Regarding his recent VMA's performance Adam Lambert recently remarked -
there was a lot of "adult material on the AMAs this year" — including Lady Gaga smashing whiskey bottles and Janet Jackson grabbing a man's crotch — and it's up to "parents to discern what their child is watching."
Wow, that's a really cool concept there, Adam. Parents...parenting...? Taking full responsibility for their children? Why it seems so absurd. What with nearly 2 generations raised by television sets, vcr's and video games, one could hardly expect such a thing.
Seems to me that it's okay to let the VCR/DVD player raise your child, if your child popped out of that little door in the front of that video contraption or slid out on the black plastic tray like a little "disc of joy".
They shouldn't see that stuff on television when they could be engaged in wholesome activities like killing people and blowing shit up on their PS3's. Or absorb the delightful tutelage of Bart Simpson in the art of addressing adults or better yet feed their brains a little more "South Park".
So shame on you Adam Lambert! Shame...
I will never forget the mandatory teacher's meeting I attended as a faculty member at a high school in Atlanta following the Columbine tragedy. The faculty was berated and criticised ad nauseum in an attempt to "inspire" us all to do a better job - great reverse psychology there. I watched esteemed colleagues cry as their spirits sank in despair having their abilities scrutinized over an incident that occured some 1,400 or so miles away. Mind you, we weren't shaken enough by the actual incident - nope, what we needed was a good stern "talking to" to ward off the evil spirits, lest they come to visit our little hamlet.
After the emotional, irate (short for irrational, mind you) parents were finished, the administrators picked over the carcasses of the wounded and dying spirits of the faculty's crestfallen.
And then, with only minutes left in the nearly 2 hour proceedings, we were asked if any one had anything to say? Not one of my fellow faculty members budged; so rattled and fearful.
But I did. For them. As a contractual teacher in a school with far-too-few teachers, I had nothing to lose. I said, and I proudly and vehemently repeat...
"Yes. I can solve this problem right now. It's simple. Parents, go home and raise your children. With manners and respect. Make them do their school work. Pay attention to them when they're at home, because that is not my job!"
I can say with 110% certainty that I gave a safe haven for kids to learn and grow whenever they were in my care, regardless of their manners, lack of respect, whether their parents were absent, over-bearing or just good helpful team members, etc. But that singular incident was the end of my desire to teach, even the most wonderful children, for irresponsible beaurocrats and ungrateful parents (often children themselves, posing as parents).
So shame on Adam Lambert? How about shame on you if you didn't exercise the right to change channels if you or your child was watching and didn't want to watch or shouldn't have! If you don’t like him don’t buy his music.
I think it a great tragedy that we, as a people, have lost the ability, respect and understanding of good, healthy debate. After all, it’s so much easier to attack. I so look forward to living in a nation of grown-ups some day - hope it happens soon!
