Jan. 4, 2008 - how the "mainstream" sees us
A friend called last month to say that the late night show Jimmy Kimmel was going to perform a skit called "home school musical". I couldn't stay up that late but I went to youtube.com and typed in home school musical Jimmy Kimmel and I got to see it. It is meant to be funny and I got that. But the interesting thing is not only are they spoofing the Disney Channel hit movie high school musical but they showed some interesting ways that the world sees homeschoolers.
They have one boy sitting at a school room desk in the middle of the living room. He wants to go to prom and since he is "home" schooled he asks his mother but she says she's going with his brother. Then a fairy guidance counselor appears and makes his dad wear a dress and be his date. The interesting part is that they see home school through high school eyes. They think of homeschool kids as "nerds", "losers", can't find a date type of thing. Also that you only stay at home and recreate school, hence the desk. I know they are trying to be funny so not much thought went into it but it's amazing how hollywood and many people have no idea that for most homeschoolers popularity and the games of high school are not an issue.
Then, also on ABC, they had wifeswap this week. I admit that I love this show because they take two totally different families and put them together. This week was tempting because it was a homeschool family and they usually take some hard core people, which is fine, but again the show doesn't know enough to really portray things. This week it was a Quaker family and quakers are into simplicity. They had the mothers switch with a family that has an only child and spend 100,000 dollars a year for her to be in beauty pageants, do her homework for her, and give her a "Christmas" gift every year.
The beauty pageant mother couldn't believe that the homeschool student wanted to read, study science, and not dress in the latest fashions and be popular. (they said that they want their daughter to be popular in the local school). She even called the girl a "geek" and that it was bad that she studies in her room a lot. Isn't that the point of school? an education? Obviously not. Popularity and fitting in seem to be important to some parents. It's sad that "education" has been taken out of school and being studious is a bad thing. For her credit, the homeschool student didn't pay attention to the woman and said she didn't see much value in anything she tried to teach them that week.
I just found it interesting that we are portrayed as nerds and outcasts. The pageant family (I'm just calling them that, but I don't have anything against pageants just how they thought of education and spoiling their daughter - she couldn't even handle any chores or responsibilities on the way they raised her) also said that the popular people make it in the world. Funny since most interviews of "succesful" people say that they were outcasts, or felt that way, in school. Bill Gates was a nerd.
I could go on forever but lastly I'd like to say that I want my children to learn in an anxiety less environment. Not so concerned about fitting in that they can't learn because it's not cool, or only doing the minimum so they can pass and go on to something else in the future. I saw students pressured to get good grades from parents but not caring about the learning or even real meaningful projects I had assigned (like interviewing thier families, most said they never see their parents). Or I had kids who it was way too uncool to study so they didn't even if their parents wanted them to. Plus, I'm not the most in shape person but my dream was to do a triatholon. If I had tried in high school everyone would have laughed at me and teased me. Yet, most adults, once out of the crazy "popularity" contest, are supportive and nice. EVeryone cheered for me, I was one of the last competitors, and yelled go "515". That is real life. Not high school!
I'd love to hear others comments! And P.S,, look for homeschool TV show on youtube.com I"m going to start making and producing our own very informative TV interviews and shows (only 5 - 10 minutes) so the world can see who we really are - diverse and real!
