For many, ‘mean girl’ practice starts early
The girl came home from school upset. A classmate had called her names. Told her everyone hated her. Said she couldn’t sit with the others at lunch. The other girls all went along with it.
Such “mean girl’’ behavior is not new. Girl-on-girl cruelty has long been the subject of books, TV shows, and movies about tween and teen girls.
But this girl was 7 years old.
I've seen bits and pieces of this with BabyGirl G., actually. "You can't be friends with [person X] because they're not friends with me." "If you do/don't do [whatever], I won't be your friend". In first freakin' grade. But this isn't what I mean.
You're never going to believe where they place the blame...
Some believe that the popularity of shows such as “Gossip Girl’’ and the talk radio shout-fests that kids listen to from the back seat of the car have fanned the flames, which are spread face-to-face and through cyberspace.(emphasis mine)
Yes, you read that correctly. According to the Boston Globe, Rush Limbaugh is responsible for elementary school bullying. I think we're seeing an all-time low here - and, not to mention, the absolute reach of the decade. Talk radio is responsible for 7 year old girls excluding each other from recess games. Sean Hannity is responsible for girls being mean. Never mind the rash of "reality" shows where folks trash talk, stab each other in the back, and/or exclude others based on popularity; Michael Savage said something mean!
Ah, being liberal - obviously easier than thinking.
That is all.
7 comments:
Well they need to blame somebody because they wouldn't want to be accused of actually PARENTING!
Hell, girls have been doing that stuff since before radio was invented. It just comes with the estrogen. Being bitchy isn't anything new.
@BobG - Being mean isn't really anything new for boys or girls. My last name is a body part. Life sucked in school. I got through it. My brothers and sister got through it. My children have gotten through it.
@Jay - I blame it on Young Turk. Listening to him is enough to make anyone mean.
I struggle. My wife allows my step-daughter to watch the reality shows that air nothing but punks. I speak my mind on the issue but have lost the battle. She, herself, watches Kardashans (sp?) and that stupid show with Molly Ringwald (something American teenager where every talk is about "I want to have sex but I don't think we should yet, blah blah blah"). It's all crap but I've got no say in the issue.
Huh. Interesting hypothesis. Of course, my Rush Limbaugh-loving 8-year-old is one of the sweetest girls in the school, and none of the little twerps who are constantly mean to her listen to talk radio.
Like BobG said, that crap has been going on forever. There's always the chance that the kids who bullied me back in elementary school stole a few stereos, but actually listen to talk radio on them? Ah, no.
Well, I think the Boston Globe is responsible for kids being f*cking idiots, so there.
The talk shows might be more along the lines of the 'new music' station's morning blather.
I'd assume most # year olds would find a lot of politics to be boring- I sure did.
But my two cents is just that.
...sorry for double-post. Just reread and saw it specifically said TALK radio.
Brain fart, sorry.
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