I watch this video from the Jimmy Kimmel Show, and it encapsulates so many of my fears for my students.
- I’m afraid that they are growing up in a world with an African American President and legalized same sex marriage (two things I never thought I would see in my lifetime), and yet sexist, stupid, degrading beauty pageants like Miss America still exist and are watched by millions every year.
- I’m afraid that they might decide that competing in beauty pageants like Miss America is a worthwhile endeavor.
- I’m afraid that they might answer a question in the same inarticulate, imbecilic, and embarrassing fashion as our reigning Miss America.
- I’m afraid that they might answer a question in the same inarticulate, imbecilic, and embarrassing fashion as the people on the street who foolishly agreed to speak to Jimmy Kimmel’s producers.
- I’m afraid that they might become content creators who think that sticking a microphone in pedestrians’ faces and recording them speak like morons makes for interesting or amusing television.
This is why I work my students so hard and insist on making every minute of the school day as productive as possible. The last thing I want is to see one of them appear in a video like this in any capacity.
