I don't understand why we have all these shows about cake. Okay, maybe there aren't that many. But there's "Cake Boss" on TLC and then there's another one called "Cake Wars" or something like that. And isn't there a show about little people who make fancy cakes? Or chocolate? Or something? Now, I don't have anything against cake. I love cake. That's the problem. I'm trying to avoid eating lovely, delicious, and totally horrible for me things like cake. Those stupid cake shows just make me hungry.
I know, I know, I don't have to watch them, and I don't. I don't even usually watch the previews for them because pretty much the only thing I watch on TLC anymore is "19 Kids and Counting" and that's usually recorded because it's on at the same time as "NCIS," so I can skip the commercials. But I don't understand why the good people at TLC imagine that we want to watch one show about cake, let alone several. I do have to give them props on the little-people-who-either-make-cakes-or-chocolate show, though, because they've managed to combine two of their favorite show topics (dessert and little people) into one.
I really don't know where TLC's head is at these days. Besides cakes, little people, and the Duggars, they don't seem to have much. Friday nights are okay, with "Say Yes to the Dress" and "What Not to Wear," but if I tune in on the weekends, they're generally showing a marathon of true crime shows. I suppose it could be worse. There aren't nearly as many "5000 pound woman" or "The Man With No Face" specials as there used to be, and they seem to have gotten rid of that show about the motorcycle guys. But last week I saw a preview announcing the return of "Kate Plus Eight." I honestly don't know what these people are thinking.
Back in the day, TLC was awesome. They used to have an hour of "Forensic Files" or whatever it was called every afternoon. I can't tell you how many math assignments I got done while watching that show. On Tuesdays there was "Urban Legends," which is quite possibly one of the best TV shows ever made. Heaven knows why they decided people would rather watch cakes. And then, if you were really lucky, you could catch one of the early Duggar specials (which were way more fun to watch than their weekly show) or one of those "Kids By the Dozen" shows. Even the "Wacky Wedding" shows you sometimes got stuck with were better than 75% of what's on TLC nowadays.
You know, when I think about it, I think it was Jon and Kate who ruined TLC. Well, them and the Duggars, but Jon and Kate had a weekly show first. Those guys gave TLC the idea that we like to watch weird people who are pretending to be normal people. But the thing is, we don't. We watch Jon and Kate and the Duggars because they are Complete. Train. Wrecks. Unless those cake-baking little people are going to cause some scandal which turns into a media circus, well, then they're just little people who bake cakes, and that's boring. If only they could find a huge family of little people who have a set of sextuplets and bake cakes. That might actually be absurd enough to work.
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Generation Me at its Finest
I really like Art History. I don't really like my Art History professor. He's boring, he generally seems to have no idea what he's talking about, and he's completely incapable of ending class on time. Oh, and he accused two of my friends of cheating. That bothered me a little.
But I don't have an issue with his tests. They're always fifty multiple choice questions, which he puts up on the projector. We fill in the answers on bubble sheets. He leaves each question up for about a minute, and then it's gone. If you don't know the answer, or you realize later that your answer is wrong, that's too bad for you. It might not be the way I would do it, but he's the professor and he gets to decide how he wants to run his class.
Yesterday someone emailed the entire class, encouraging those of us who are "concerned with how our understanding of this class is being evaluated" to complain to the department. The emailer believes that this professor's method of testing "forces conformity" and is not suitable for testing "individuals with varying needs."
This email generated several responses. A few agreed, a few basically said, "eh, it's not so bad," and one person went on an even more impassioned rant than the original emailer, saying that we are being "unfairly evaluated" and "our voices have NOT been heard." Finally, one person said they had emailed the department chair and they encouraged others to do so as well.
This isn't the first we've heard of these grievances. After the first test, the professor asked for feedback. One girl asked if we could have a list of possible topics for test questions. Someone else brought up the issue of not being able to go back and change our answers. The professor listened, but basically said he felt the way he did things was reasonable and he wasn't going to change.
I don't know any of the complaining emailers, but I'd bet money they're all under thirty. This is one of the finest examples of "Generation Me" in action that I've ever seen. I've spent plenty of time complaining about and making fun of this professor, but if I wasn't doing well in the class (and for what it's worth, I may not be doing as well as I'd like, but I'm doing fine) I would assume it was because I wasn't studying hard enough, not because the testing method was "unfair" and wasn't "meeting my individual needs."
So here is what I would like to say to the Art History emailers: Yes, you are an individual, but when you are in class with 150 other people you're going to have to give up just a little of that individuality. Deal with it. This is college. College is hard. If you want to do well, you have to come to class, take notes, pay attention, and study. Unless you're really, really dim, this should earn you a decent grade. If emailing the entire class and complaining to the department makes you feel better, go right ahead, but if the department has any sense they'll side with the professor. This class, college, and the world are not all about you.
Oh, and the rest of us are laughing at you.
But I don't have an issue with his tests. They're always fifty multiple choice questions, which he puts up on the projector. We fill in the answers on bubble sheets. He leaves each question up for about a minute, and then it's gone. If you don't know the answer, or you realize later that your answer is wrong, that's too bad for you. It might not be the way I would do it, but he's the professor and he gets to decide how he wants to run his class.
Yesterday someone emailed the entire class, encouraging those of us who are "concerned with how our understanding of this class is being evaluated" to complain to the department. The emailer believes that this professor's method of testing "forces conformity" and is not suitable for testing "individuals with varying needs."
This email generated several responses. A few agreed, a few basically said, "eh, it's not so bad," and one person went on an even more impassioned rant than the original emailer, saying that we are being "unfairly evaluated" and "our voices have NOT been heard." Finally, one person said they had emailed the department chair and they encouraged others to do so as well.
This isn't the first we've heard of these grievances. After the first test, the professor asked for feedback. One girl asked if we could have a list of possible topics for test questions. Someone else brought up the issue of not being able to go back and change our answers. The professor listened, but basically said he felt the way he did things was reasonable and he wasn't going to change.
I don't know any of the complaining emailers, but I'd bet money they're all under thirty. This is one of the finest examples of "Generation Me" in action that I've ever seen. I've spent plenty of time complaining about and making fun of this professor, but if I wasn't doing well in the class (and for what it's worth, I may not be doing as well as I'd like, but I'm doing fine) I would assume it was because I wasn't studying hard enough, not because the testing method was "unfair" and wasn't "meeting my individual needs."
So here is what I would like to say to the Art History emailers: Yes, you are an individual, but when you are in class with 150 other people you're going to have to give up just a little of that individuality. Deal with it. This is college. College is hard. If you want to do well, you have to come to class, take notes, pay attention, and study. Unless you're really, really dim, this should earn you a decent grade. If emailing the entire class and complaining to the department makes you feel better, go right ahead, but if the department has any sense they'll side with the professor. This class, college, and the world are not all about you.
Oh, and the rest of us are laughing at you.
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