I am absolutely baffled as to how anyone on Indiana's Senate Education Committee ever graduated college... Nay, high school... with their current level of ignorance. See, ignorance has many levels, but the state legislature has managed to reach a new level that makes Rush Limbaugh look like a college professor.
So what has the Education Committee done that has me up in arms? Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tony Bennett, announced on Tuesday that the committee will be pushing for drastic educational reform in Indiana that will essentially make quality educators extinct.
The proposal consists of the following: Teachers will be divided into four subcategories based predominantly on students' results on standardized test scores. Teachers placed in Group 4 will receive bonuses from the state. Teachers placed in group 1 will be dismissed. New teachers who do not receive an adequate score within the six years following the issuing of their teaching license will have their license revoked. Failing schools will be privatized by the state until test scores are to an adequate level. If a university produces enough students who are not successful as teachers, they will lose their accreditation.
First and foremost, don't get me started on the potential privatization of low-income schools. If you want to talk to me about that issue further, I'll draw a couple diagrams explaining how that aspect of the proposal will bankrupt Indianapolis, IPS, and raise the drop out rates.
As for the other restrictions, this is going to essentially make it impossible for any quality educator to retain a job. Talk to any teacher, they got their start at a low income school. Most teachers aren't lucky enough to get high-testing students early in their career, but this experience leads to their growth. The greatest teacher I ever had, Marilyn Miles, spent the majority of her career at Manual High School, in the ghetto.
Bottom line: Revoke the licenses of teachers in bad schools, you will lose the best teachers you have and our entire educational system will slip even further.
So let's look at this from a teacher's perspective...
I'm a young teacher, straight out of Ball State University with one of the best educational programs in the nation. Several young teachers out of BSU tend to gravitate towards programs such as Teach for America or towards a lower-income school to gain experience. Needless to say, these programs tend to rank dead last in high-stake testing as most children are far under reading level. So now here's the problem... If I take a job in IPS, where I know I can be hired, I will likely lose my license to teach regardless of my performance. Do I take a chance and put my career in the hands of students: 1,529 of which are homeless, 3,463 aren't fluent in English (the language they're required to take the required testing in), 84% of which have to receive financial aid from the state. We live in a state where 33% of working adults are functionally illiterate and the number is significantly higher among children.
...I don't know if I trust these kids... But can these teachers be trusted under this pressure. It has been proven that the more high-stakes testing take place in school, the higher propensity teachers have to cheat. This is no fault of their own. Imagine for just a second that you will lose your career if a third grader who never learned how to read English being up to grade level over the course of 180 days.
Scary, eh?
I'm not going to lie, I'd cheat, too if I were put in a situation by the state where I would lose my license to do what I love when the task they expect me to complete is impossible because of... guess who...
That's right, the state.
Hey Indiana, do you ever wonder why we rank so low in literacy in a nation that ranks 19th in the world in literacy (despite our high spending on education)? The answer: We have a government that has no regard for educating children, they just want to appear to be doing something so you can't be upset with them. I'm not going to get into the dozens of educational mistakes that both state and national legislature have made over the past few decades, because I don't have 48 hours to talk, but if this legislation passes, I'm homeschooling my niece and nephew until I can get elected to change it.
I always thought that our government would kill off a species someday, I just never thought that species would be quality educators.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Brizzilicious Definition: Make the Voters Snarl
Which is worse:
Having sex with a 15-year old girl, or assisting in the theft of $207 Million?
What the hell are you talking about, Tim?
The only reason I bring this up is because as I read more about the Ohio Fair Financial scandal involving Marion County Prosecutor, Carl Brizzi, his statements sound very familiar.
Brizzi had known about the company for awhile. He had invested thousands of dollars into it, and served on the board of directors. He was in just as deep as anyone involved in the scandal, and once he read the investigation in the IBJ, he didn't jump ship because he was just becoming aware of the scandal. He's not stupid. He put his money, time, and influence into making sure that this scheme would make him cash. When the IBJ investigated, Carl learned one piece of information: Now his constituents are on to him. He jumps ship and hopes all is well, but then decides not to seek reelection.
If you read his post (found at http://www.carlbrizzi.com/blogDisplay.aspx?blogID=113 ) you will find his language being fairly recognizable. It's the same tone taken by every guest on NBC's mid-00 hit, Dateline: To Catch a Predator.
The impression I get is that the IBJ was Brizzi's Chris Hanson. Just like the predators who show up to the Dateline house, Carl knows what he's doing is wrong, but will never admit it until someone merely tells him that someone else knows his agenda. So, unsurprisingly, the underproductive prosecutor who hasn't done much of significance since his reelection will not be seeking his office for a third term.
Maybe instead he can spend some time with the folks he's been locking up for a few years. :0)
Having sex with a 15-year old girl, or assisting in the theft of $207 Million?
What the hell are you talking about, Tim?
The only reason I bring this up is because as I read more about the Ohio Fair Financial scandal involving Marion County Prosecutor, Carl Brizzi, his statements sound very familiar.
Brizzi had known about the company for awhile. He had invested thousands of dollars into it, and served on the board of directors. He was in just as deep as anyone involved in the scandal, and once he read the investigation in the IBJ, he didn't jump ship because he was just becoming aware of the scandal. He's not stupid. He put his money, time, and influence into making sure that this scheme would make him cash. When the IBJ investigated, Carl learned one piece of information: Now his constituents are on to him. He jumps ship and hopes all is well, but then decides not to seek reelection.
If you read his post (found at http://www.carlbrizzi.com/blogDisplay.aspx?blogID=113 ) you will find his language being fairly recognizable. It's the same tone taken by every guest on NBC's mid-00 hit, Dateline: To Catch a Predator.
The impression I get is that the IBJ was Brizzi's Chris Hanson. Just like the predators who show up to the Dateline house, Carl knows what he's doing is wrong, but will never admit it until someone merely tells him that someone else knows his agenda. So, unsurprisingly, the underproductive prosecutor who hasn't done much of significance since his reelection will not be seeking his office for a third term.
Maybe instead he can spend some time with the folks he's been locking up for a few years. :0)
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Spoiler Up!
Before I begin, let me just say that I've seen every Hoosier game thus far and I know what we are.
We're young, inexperienced, and undisciplined.
We're the same team today that lost to Loyola in December.
We're also the same team that played with Kentucky for 3/4 of the game, Maryland for 7/8 of the game, and beat Pitt and Michigan.
What I saw in the recent overtime victory against Minnesota, however, proved to me that we have all the components it takes to pull one of the biggest upsets of the year.
Spoiler up!
Yes, I am ACTUALLY naive enough to think that this young Hoosier team that has done more to blow leads than Lindsay Lohan has done to blow celebrities has a chance to upset a nationally ranked Boilers team that is projected to dance late into March.
Why so confident?
Because this team has played with every team they've played bar Ohio State. They've shut down next year's #1 draft pick and they've neutralized numerous big name players. The one thing separating them from an NCAA bid this season is the fact that they are yet to play 40 minutes of basketball. If they played the last five minutes like they played the first 35 versus Maryland, they would've won. If they played the last ten minutes like they played the first 30 versus Kentucky, they would've won. If this team would've played 40 minutes in every game they've played this season, we'd be looking at a nationally ranked team at this point.
Unfortunately, they haven't, but last Sunday they were forced to do more than that... Play 45.
Granted, they did blow a huge lead in the last six or seven minutes, but they made up for it in overtime. They were lucky enough to save themselves this time. So call me naive, call me shortsighted, call me optimistic, I think that when Purdue comes into Assembly Hall, they're in for a surprise.
Maybe we get 35 competitive minutes, maybe we get a win. Regardless, these Hoosiers will not go down quietly.
We're young, inexperienced, and undisciplined.
We're the same team today that lost to Loyola in December.
We're also the same team that played with Kentucky for 3/4 of the game, Maryland for 7/8 of the game, and beat Pitt and Michigan.
What I saw in the recent overtime victory against Minnesota, however, proved to me that we have all the components it takes to pull one of the biggest upsets of the year.
Spoiler up!
Yes, I am ACTUALLY naive enough to think that this young Hoosier team that has done more to blow leads than Lindsay Lohan has done to blow celebrities has a chance to upset a nationally ranked Boilers team that is projected to dance late into March.
Why so confident?
Because this team has played with every team they've played bar Ohio State. They've shut down next year's #1 draft pick and they've neutralized numerous big name players. The one thing separating them from an NCAA bid this season is the fact that they are yet to play 40 minutes of basketball. If they played the last five minutes like they played the first 35 versus Maryland, they would've won. If they played the last ten minutes like they played the first 30 versus Kentucky, they would've won. If this team would've played 40 minutes in every game they've played this season, we'd be looking at a nationally ranked team at this point.
Unfortunately, they haven't, but last Sunday they were forced to do more than that... Play 45.
Granted, they did blow a huge lead in the last six or seven minutes, but they made up for it in overtime. They were lucky enough to save themselves this time. So call me naive, call me shortsighted, call me optimistic, I think that when Purdue comes into Assembly Hall, they're in for a surprise.
Maybe we get 35 competitive minutes, maybe we get a win. Regardless, these Hoosiers will not go down quietly.
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Reg-gie! Reg-gie!
Hey folks! Sorry again for the delay. I've got a lot to cover this week, but let's start with first things first...
"The Team of Destiny"
Oh, New York media, how I've missed thee. It feels like an eternity since you demonized Miller Time and called my Pacers a group of hicks. Now I have to deal with your spin machine again and, truth be told, I kind of missed it. Where would we be, after all, if Tim Donaghy wasn't rigging games and Spike Lee wasn't tripping the Blue and Gold as they ran down the court?
Ah, the memories are rushing back. Hicks Beat Knicks. Buzzer beaters, 8 points in 8.9 seconds. And at the center, just like last time, is an overly zealous, vocal punk. Spike Who? No, Mr. Rex Ryan. The same Rex Ryan who declared midway through the season that his team was out of the playoffs is now in the AFC Championship and has declared his team the "Team of Destiny." He has already handed out Super Bowl Itineraries to all of his players and likely has his swimming trunks packed for a relaxing trip to Miami. I'm just hoping he also bought himself a ticket to the game, or he won't be getting in.
Let's take a second to recall exactly why the Jets made the playoffs to begin with...
The Colts FOLDED.
I was there. I watched our team play only half of our defensive starters and later pull our entire offense minus a few key linemen. Before Curtis Painter was inserted for Manning, we were up by five.
Wait, what?
The Colts, even without their most essential defensive players, were beating the Jets by FIVE.
The Jets didn't score an offensive touchdown until we pulled all our starters. If not for a miracle special teams touchdown, the Jets may not be in the playoffs today.
So, Rex, you feeling lucky? Do you seriously think that your team, which could barely beat our second string when we had nothing to play for and you were fighting for your lives, is good enough to even play a competitive game with the greatest quarterback to ever play the game?
Say what you want about "destiny" and "david versus goliath" because in the end, your team is here because Caldwell WANTS them here. This entire city and organization knows that you aren't any match for us. Nice game last week against a Chargers' team that has never made any noise in the postseason when playing a quarterback not named "Manning," but you have to internalize one thing.
Just like 2000, The Big Apple will be turned into Big Applesauce by the one greatest city in the world.
Empire State? Try Hoosier State.
The only difference between the Colts of today and the Pacers of the 90's is the Colts have learned from Reggie's mistakes. We're not going to provoke the New York Post, Spike Lee, or any other New Yorker, because they'll be spinning the game all week, and they'll have a great time writing their columns about "The Team of Destiny" when they're on the plane back to East Rutherford.
More to come later today about the Hoosiers. Spoiler Up!
"The Team of Destiny"
Oh, New York media, how I've missed thee. It feels like an eternity since you demonized Miller Time and called my Pacers a group of hicks. Now I have to deal with your spin machine again and, truth be told, I kind of missed it. Where would we be, after all, if Tim Donaghy wasn't rigging games and Spike Lee wasn't tripping the Blue and Gold as they ran down the court?
Ah, the memories are rushing back. Hicks Beat Knicks. Buzzer beaters, 8 points in 8.9 seconds. And at the center, just like last time, is an overly zealous, vocal punk. Spike Who? No, Mr. Rex Ryan. The same Rex Ryan who declared midway through the season that his team was out of the playoffs is now in the AFC Championship and has declared his team the "Team of Destiny." He has already handed out Super Bowl Itineraries to all of his players and likely has his swimming trunks packed for a relaxing trip to Miami. I'm just hoping he also bought himself a ticket to the game, or he won't be getting in.
Let's take a second to recall exactly why the Jets made the playoffs to begin with...
The Colts FOLDED.
I was there. I watched our team play only half of our defensive starters and later pull our entire offense minus a few key linemen. Before Curtis Painter was inserted for Manning, we were up by five.
Wait, what?
The Colts, even without their most essential defensive players, were beating the Jets by FIVE.
The Jets didn't score an offensive touchdown until we pulled all our starters. If not for a miracle special teams touchdown, the Jets may not be in the playoffs today.
So, Rex, you feeling lucky? Do you seriously think that your team, which could barely beat our second string when we had nothing to play for and you were fighting for your lives, is good enough to even play a competitive game with the greatest quarterback to ever play the game?
Say what you want about "destiny" and "david versus goliath" because in the end, your team is here because Caldwell WANTS them here. This entire city and organization knows that you aren't any match for us. Nice game last week against a Chargers' team that has never made any noise in the postseason when playing a quarterback not named "Manning," but you have to internalize one thing.
Just like 2000, The Big Apple will be turned into Big Applesauce by the one greatest city in the world.
Empire State? Try Hoosier State.
The only difference between the Colts of today and the Pacers of the 90's is the Colts have learned from Reggie's mistakes. We're not going to provoke the New York Post, Spike Lee, or any other New Yorker, because they'll be spinning the game all week, and they'll have a great time writing their columns about "The Team of Destiny" when they're on the plane back to East Rutherford.
More to come later today about the Hoosiers. Spoiler Up!
Saturday, January 16, 2010
"We're gunna be winners"
Let me preface this by apologizing for my week long absence. I've been really busy trying to figure my schedule out this week, but now I'm back, baby, so let's talk football.
Now I could talk about the Colts and Ravens, how the Colts' run defense is going to have to have an out-of-body experience if Peyton wants to see the ball more than one quarter. I could talk about how Addai and Brown have looked paraplegic as of late. Today's game, however, isn't what I want to talk about.
Now I could talk about the Colts and Ravens, how the Colts' run defense is going to have to have an out-of-body experience if Peyton wants to see the ball more than one quarter. I could talk about how Addai and Brown have looked paraplegic as of late. Today's game, however, isn't what I want to talk about.
Today, I want us to just sit back and reflect on the past decade of Colts' football.
Ten years. Nine playoff appearances. One Super Bowl. Dozens of NFL records broken.
Win or lose today, what we have witnessed as Colts fans is one of the best teams in NFL history, led by the closest thing that football has to a "god." Granted, the lack of Super Bowl rings puts a blemish on his record, but when you run an offense the way Peyton Manning has run the Colts' offense, there's no one who can disrespect the man or the player.
I think there's an easy comparison here to Reggie Miller. No one appreciated exactly how much he meant to the Pacers until he was gone. We loved him, we chanted his name over and over, but once he was gone, Pacers fans were almost shell-shocked. We were so spoiled and accustomed to greatness. So for just this one day, I want all Colts fans to remember that, regardless of who comes out on top today, what we're witnessing is special and beautiful. Sports fans wait their entire life to witness greatness in their teams. We're witnessing it right now. Savor this, because if you're like me, you remember the losing seasons and you know that there were years that you'd kill for .500 let alone 14-2.
Next week, I'll be sharing my reactions to today's game, thoughts on Carl Brizzi's decision not to seek reelection, and the Pacers sudden discovery of their "element." See you tomorrow! Go Colts!
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
An Ode to the "Vince Farter" Guys
Let me preface this blog with the following statement:
As I age, I hope to mature, and if I ever get to a point in my life when I show up to a Pacers/Magic game wearing a custom made tshirt that reads "Vince Farter" and later have it confiscated by security, I pray that you, as my friends, will kill me.
Moving on... I have two issues I want to address tonight. First and foremost, I'd like to congratulate Roy Hibbert for proving me right once again. Anyone who has given up indefinitely on our 11-23 Pacers, I'd just like to say this: When you combine the center that managed to shut down and neutralize the best center in the league with Danny Granger, you have a recipe for a team that can and will do work in the central division. This season is a wash. Our record is bad, we're not healthy, and we are lacking guard play. Next season, however, you have to keep an eye on this team iff (this is the only time in the real world that I can use the "if and only if" symbol from geometry. Boom roasted.) Larry Bird wises up and does the following.
1. Boot Jim O'Brien. Take the reigns as coach. Make triumphant return to the league and try to inspire these guys like you inspired Reggie to stay in '98.
2. Draft a solid point guard who can ACTUALLY direct the flow of play. Ditch Ford. He's lost his starting position two years in a row. That should be a big tip that he's not reliable. Play Luther Head as a backup PG and keep Rush as a sixth man.
3. Bring back the shooting. About two or three years ago, we never took a shot outside the three point arc. This year, we wouldn't shoot there if Gilbert Arenas held a gun to our head. Find a solid, reliable shooting guard and bring him in. We have room in the salary cap. If we can start Hibbert, Hansbrough, Granger, New Shooting Guard, and Rookie PG, we're destined to be a team that can dethrone The King in the central.
Now second order of business.
David Stern, how's it going, buddy? Have a seat, we need to chat.
Gilbert Arenas is not returning this season, right? I know how much you like to play that "chip on your shoulder" card when someone defies your authority. Remember Artest? Remember how he was suspended for an entire season after being physically assaulted? I do.
So why is it, David, that you waited until today to suspend Gilbert Arenas indefinitely for pulling a gun on his teammate on Christmas Eve? I know that the report wasn't filed until New Years Day, but what could possibly take you five days to figure out?
So let's think about this for a second...
Ron Artest is physically assaulted by a fan and defends himself.
Suspended all year immediately without pay, including playoffs. Bye bye, Ronnie.
Gilbert Arenas assaults a teammate with a deadly weapon. David Stern takes two weeks to respond.
Please, David, make the right choice. That's all I've got tonight.
As I age, I hope to mature, and if I ever get to a point in my life when I show up to a Pacers/Magic game wearing a custom made tshirt that reads "Vince Farter" and later have it confiscated by security, I pray that you, as my friends, will kill me.
Moving on... I have two issues I want to address tonight. First and foremost, I'd like to congratulate Roy Hibbert for proving me right once again. Anyone who has given up indefinitely on our 11-23 Pacers, I'd just like to say this: When you combine the center that managed to shut down and neutralize the best center in the league with Danny Granger, you have a recipe for a team that can and will do work in the central division. This season is a wash. Our record is bad, we're not healthy, and we are lacking guard play. Next season, however, you have to keep an eye on this team iff (this is the only time in the real world that I can use the "if and only if" symbol from geometry. Boom roasted.) Larry Bird wises up and does the following.
1. Boot Jim O'Brien. Take the reigns as coach. Make triumphant return to the league and try to inspire these guys like you inspired Reggie to stay in '98.
2. Draft a solid point guard who can ACTUALLY direct the flow of play. Ditch Ford. He's lost his starting position two years in a row. That should be a big tip that he's not reliable. Play Luther Head as a backup PG and keep Rush as a sixth man.
3. Bring back the shooting. About two or three years ago, we never took a shot outside the three point arc. This year, we wouldn't shoot there if Gilbert Arenas held a gun to our head. Find a solid, reliable shooting guard and bring him in. We have room in the salary cap. If we can start Hibbert, Hansbrough, Granger, New Shooting Guard, and Rookie PG, we're destined to be a team that can dethrone The King in the central.
Now second order of business.
David Stern, how's it going, buddy? Have a seat, we need to chat.
Gilbert Arenas is not returning this season, right? I know how much you like to play that "chip on your shoulder" card when someone defies your authority. Remember Artest? Remember how he was suspended for an entire season after being physically assaulted? I do.
So why is it, David, that you waited until today to suspend Gilbert Arenas indefinitely for pulling a gun on his teammate on Christmas Eve? I know that the report wasn't filed until New Years Day, but what could possibly take you five days to figure out?
So let's think about this for a second...
Ron Artest is physically assaulted by a fan and defends himself.
Suspended all year immediately without pay, including playoffs. Bye bye, Ronnie.
Gilbert Arenas assaults a teammate with a deadly weapon. David Stern takes two weeks to respond.
Please, David, make the right choice. That's all I've got tonight.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Countdown to 2011: Search for a Super Mayor
As many of you know, November 2011 is the next mayoral election in Indianapolis. What many people don't realize yet, however, is how pivotal this election will be. Indianapolis is currently the 12th largest city in the nation and one of the larger landlocked cities in the world. We are the brilliant hybrid of a big city and a small town and we've managed to become one of the most popular convention locations in the world, the amateur sports capital of the world, and the automotive racing capital of the world. Over the past decade, however, we've hit a glass ceiling. We have two of the greatest sports facilities in the world as well as one of the most popular convention centers in the world, and yet we still fail to consistently compete with locations from New York and Chicago to Atlanta and Miami for the largest events such as Super Bowls and the Olympics. Despite the fact that we host the Indianapolis 500 and the Brickyard 400 every year and have consistently thrived, the rest of the nation and the world fails to see us as more than an "average" city. Sure, we have the 2012 Super Bowl, but the NFL Players Association is expected by several insiders to go on strike during the 2011 season.
Despite this, however, the 2012 Super Bowl is likely to be a go. So the real question we have to address as a city is this: Who do we want to be running our city when the entire world is watching us?
We could reelect Greg Ballard, the man who stole an election... *ehem* Sorry, pulled "the greatest political upset in Indiana history" with a little help from the Marion County Assessor. So do we want the Capital Improvement Board in the disaster that it's in right now? Do we want the man who was very obviously opposed to the 2012 Super Bowl effort shaking hands and taking advantage of the photo-ops at Lucas Oil Stadium?
Tomorrow, I'll analyze the Democrat and Libertarian candidates who either have declared or are likely to declare, but in order to understand '11, you have to understand '07.
So how did Ballard get elected to begin with? He was, after all, facing a two time incumbent mayor with relatively high approval ratings until just months before the election. So how was this political "upset" realized?
Long story short, the Marion County Assessor didn't do his job for just under a decade. Bart Peterson helped to solve the issue by having all the properties in Indianapolis reassessed. The issue with that, however, is that most properties were worth more in the summer of '07 than they were at the turn of the millennium. So now property values are back to where they're supposed to be, but property taxes are also where they're supposed to be. This corrective action caused a massive panic and elevated Greg Ballard and the laziest campaign in Indy's history into the Mayor's office. Since then, Ballard has been taking advantage of everything that Peterson did in office from Lucas Oil Stadium to the convention center expansion.
So now I'd like to open this up. What are your thoughts on 2011 and the Ballard reelection campaign? See you tomorrow!
Despite this, however, the 2012 Super Bowl is likely to be a go. So the real question we have to address as a city is this: Who do we want to be running our city when the entire world is watching us?
We could reelect Greg Ballard, the man who stole an election... *ehem* Sorry, pulled "the greatest political upset in Indiana history" with a little help from the Marion County Assessor. So do we want the Capital Improvement Board in the disaster that it's in right now? Do we want the man who was very obviously opposed to the 2012 Super Bowl effort shaking hands and taking advantage of the photo-ops at Lucas Oil Stadium?
Tomorrow, I'll analyze the Democrat and Libertarian candidates who either have declared or are likely to declare, but in order to understand '11, you have to understand '07.
So how did Ballard get elected to begin with? He was, after all, facing a two time incumbent mayor with relatively high approval ratings until just months before the election. So how was this political "upset" realized?
Long story short, the Marion County Assessor didn't do his job for just under a decade. Bart Peterson helped to solve the issue by having all the properties in Indianapolis reassessed. The issue with that, however, is that most properties were worth more in the summer of '07 than they were at the turn of the millennium. So now property values are back to where they're supposed to be, but property taxes are also where they're supposed to be. This corrective action caused a massive panic and elevated Greg Ballard and the laziest campaign in Indy's history into the Mayor's office. Since then, Ballard has been taking advantage of everything that Peterson did in office from Lucas Oil Stadium to the convention center expansion.
So now I'd like to open this up. What are your thoughts on 2011 and the Ballard reelection campaign? See you tomorrow!
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Spud v. Sputnik
So today I went to my niece's birthday party. She's two, and she'll never remember any of the events of the day, but she had a great time and got several more toys that she'll never know what to do with due to the abundant amounts of play things she already has. One of the toys she got, however, really struck me. She got a Mr. Potato Head, the most well-known toy in history. The more I observed her playing with this, however, the more I realized that Mr. Potato Head is, like it or not, quintessentially American.
Born in Rhode Island in the 1950's, Mr. Potato Head was the first toy to be advertised on TV, but didn't get its plastic potato body untill 1960. Since its creation, Mr. Potato Head became the first toy to really gain a personality and become an "advocate" of social issues. In 1987, Mr. Potato Head became the "spokespud" for a government run anti-smoking campaign. Later, in 1992, he actually received an award from President Bill Clinton on the White House lawn when he shed his "couch potato status."
So a toy becomes a spokesperson and gets to meet the President. Clinton likes inanimate objects better than us living, breathing American citizens who elected him (twice)? Is this the message I'm getting from all this?
Not at all, because Mr. Potato Head is the ideal representation of the American Dream.
What did you say, Tim?
Mr. Potato Head is the ideal representation of the American Dream.
Let's take a look at the toy for a second. Here's this shell of an object. Mr. Potato Head could be young, old, angry, sad, happy, male, or female depending on what you choose to put on him. He wears several different hats, both literally and figuratively. Depending on what you decide to do with him, you can shape not only his appearance, but also his personality and character. Why can you do this? Because his spare eyes, mouths, noses, hats, etc. are stored where else but his hindquarters.
Now let's take a look at ourselves as Americans for a second. In the economic sense, we are shells of objects. Without developing ourselves as individuals, we are nothing more than a body. We live in a society, however, where we are forced to shape ourselves to one extent or another. We are required to go to school as children, and from there, we choose what we want to wear. Just like Mr. Potato Head, we are a product of our choices. While this has become a universal trait in the 21st century, this concept was uniquely American for so long, and still does have a much deeper American connotation than any other nation. One of the reasons that it is still very American is because as every other nation has developed into a free market capitalistic society where all men are supposed to have an equal opportunity, America has just intensified the pressure to become a "have" as opposed to a "have not." Consequently, Americans have learned to master several skills in order to be able to wear even more "hats." For example, we have CPA's with their bar tending license, Physical Therapists who can act and play guitar, and teachers who write on the side. This is done for supplementary income, but also because there is a constant pressure in modern America to stand out, and how better can one stand out than by being a master of many domains?
As for Mr. Potato Head's storage bin, the double entendre is intentional. When we are short of cash and we magically have a skill set to fall back on for income, or when we don't have the grade we need in a class but we manage to use our communication skills in order to persuade our grade up a little, we pull it out of the same place Mr. Potato Head finds his extra facial features. As we become more educated and experienced, we gain more and more things to "pull out."
So what does Mr. Potato Head have to do with the American Dream? Everything. If you want to be successful in modern America, the easiest way is to emulate this little toy, because the more we can pull out of our ass, the more hats we can wear, and the more hats we can wear, the more successful we are destined to be in the 21st century.
Stay posted tomorrow, January 4th, when I'll post my blog regarding the importance of the 2011 mayoral election and some introductory analysis on the "biggest political upset in Indiana history."
Born in Rhode Island in the 1950's, Mr. Potato Head was the first toy to be advertised on TV, but didn't get its plastic potato body untill 1960. Since its creation, Mr. Potato Head became the first toy to really gain a personality and become an "advocate" of social issues. In 1987, Mr. Potato Head became the "spokespud" for a government run anti-smoking campaign. Later, in 1992, he actually received an award from President Bill Clinton on the White House lawn when he shed his "couch potato status."
So a toy becomes a spokesperson and gets to meet the President. Clinton likes inanimate objects better than us living, breathing American citizens who elected him (twice)? Is this the message I'm getting from all this?
Not at all, because Mr. Potato Head is the ideal representation of the American Dream.
What did you say, Tim?
Mr. Potato Head is the ideal representation of the American Dream.
Let's take a look at the toy for a second. Here's this shell of an object. Mr. Potato Head could be young, old, angry, sad, happy, male, or female depending on what you choose to put on him. He wears several different hats, both literally and figuratively. Depending on what you decide to do with him, you can shape not only his appearance, but also his personality and character. Why can you do this? Because his spare eyes, mouths, noses, hats, etc. are stored where else but his hindquarters.
Now let's take a look at ourselves as Americans for a second. In the economic sense, we are shells of objects. Without developing ourselves as individuals, we are nothing more than a body. We live in a society, however, where we are forced to shape ourselves to one extent or another. We are required to go to school as children, and from there, we choose what we want to wear. Just like Mr. Potato Head, we are a product of our choices. While this has become a universal trait in the 21st century, this concept was uniquely American for so long, and still does have a much deeper American connotation than any other nation. One of the reasons that it is still very American is because as every other nation has developed into a free market capitalistic society where all men are supposed to have an equal opportunity, America has just intensified the pressure to become a "have" as opposed to a "have not." Consequently, Americans have learned to master several skills in order to be able to wear even more "hats." For example, we have CPA's with their bar tending license, Physical Therapists who can act and play guitar, and teachers who write on the side. This is done for supplementary income, but also because there is a constant pressure in modern America to stand out, and how better can one stand out than by being a master of many domains?
As for Mr. Potato Head's storage bin, the double entendre is intentional. When we are short of cash and we magically have a skill set to fall back on for income, or when we don't have the grade we need in a class but we manage to use our communication skills in order to persuade our grade up a little, we pull it out of the same place Mr. Potato Head finds his extra facial features. As we become more educated and experienced, we gain more and more things to "pull out."
So what does Mr. Potato Head have to do with the American Dream? Everything. If you want to be successful in modern America, the easiest way is to emulate this little toy, because the more we can pull out of our ass, the more hats we can wear, and the more hats we can wear, the more successful we are destined to be in the 21st century.
Stay posted tomorrow, January 4th, when I'll post my blog regarding the importance of the 2011 mayoral election and some introductory analysis on the "biggest political upset in Indiana history."
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