First of all, the title sends a very strong statement that really explains what this whole book is about. Stereotypes. Stereotypes of how people are supposed to act and how they are supposed to be in our society. This is a family called the "Stupids" who do various activities that are not acceptable and do "stupid" things such as not being able to tell time, mows carpet instead of lawn, eats breakfast in the shower, eating with feet, making a dress with chickens, can't see in the dark so they must be dead. These are all examples that happen to the stupids throughout the story. The message of the story is show that if people do things in an unconventional way, you are stupid. It is hard for the general population or different groups of people to be acceptable of others that are different from them and do various activities in a different way. For example, some people may not have been born with arms, thus they do everything with their feet including eating, writing, cleaning, grooming etc. How can people judge that this person is stupid because he or she uses their feet instead of their hands. When the author used the example of the women making a dress out of chickens it made me laugh out loud. In our society it is acceptable to make fur coats and no one laughs at them. In fact, they are regarded as most likely having money and a higher social economic status. So isn't that the same as making a dress out of live chickens!? I thought that was a funny example that demonstrates how some of the ideas that are "normal" in our society, can be kind of messed up and "stupid" from another person's perspective.
I really enjoy your post and how you take "normal" American ideas that are funny to ideas that are "stupid." I personally think every individual, every family, every culture is different and we all don't do the same things. So maybe I brush my teeth in the shower or eat cereal with no milk, but that doesn't make me stupid or weird, it's just who I am. I wouldn't want to use this book in a classroom because of it's negativity and I wouldn't want to hurt the feelings of my students.
ReplyDeleteI never really thought about the points you presented in your post and how this book shows if you go against society's idea of "normal" your stupid. I have read these books before and never thought about the way they present being different as being stupid which I don't feel is a positive message for children. I agree with you that most of the actions done by the characters are just plain silly and funny but I just wonder why they chose to call them "the stupids"
ReplyDeleteI really liked the points you brought up. It's so surprising to me that a book like this even exists. The word "stupid" is one that parents try so hard to teach their children not to say. The problem with the word "stupid" is that children don't think it is a big deal or it means anything. To them it is just one more word in their vocabulary, and half the time they say it they don't really care what they are talking about. I think that it is crazy that this books is referring to some of life's simple, but possibly difficult to some, tasks. I completely agree with you and your response to this book.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree as well, and I had the same thought about “stupid” being a word that parents like to avoid. I could see children really taking the information in this book out of context and using that vocabulary in a very negative way. Also, when I read the title, it really shocked me. I thought at first the title was meant in an iron way and that the book was going to be about why you shouldn’t use that word, or how something isn’t stupid. The idea that something different or “silly” is offensive to me and seems to be going against what we try to tell kids everyday. I agree with you and would not want to use this book in my classroom!
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