Edit nevermind :thumbsup