For the Sake of Science

Remember that asshole dad from a few months ago? He tried to teach his daughter the value of a dollar by idiotically destroying wealth with a bullet through a laptop before telling everyone on the Internet that the child he supposedly loves is lazy and ungrateful – then he told her she needs to get a job. (Who wouldn’t want to hire her now, amirite?) I presume once the camera was off he attempted to show her the need for hard work by having his maid clean up his mess. It was all pretty pathetic, illogical, counter-productive, and was little more than a display of immaturity from someone who is having a hard time dealing with being a parent in the first place. Yet everyone loved it. There’s something about saying “fuck you” to young people that gives people their jollies. I presume some of it is frustration, some of it jealousy, some of it arrogance, but who knows. People love being dicks when dealing with youth. Just read what Northland College principal John Tapene said:

It starts out okay – there’s plenty to do and there’s value in acquiring skills and basic work experience – but it goes downhill quickly. It’s true that no town owes its teen population any entertainment (though it is probably in its interest), and parents aren’t obligated to provide their kids with fun (though the goods ones will play sports and games and activities with their children), but then we get into some horseshit. How is it that no ones owes teenagers anything yet they owe the world everything they can provide? “Sit down, shut the fuck up, do what I say, and like it. And if you dissent at all, then fuck you more, you fucking cry baby!” That doesn’t even begin to make sense.

I think the point Tapene wanted to make was that people as past their prime as he is don’t have the same great potential teenagers do. He wanted to inspire. The only problem is that he couldn’t resist insulting his audience by being a general dick. It’s sort of like what I did in the first sentence of this paragraph where I took a dig at Tapene for his age. The difference is that I’m not trying to inspire him.

But, hey, maybe there’s more to this story. Tapene weighs in further:

However, the tragic truth is that, who is going to teach the young person to cook, to start a lawn mower, to study productively, to wash windows and so on. Instead we adults prefer to push them to one side and tell them to ‘entertain themselves’.

Not only is he a bit of an asshole, he’s an incoherent asshole. “Get out there and find something to do, kids! We don’t owe you shit! By the way, my fellow adults, don’t we owe them something?” Surely there’s an explanation for this overt contradiction? Perhaps:

I think this statement speaks not so much of a youth issue but a call for adult role models to stand up, to teach, lead and demonstrate, to live and lead radically a life fueled by a kingdom vision. Where we all use our talents and time to bring heaven to earth, to partner in God’s mission of the restoration of His creation unto Himself.

Oh. He’s a Christian. That doesn’t explain the assholery, but I at least understand the lack of consistency.

I really wish people would stop spreading these shitty memes.

Filed under: Misc | Tagged: John Tapene, Northland, Northland College, Teenagers |