Everything Wrong with Today's Youth

Personified by the Writings of an Over-Functioning Pothead

Posts tagged ‘thoughts’

The Volkswagen Super Bowl Commercial & Vainglorious White People

Some people just love being offended. I hate people like that.

I bring this up because Volkswagen posted a commercial on Youtube which is slated to run during the 2013 Super Bowl. I learned of it while watching the news. While it should have been considered newsworthy on the merits of its humor and charm, that was not the reason it was being covered by the 24-hour news cycle clusterfuck. It was being covered because there are allegedly a lot of people out there who found it very racist.

It is not racist. But before I elaborate on why, you should watch the commercial for yourself. Provided you aren’t a frigid, self-important white person, it will leave you with positive and happy feelings. Without further ado:



Solid commercial, right? You’re probably wondering, upon viewing the commercial yourself, exactly how big an object one must have up their ass in order to perceive the delightful commercial above as racist? Answer: really big. And wide.

I want to make clear, my opinion is not that this Super Bowl commercial for Volkswagen is not racist. That is an observable fact, and only my opinion insofar as, “Everything Wrong with Today’s Youth is a blog,” is my opinion. It is fact, not opinion. It is not up for debate.

Yes, that the commercial doesn’t seem to include a single black American doesn’t help its case. It makes it easier for someone to decry it as, “verbal blackface,” which is the stupidest characterization of this commercial I’ve heard so far.

My opinion on the commercial, for what it’s worth, is that it’s funny. Cute, even. But to call it racist would mean anything that ever mentions or alludes to race – a commercial, a statement, an article, a TV show, etc… – in a humorous or lighthearted manner is racist. If the 2013 Volkswagen Super Bowl commercial is racist, then what isn’t?

The most intellectually defective argument for why this commercial is so racist is that it implicitly assumes all Jamaicans are happy. It doesn’t. At most (if we must get theoretical), it posits that there is at least one happy Jamaican, the persona of whom is co-opted by people as a result of driving a Volkswagen. That’s not racist. The condescending assertion that this commercial is racist because Jamaica, with all it’s social and cultural issues, does not house a single happy Jamaican, is racist.

The thing is, no one who really matters is calling it racist. Which, being a person who doesn’t matter, is why I feel qualified to opine on it.


Further Reading

About these ads
2 Comments

Death and Vexation

The Last Judgment by Gustave Doré

I hate to put a damper on what’s an otherwise lighthearted blog. But that’s life.

An individual with whom I shared an inimitable relationship died a month ago. A month ago tomorrow. Assuming I finish writing this today. Which I won’t. It’ll take some time to organize the obstinate, disheveled thoughts which accompany this particular loss. Continue reading…

4 Comments

“Honey Boo Boo” – Shitty Television or Exploitation?

I came across this article on nbcnews.com the other day.

It contemplates the nature of the TLC program Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. Namely, whether it constitutes entertainment or exploitation. I would argue neither. However, being an openminded individual, I am capable of recognizing the possibility that others may interpret this program to be “entertaining.” So I’ll work from there. Here’s a snippet of the article. Continue reading…

3 Comments

DMT Q&A with John Jr

As those of you who follow EWWTY know, I published an article last month detailing my experience with DMT. If you haven’t read it you should do so now, it’s really good – and I’m rarely willing to say that about my work.

Anyway, the article attracted far more readers and positive feedback than I could have anticipated; I’ve spent roughly as much time responding to everyone as I did writing the piece (which is awesome).

One of my readers, John Jr, had a series of really thoughtful questions about my DMT experience. I realized soon after reading them that my answers would be substantive enough to call for a separate new post. So, without further adieu: Continue reading…

6 Comments

Understanding the Death of Trayvon Martin

I was going to write something about this story (VIDEO), in which a seventeen-year-old black boy named Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by a white man named George Zimmerman who judged him to be “up to no good.”

And then I found this fantastic blog post by Deborah Mello at her blog, I Ain’t Said Nothin’ But A Word.

Anyone aware of the story’s facts knows this is clearly manslaughter at least. So why, then, haven’t the police arrested George Zimmerman? I don’t know about all of that, but Trevon Martin’s family wants the FBI to get involved. I agree with them.

Please give Deborah’s post a read, it’s very well written and says a lot about modern race relations in the United States.

UPDATE: Jonathan Capehart of The Washington Post wrote a great opinion article about this tragedy. Please give it a read.

7 Comments

Senility

I had one of those moments today where I though of something really good to write about.

And then life threw a minor distraction my way, diverging my train of thought for a matter of mere seconds. Next think I knew, I was thrust into that frustrating mental limbo where I could remember having had the idea, whilst possessing absolutely no immediate knowledge of what it actually was.

Defeated, I ventured to the porch for a cigarette. Whereupon I checked my phone for the time, inadvertently revealing a gift past James was thoughtful enough to leave for future James – an unsent text message articulating my super good idea. It read:

Senility as defense mechanism against fear of death

Though it worked to refresh my memory, it also made me realize it wasn’t really that good an idea in the first place.

To elaborate, it was a fleeting idea that crossed my mind. The simple hypothesis was that senility is just another human function, the purpose of which is to maintain happiness and contentment in the face of imminent death. Think about it, have you ever heard an old person say they fear death? I mean like, a really old person.

I hope the answer to that hypothetical question is no, because otherwise that must’ve been a pretty fucking awkward situation with granny. But I digress. My point is, having lived a fulfilled life can’t be the only thing that caused old dying people to not fear death. And that’s why old people become senile, so they can at least live out their final days doing something – anything – other than dwelling on their imminent death.

That was before I realized that science would suggest, as it indeed does, that senility is a symptom, and could in no way be a result of evolution – considering that reaching senility pretty much means you’ve already survived successfully, and ain’t gonna have much chance to spread your seed anymore.

That was before I recognized the irony of the previous thirty minutes of my life – that is, my senile efforts to remember this thought – which, in and of itself, is something worth writing about.

And thus is the twisted nature of my creative process.

1 Comment

Reasons Mormons are Weird: Volume One

Surfing through the sewer that is American internet news publications, I came across the following story, which is an elaboration upon an issue msnbc.com has covered at least once prior:

Mormon Church Tries to Limit Baptism of Deceased Jews

Now, you may be wondering, “What the fuck?”

If that’s the case, clearly someone isn’t reading enough news.

Incase you’re unaware: Yes, the Mormon church engages in forced, post-mortem baptisms. Which means they “baptize” dead people who were never baptized whilst living. Like, regardless of anything the person ever said or stood for, or what the deceased’s kin say.

Oh, and they do it to dead Jews. And not just any dead Jews. Dead holocaust victims.

Because if you’re gonna do some weird freaky Mormon shit, why not just say, “fuck it,” and make it as distasteful and inconsiderate of everyone else as possible. That’s how Mormons roll, I guess.

This spurred me to start a theme of posts dissecting the issue of Mormons’ weirdness.

So, to be clear, reason number one Mormons are weird is that they perform post-mortem baptisms on Jews who died during the holocaust.

3 Comments

Politifact Lies

Politifact is a news organization that measures the truthiness of political statements. Well, they’re liars now too.

Politifact Has Decided That A Totally True Thing Is The “Lie Of The Year,” For Some Reason


The Huffington Post

Paul Krugman wakes up this morning, mourning the death of Politifact. He has good cause! In announcing its 2011 “Lie Of The Year,” the truth-squadding agency has settled on something that isn’t so much a “lie” as it is “100 percent true on its face,” and the selection seems to have been made because it doesn’t seem to understand some very basic things about Medicare’s defined health benefits.

As Politifact sees it, the “lie of the year” is the phrase, “Republicans voted to end Medicare.” Okay. What is “Medicare?” Medicare is a single-payer health care system that primarily benefits seniors aged 65 and up, but it also covers younger Americans who have certain disabilities or who require kidney dialysis for any type of end-stage renal disease. It helps to cover the following things: hospital care, doctors’ visits, outpatient care, prescription drugs and some preventative services. It’s a defined health care benefit provided by the federal government.


Mediaite also has a great article about the controversy:


Politi-f**ked: Why Politifact’s ‘Lie Of The Year’ Is Not Just Wrong, It’s Irresponsible

Mediaite

Since announcing “Republicans voted to end Medicare” as its “Lie Of The Year” yesterday, Pulitzer Prize-winning fact-check outfit Politifact.com has faced more blowback than a chronic spitter on a Ducati. While they apparentlythink this is just griping by the left, even the conservative National Review says they got it wrong. What Politifact doesn’t seem to realize is that this wasn’t just a wrong decision, it was anirresponsible one that undercuts their own, and journalism’s, duty to serve the public.

After their announcement, Politifact editor Bill Adairwent on CBS’ The Early Show to propagandize, and even lie, about the Paul Ryan budget plan, while the site’s Twitter feed blithely retweeted cherry-picked criticism of their decision (notably not that National Review post, nor Mediaite’s calling out of their editor), and retweeting people who cast the blowback as a left/right issue. They also made sure to buttress their decision with support fromWaPo fact-checker Glenn Kessler (himself prone to bad judgment), and by pointing out that FactCheck.org made a similarly bad ruling.


You know we’re fucked when the ‘fact checkers’ reveal themselves to be liars too.

1 Comment

Marijuana for Children with ADHD?



So that’s a very old story from Countdown. But I just found it so let’s pretend it’s new.

I’m not one of those potheads who claim marijuana cures everything. However, I do think that when it comes down to it, a cookie with weed in it can’t be any worse for a child than the amphetamine concoctions we give them now.

This comes from personal experience; I’m 21 right now, which means I was an elementary school student during the Ritalin craze of the 90′s. I was tested for ADHD in second grade. I’ve always wondered, as my memory of the event is rather fuzzy, how you go about determining whether or not a seven-year-old has ADHD. Have you ever had a conversation with a seven-year-old?

Answer: No.

Because seven-year-olds are fucking stupid, and it’s impossible to have a conversation with one. You may have talked to a seven-year-old before. There’s a difference. Conversation involves the mutual exchange of ideas. If you find yourself wiser upon engaging in verbal communication with a seven-year-old, you’re either a six-year-old or a fucking moron.

Which leads me to my next question. How could you possibly diagnose a seven-year-old with a learning disability when the symptoms double as a description of most children under nine.

© Sponge (Obtained from Wikimedia)

Allow me to explain, the symptoms of ADHD as listed on WebMD are as follows:

  • Difficulty paying attention to details and tendency to make careless mistakes in school or other activities; producing work that is often messy and careless.
  • Easily distracted by irrelevant stimuli and frequently interrupting ongoing tasks to attend to trivial noises or events that are usually ignored by others
  • Inability to sustain attention on tasks or activities
  • Difficulty finishing schoolwork or paperwork or performing tasks that require concentration
  • Frequent shifts from one uncompleted activity to another
  • Procrastination
  • Disorganized work habits
  • Forgetfulness in daily activities (for example, missing appointments, forgetting to bring lunch)
  • Failure to complete tasks such as homework or chores
  • Frequent shifts in conversation, not listening to others, not keeping one’s mind on conversations, and not following details or rules of activities in social situations

Hmmm, that sounds awfully similar to every single seven-year-old ever. “Failure to complete tasks such as homework or chores”???

Let me get one thing straight. I didn’t do my homework or chores because I was seven. Seven-year-olds don’t give a fuck, as they lack a fuck to give. I certainly didn’t start doing either of those things once I was forced to start taking Ritalin every morning, and I’m pretty sure the only seven year olds who did care about that stuff were the ones getting their asses kicked by their schoolmates.

Moral of the story: make your kids get stoned when they’re young. That way it won’t be the cool thing to do when they get older.

This post brought to you by the letter weed.

3 Comments

Could Rick Perry’s ‘Strong’ Ad be More Predictable?

Rick Perry promises war on homosexuals and religious freedom

Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub



I knew I had to write something about this after seeing it. However, Ed Darrell expresses the same sentiments as mine with regard to Perry better, and in fewer words (and expletives), than I could. Which I appreciate, as now I may focus on making fun of him.

This ad will re-define the boundaries of political satire this election cycle. It reads like a Saturday Night Live parody of a Bush 2000 campaign ad. That is to say, Rick Perry is the exaggerated manifestation of Bush.

Here’s a quote from the video, to which I shall respond humorously.

…you don’t need to be in the pew every Sunday to know there’s something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military but our kids can’t openly celebrate Christmas or pray in school.

Actually, Rick, I believe you do. [Insert rimshot here]. In fact, church every Sunday is merely one condition that must be met in order to ‘know’ that. The others – if I’m not mistaken – include KKK meetings every Friday night, and a propensity toward male prostitutes and/or giving blow-jobs to strangers in airport bathrooms.

That’s all I got for now. I’ll update this if I think of any other jokes. I’m sure I will.

Be sure to check out Ed Darrell’s blog, Millard Fillmore’s Bathtub. He’s got heaps of other interesting posts.

1 Comment
Medical Cannabis Blog

Growing Medicinal Cannabis in Spain

poet4justicedotwordpressdotcom

The poet can reach where the sun cannot. -HINDU PROVERBThe greatest WordPress.com site in all the land!

one cool site

WordPress blogging tips tools & tutorials

The Factory

Pop Culture with a Side of Life

Fun girls live better!

The world can be amazing when you are slightly … strange!

HarsH ReaLiTy

My goal with this blog is to offend everyone in the world at least once with my words… so no one has a reason to have a heightened sense of themselves. We are all ignorant, we are all found wanting, we are all bad people sometimes.

silkroadcollector.me

An International company that offers private antique art sales to clients around the globe.

Traveling Thane Furrows

Sharing Seeds of Benevolence, One Step at a Time.

Alina's Scentsy Scents

scentsy scents, an honest opinion about fragrances

The Baggage Handler

Smile! You’re at the best WordPress.com site ever

Pied Type

Old editors never die, they just revert to type

Give me 5 minutes a day and I'll give you a happier, more successful life!

ideas for success in relationships, career, happiness, health, wealth. Awkward grammar. Some jokes thrown in for fun

Pressed Words

An Amsterdam Lifestyle Blog

RapStop.com

Your Daily Stop For Hip Hop

Ben's Bitter Blog

"We make bitter better."

charlottecarrendar

~Weaving Words in her Web~

The Better Man Project

The world needs better men. This blog is simply my journey to becoming a better man every day and the lessons I learn along the way.

Daily Thoughts

Musings of author EW Greenlee

The Writings of Larry D. Bernstein

Personified by the Writings of an Over-Functioning Pothead

Groundswell

Writings On Media, Culture, Nature, and Community.

weaklyshortstories

Just another WordPress.com site

FootPrints of Her Pointed-Toes...

Blog by Tayme Canencia ... "Every step I make leads me to your heart..."

macarthurparks's Blog

Try to think more than your everyday whore!

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 113 other followers

%d bloggers like this: