the trouble with boys is... they are treated like defective girls in skool!!!
Posted on 05/29/2006 6:17:29 PM PDT by rhema
I n the romantic comedy "Failure to Launch," Matthew McConaughey plays a young man who is affable, intelligent, good-looking -- and completely unmotivated. He still lives at home and seems to have no ambitions beyond playing video games, hanging out with buddies and having sex. In desperation, his parents hire a professional motivation consultant, played by Sarah Jessica Parker, who pretends to fall in love with McConaughey's character to motivate him to grow up and get a life.
I was struck by how this theme matches what I see in my office with greater and greater frequency; a son goes off to college for a year or two, wastes thousands of dollars of his parents' money, then gets bored and comes back to live in his old room. Now he's working part time at Kinko's or part time at Starbucks.
It is a phenomenon that is getting a lot of media attention as part of the so-called "boy crisis" and one that cuts across all demographics -- rich, poor, black, white, urban and rural. According to the Census Bureau, one-third of young men ages 22 to 34 are still living at home with their parents -- a roughly 100 percent increase in the past 20 years. That is not true of young women. Why?
Before growing into unmotivated young adults, boys are more likely than girls to be diagnosed with ADHD, be in remedial classes and become dropouts. Boys are now significantly less likely than girls to go to college.
(Excerpt) Read more at startribune.com ...
Moosen! ;) Many Much Moosen!
I'm amazed at how many boys graduate college and have NEVER held any sort of job. The parents pay the boys every expense and provides them with an allowance so large that they don't have to work. When they return home they have a large bedroom, with TV, Computer, Video Games etc.
In other words, if the boys are allowed to lay around at home and be waited on hand and foot like they are the Emperor Nero, why would they WANT to go out into the "real world" where they have to worry about going to work and paying the rent.
I went to a Catholic boys high school that was right next to a Catholic girls high school. The English classes were college level, the math as well. It really seemed to work. Plus, the two schools worked together on dances, proms, and all of the other stuff. Most of the kids from my class that I am still in touch with (men and women) have led very successful lives.
It's happened. Sounds like the problem is not the girl, but your co-worker. He'd do the same for a boy.
I guess that depends on the subject matter.
I think of all the education that I've missed...
But then my homework was never quite like this!
Got it bad got it bad got it bad, I'm hot for teacher
Well, you've heard the old saying: with a son you only have to worry about one penis; with a daughter you have to worry about three billion penises.
We had a similar situation in my Presbyterian high school -- our school was technically one school, but there was a Boys' School and a Girls' School. We had separate classes in everything but a few upper level courses where there weren't enough students to justify two classes - e.g. German IV and Computer Programming (in its primitive, PDP days . . . telling my age for those who remember stacks of punch cards and paper tape . . . ). Got together for dances, football games, etc. It seemed to work well.
Same here, 2 boys, no girls (thank God). My oldest was very unmotivated, so unmotivated that I had to drag him down to the DMV to get his drivers lic...at 18 years old! He finally woke up at about age 20, joined the Navy and now I am very proud of him.
We are both lucky men.
While I see your point, I suggest you be very nice to your daughters-in-law. It's usually the female who gets stuck with the aging parent, one way or another.
miise
I agree. I have friends that went to a Catholic all boys school, and their education is impressive. They were well into Calculus and Latin in their senior year.
I took one year of Calc myself as a senior in pulik skoo- that was the math ceiling for me. I think my brain still hurts sometimes. Newton was a sick dude to invent that.
I think this author offers no insights. But in today's world, I could see myself not wanting to get into this stupid politically correct world. Schools have a femininist/humanist/liberal/feelings bias because 70 per cent of teachers are female. If you get out of school with your testicles still in place you will probably have to enter a touchy feely workplace. I have seen some sociological research talking about female expectations of the workplace. Females place a high value on interpersonal relationships in the workplace and liking and being liked is important. My work experience has been that men like myself look at a job as way to put bread on the table. Whether they like the boss or whether they personally click with co-workers is not terribly important as long as they are well paid. This is to say men tend to work for money and women want positive emotions reinforced. Of course, I am looking back, I have been retired for a while.
Can I sue for that? (do they send you someplace special?) ;)
"Steinbeck is an amazing writer."
Agreed. Steinbeck's books are great reads (had to read Of Mice and Men and Grapes of Wrath in high school).
Trouble is though, they've been challenged because they're not politically correct and don't fit in at all with the social engineering the Libs/Socialists/Communists who control the education establishment seek to achieve...
Check out "Travels with Charley" by Steinbeck if you haven't already. Plus, if you're into audiobooks, Gary Sinese reads it (nice for long trips).
Thanks, now I'll be up all night. I have one of each, and my girl is turning into a very beautiful young lady.
Ugh. I don't even want to think about it.
the trouble with boys is... they are treated like defective girls in skool!!!
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