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Aug-30-2006 01:51

I heart stupidity. When you see it, post it here. I'll start.

Some of you know that I've do some teaching of first year sociology students in university. I really enjoy it, and love my students, but -GAWD- grading their work is a nightmare.

Through the course of a year, they have to write short essays on a range of topics ---feminism, Karl Marx, education, Freud, crime, etc. I feel kinda guilty laughing at these because of course they are writing under extreme pressure, but holy bobo I find them funny! Every so often, they write something so frickin' hysterical that it makes me gag laughing. These fleeting gems, I collect. Thought y'all might get a kick out of some of them.

Here we go. (nb, all typos and grammar boo boos are theirs from here on, not mine)

"Education is not really as old as many people think. It all came about in
the 1960s when the Russians were more advanced with outerspace."

"There is no evidence of women in society until the late 1990s"

"Freud is the classic theory of gender he believes the boy has the penis the girl has the clitoris simple as that"

"Freud said that a boy who plays too many dolls might be a p_ssy in later life"

"Feminists think women are the lowest of the low"

"Education is bias it only works for children who come from families where the parents are rich white and male"

"Hitlar believed in the destroying the Jews, however, his dictation only lasted until he was alive, after it was forgotten."

"Weber saw society from his eyes"

"someone from the low class is no good to us. we don't see them as nonsuccessful. That is because of sociology"

"Max Weber is a known and accredited sociologist"

"All around us in our society it is, said to be all around us these 'bureacracy' for example God is higher than Jeesus. The boss."

Jan-18-2007 01:38

Okay, so another round of happy happy student grading is in the books.

This time, they were asked questions about gender and sexuality. Usually this provides for mucho hilarity. But either they've gotten slightly smarter or I'm just kinda not paying as much attention.


Anyways, here's the 'stupid' gems du jour. My comments in (parentheses) :

"For example there is a stereotype that a gay man is an interior decorator, this is wrong. A lesbian can also be an interior decorator." (SWEET! DO THESE DRAPES MAKE ME LOOK BUTCH?)

"Those who cannot adequately handle their gender are often coined as homosexual and give off a homosexual appearance" (*throws a fistful of quarters at the 'Queer Eye' sound stage*)

"In today's society men cannot ever obtain the position of a secretary while women cannot very often obtain the position of President of the United States.
(Screw you, my dad was all man and he was a secretary.)

(For context's sake, these next two are from the same, gifted guy, and Church Street is kind of the centre of Toronto's Gay Village):

"Society has set great stereotypes of homosexuals for example homosexuals are bald to very little hair, have tattoos, piercing the right ear and fat. People who also aren't very psychically involved but more of a person who likes act, cleaning and music etc, therefore there are many guys who appreciate the following but they don't just take it, they aren't homosexuals. Instead, these are refeered to as 'bisexuals'. Categories are wrong, sociologically."

"When holding hands of a person of same sex on Church Street, Downtown Toronto seems okay it might not be the same at University of Toronto campus. There, the likelihood of experiencing homosexual relationships is far lower than on Church Street. (if holding hands counts as sexual relations I really need to get with the belt-notching. And phone my mom about something that happened in 1979)

(more)

Jan-18-2007 01:43

...
"people assume that if a person's sexuality is either male or female that they should act in either a masculine or feminine manner repetitively it should not stop and people who will defy their gender role are perceived to be mentally ill."

"Straight people don't have a good gaydar like homosexual lesbians do."

And the best of 07 (so far)

Men bring home the bacon for the family. Then, women nurture it"

(Everything's better with a little pork)

Jan-18-2007 05:56

ah my favorite thread, and the things I have to deal with everyday. Thank you Crunch

Jan-18-2007 06:05

I'd love to respond in depth, but I've got to go nurture my man's bacon.

Jan-20-2007 05:35

I was just reading a story today about a divorcing couple who both refuse to leave their house (I guess they also own another house 2 doors down). Well, the judge ordered that a dividing wall be put up inside the house they are sharing dividing the house in two. I guess the divorce has been going on for 2 years.

And yes, I am an insomniac who has nothing better to do at nearly 5 a.m.

Jan-20-2007 14:14

crunchpatty, those comments are from UNIVERSITY students?! Knowing me I would've written smart-arse comments all over their papers. I guess that's why I was highly unpopular in creative writing...

Jan-20-2007 14:32

Ranier's movie theatre comment got me going.
My first job EVER: AMC 24 at Concord Mills Mall, Concord, NC. That's 24 movie screens in a mall that was NC's (and probably still is) NC's #1 tourist attraction. I worked there for exactly 3 years.

"What time does the 2:30 show of such and such start?" - As Ranier stated, it DOES happen all the time.

"How long does it take to walk to the theatre?" LoL.

Customer:"What is Brother Bear?"
Me: "A movie...."
Customer: "....."
Me: *turns off microphone and walks away* LoL.

"Do you accept Federal Reserve Notes?" [That's a one-dollar bill]

Me (taking tickets): "That will be in House 1, first theatre on your left."
Customer: *nods*
Me: *smiles*
Customer: "Where is the movie?"
Me: *walks away*

eeyores_lost_tail: I remember seeing the news a few years back where a couple divorced and the husband didn't want to give up the house to he LITERALLY split the house in two. The wife sued and she probably won... too funny.

Also, has anyone seen the portion of Blue Comedy Tour with Bill Engvall doing "Here's Your Sign"? Perfect example of stupid people.

Great thread crunchpatty!

Jan-20-2007 20:25

Pseudo, if it was me, I would give up the house...lol. I can't believe people can get into that mess. It's just a house but I guess some people want to be vengeful. I would just want to be done with it all. I like to cut my loses and move on. I know it isn't easy - I had to do it not that long ago because the person took more than they were giving - the classic "fair-weather" friend. Sad thing is, I am sure it's *my* fault...lol

Jan-21-2007 05:07

Yeah, I don't understand how people can get into such messes. But I'm still quite young yet.

Jan-29-2007 07:36

email:

1. AT&T fired President John Walter after nine months, saying he lacked intellectual leadership. He received a $26 million severance package. Perhaps it's not Walter who's lacking intelligence.

2. Police in Oakland , CA spent two hours attempting to subdue a gunman who had barricaded himself inside his home. After firing ten tear gas canisters, officers discovered that the man was standing beside them in the police line, shouting, "Please come out and give yourself up."

3. An Illinois man, pretending to have a gun, kidnapped a motorist and forced him to drive to two different automated teller machines, wherein the kidnapper proceeded to withdraw money from his own bank accounts.

4. A man walked into a Topeka , Kansas Kwik Stop and asked for all the money in the cash drawer. Apparently, the take was too small, so he tied up the store clerk and worked the counter himself for three hours until police showed up and grabbed him.

5. Police in Los Angeles had good luck with a robbery suspect who just couldn't control himself during a lineup. When detectives asked each man in the lineup to repeat the words: "Give me all your money or I'll shoot", the man shouted, "that's not what I said!".

6. A man spoke frantically into the phone: "My wife is pregnant and her contractions are only two minutes apart". "Is this her first child?" the doctor asked. "No!" the man shouted, "This is her husband!"

7. In Modesto, CA , Steven Richard King was arrested for trying to hold up a Bank of America branch without a weapon. King used a thumb and a finger to simulate a gun. Unfortunately, he failed to keep his hand in his pocket.