2008 National Spelling Bee- Numbnut?

this isnt a racist statement but whats with brown/indian kids and the spelling bee? lol

 

This was one of the few times I have seen someone say "this isn't racist but..." and it wasn't racist.

 

you know what the population of india is?

 

I made the same facial expression as the kid when the announcer said the word the first time - like wtf?

I think he won the whole thing too.

 

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/G2nTbqbtGug&hl=en"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/G2nTbqbtGug&hl=en" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

NSFW and if the indian thing isin't racist then this is. Thought of it as soon as I saw the first video.

...Pretty funny though.

 

I hate spelling bees with a passion. It's like ruining your kids by making them study something that

(A)has absolutely no practical value when they become an adult.

and

(B)is not fun at all.

At least going to classes for dancing/music/art/sports do something for the well-being of the kid... but I can't see any redeeming value in memorizing the spelling of every single word, especially in today's society.

 

maybe some kids find it fun. you dont know that. to some people, math is fun.

 

It is a form of competition. That in itself can be very rewarding to anybody.

 

$35k in cash don't hurt neither.

 

they do find it fun. who are we to judge. we waste time discussing random trades that wont ever happen and create a 40 page thread bout it...while they study random words from the dictionary.

 

Some do find it fun...kids that like scrabble and stuff. Haven't you seen Akeelah and the Bee? She fell in love with spelling after her daddy died...lol.....

 

I watched the end of the spelling bee. I was captivated by the little nerds... i feel so dirty.

 

Now, if they really do enjoy it, then I'd have no problems. But I really can't see it for those competing at the national level.

I know there's a lot of stuff we do that are inane. But memorizing the spelling of words is just too repetitive a task to be done for "fun". If it isn't, there'd be "spelling clubs" and everything at schools. Lord knows it won't hurt our kids to actually handwrite something without making a bunch of spelling mistakes.

Of course, if I'm totally wrong here, and it is possible to fall in love with flipping though dictionary to learn new words to spell(not understand, but simply spell the word), then I retract my statement. But I just can't see it.

 

I saw this live on the weekend. I agree with meh about the points he made, but don't hate spelling bees with a passion. I did like the movie Akillah and the Bee, though.

I'll find you a good divorce lawyer. Sorry, E, you had a good run, brother.

 

Believe it or not people do spell for fun, but it's not their livlihood, they do it because they are geniuses and can, and it will get them to do bigger and better things. The people who end up at the national level will become doctors, scientists, engineers, etc.

And it's $35k in scholarship money. That's pretty cushy since these kids will probably already get a scholarship anyway to prestigious universities.

 

Ha he was watching it with me and he kept telling me to change it. I know secretly he liked it too. I liked to see the kids dreams crushed when they heard the ding!

 

I think asking why there are so many Asian Indians (I differentiate for board members who think that Indians are Native Americans) in Spelling Bees is a valid question. I also think that knowing the population of India has nothing to do with it- it's more about the U.S. population of Asian Indians versus the percentage of Asian Indians in spelling bees. It's probably very lopsided, thus the question- why are there so many Asian Indians in spelling bees?

I'm white, so I can only answer as far as I know, but from what I know of Asian Indian culture, their parents really push them to do well in school and exceed in college and finally a career. It's probably also why there are such a high percentage of Indian MDs (An Indian MD friend of mine explained it to me this way). Sadly, this kind of parental push is something that has kind of gone to the wayside for Americans that have been here for generations.

 

It's because they get arranged marriages! They get to study while the rest of us try to hook up with someone! Lucky!

 

I used to do spelling bees - never quite made it to the national level though. I didn't get a particular thrill out of spelling; it was just a way to use something I was already good at and try to compete/ win something with it. At the lower levels where they just used the words from the little study guide they give out, it's not bad - you can go through and learn all those - but past that it's just the dictionary, and I did not have the patience for that.

I don't watch them on TV. I would feel so much for the kids being under such pressure every time they go up there. It's single-elimination - one mistake and you're out.