(Untitled)

[libiamo]

The other day I was sat watching Maury Povich before work, when my dad came in looking smug. He sat down and began reading Stephen King's "Cell", clearly feeling superior to his pedestrian, TV-watching daughter. After a few minutes I glance over at him and we make eye contact, at which point he says the most patronising thing I've ever heard: "You

Comments

Silly Parents

[billybizzle]

My parents fell into the "you should read more" trap when I hit the early teenage years. Eventually I stopped trying to convince them that on a whole I was processing more information in a day than they did in a week due to the massive amount of material I read on the internet and just started to agree with them, which infuriates them even more. The whole "you should read" argument seems to imply that if you aren't obtaining fictional entertainment from a book, then you are just wasting brain cells. While I believe that it is important for younger children to read, so as to extend their imaginations while it is still possible, currently I would much rather prefer to have a wealth of information regarding current events across a wide range of subjects in order to further social interaction.

Re: Silly Parents

[libiamo]

I like to read the Time magazine website at work instead of working.

Disproportionate Response

[shimmeringwang]

You know, you could've responded: "I do read. By the way, I was meaning to ask you- you know, since you read so much- what do you think about The Unbearable Lightness of Being? I'm sure you've read it, since you 'read.'"

This usually works better than holier-than-thou hissy-fits. Usually. Just make him look stupid (especially in comparison to you) whilst (<---British!!) keeping a straight face, and he'll probably learn his lesson.

Also, it's hilarious that you're calling your dad patronising, for two reasons:

1) You spelled it with an s, instead of a z. Haha, that never fails to get me gigglin'.

2) Two paragraphs later, you make fun of him for "just" reading a Stephen King. You even refer to it as "his little Stephen King."

Man, I must be in a bad mood or something, because this wasn't supposed to sound so haughty and critical. Maybe I'm just mad everybody's getting laid except me?

Wang

Re: Disproportionate Response

[libiamo]

I always get mad at my dad, something about him just grinds my gears. It's an instinctive reaction.

I'm sure Stephen King is very nice and all, but in my opinion he is a lot more accessible and less intimidating than an author like Jean Paul Satre. No offence to King, I just rank him lower when I am considering what books will make me look intelligent and unapproachable.

I don't think you sounded haughty and critical, but you ought to get laid so we can talk about it and giggle like schoolgirls.

[strategery]

You forgot to say who gave you the Tolstoy book as a gift. His name starts with D and ends with e.

[libiamo]

I originally did, but then I thought it would seem like I was showing off or something. Anyway, I would have explained that it was required reading for college, so it wouldn't have made you look any smarter.

[bigdmcgee]

Yes, but have you read Pet Cemetery? I know it's a cliche, but the movie really doesn't do the book justice. King really got ripped off that year by the hacks at the Booker, that wanted to send a "message" with "Life and Times of Micheal K". I wish the guys that vote on awards like the Booker would stick basing awards on literary merit, and leave promoting social justice to Maury Povich.