Seriously people, seriously.
I went on Amazon to check out prices for The Rainbow Fish. I plan to give it to my cousin for her baby. It's a book for toddlers, but I have a feeling this child is going to be reading at, I dunno, six months of age or something. Might as well send it now. It was a personal favorite of mine when I was little, so I was excited.
Then I got to wondering whether they would even like the book. I tend to stress a lot when it comes to anything involving them. They seem so...conscientious? I dunno. For instance, I worry about buying pink baby clothes or something with princesses on it. Will they be offended at the whole gender role stuff? Mom and I are careful not to make God or blessing references, though it's really hard. Even addressing cards to them is weird. I WAY overthink it.
Anyway, I checked out the reviews. Shocked that there were almost as many one-star reviews as five-star, I started reading the one-star reviews. These people are ruining a perfectly good book. I can totally see where they get each one of their arguments, but they still piss me off. They worry that the book is encouraging people to hate their uniqueness and try to be like everyone else.
Okay. Seriously? Yes, I understand that everyone is a unique snowflake and can be whatever they want to be when they grow up, blah blah blah. But, at some point, kids also need to get the message that they need to shut the fuck up about themselves and be a nice person. I think tons of people could benefit from that. Besides, I'm pretty sure the book specifies that the fish is vain and proud at the beginning of the book. So it's okay to be vain and proud if you're special? It's okay to horde your blessings because you're awesome? Man, why didn't anyone tell me this sooner? Also, someone get cracking on re-making the Spiderman movies, because apparently great responsibility doesn't come with great power. Apparently great power comes with the right to be bitchy.
Then Blake suggested that maybe my cousin would appreciate the sentiment. I after all, I did only want to give it to them because it was one of my favorites as a child. Thank goodness I have him around.
Addendum: If I ever needed an argument to prove that I'm not an Objectivist, just a Rand fan, this entry would be a part of it.
Then I got to wondering whether they would even like the book. I tend to stress a lot when it comes to anything involving them. They seem so...conscientious? I dunno. For instance, I worry about buying pink baby clothes or something with princesses on it. Will they be offended at the whole gender role stuff? Mom and I are careful not to make God or blessing references, though it's really hard. Even addressing cards to them is weird. I WAY overthink it.
Anyway, I checked out the reviews. Shocked that there were almost as many one-star reviews as five-star, I started reading the one-star reviews. These people are ruining a perfectly good book. I can totally see where they get each one of their arguments, but they still piss me off. They worry that the book is encouraging people to hate their uniqueness and try to be like everyone else.
Okay. Seriously? Yes, I understand that everyone is a unique snowflake and can be whatever they want to be when they grow up, blah blah blah. But, at some point, kids also need to get the message that they need to shut the fuck up about themselves and be a nice person. I think tons of people could benefit from that. Besides, I'm pretty sure the book specifies that the fish is vain and proud at the beginning of the book. So it's okay to be vain and proud if you're special? It's okay to horde your blessings because you're awesome? Man, why didn't anyone tell me this sooner? Also, someone get cracking on re-making the Spiderman movies, because apparently great responsibility doesn't come with great power. Apparently great power comes with the right to be bitchy.
Then Blake suggested that maybe my cousin would appreciate the sentiment. I after all, I did only want to give it to them because it was one of my favorites as a child. Thank goodness I have him around.
Addendum: If I ever needed an argument to prove that I'm not an Objectivist, just a Rand fan, this entry would be a part of it.