Oprah Winfrey: kids in U.S. don't appreciate value of free education

[moomies]

oh hey by the way, I studied anthropology...not forensic or physical anthro though, that grossed me out too much. I took one class and the prof started talking about corpeses and bugs eating flesh etc and had a nightmare that night...but good luck to you LHRB. It is an interesting and useful field.

[o0Amber0o]

Originally Posted by moomies

oh hey by the way, I studied anthrology...not forensic or physical anthro though, that grossed me out too much. I took one class and the prof started talking about corpeses and bugs eating flesh etc and had a nightmare that night...but good luck to you LHRB. It is an interesting and useful field.

The forensic anthro class at my community college, the professor required students to do a project on road kill in which they actually had to go find a dead animal somewhere and study the decaying process.

Talk about nightmare.

[Natee471]

Oprah can do whatever she wants with her money. But how can you be critical of the materialism of young people in the inner city when YOUR show often promotes materialism? She once spoke about when she was a child, all she wanted was a polaroid camera. That camera is now today's ipod.

If she wants to help the children in the inner city, she needs to start with the parents. Oprah is materialistic, and a philantropist whose decided that American children only care about money. Not how to obtain it. To lump all the inner-city children of America together and say they are beyond help doesn't equate to the truth.

Oprah showing off her material excess, giving away CARS, and people lining up around the block to get on her show because they think that they are going to get some fabulous gift. (Which consists of overpriced, frivilous luxury items) If inner city children have no appreciation for education in favor of instant gratification, then where does Oprah think this comes from? She's flossing and showing off what she's got but complaining that inner city children are "too materialistic?"

Oprah needs to sit her ass down on this issue.

Her show, MTV cribs, Pimp My Ride, Ballers online showing off their homes, vs. letting these children see and understand all of the sacrifice and hard work it takes to get these material things. They do not see the nexus between the hard work, many hours of difficult taxing problems being overcome. What they see is the final product.

That is why I like the movie 'Pursuit of Happyness' and how they ended it. People want to see Chris Gardner enjoy the spoils of his labor, but that wasn't the point of the movie. The point was to show EXACTLY the hard times, the hard work, the disclipine and the sacrifice Gardner made in order to pursue his goals in life.

The inner city kids don't understand this and we as the adult generation have failed to teach it. Oprah is a part of the problem she speaks on.

The children can only do what they see the adults around them do. If the adults around them don't value education, why should they? I have a problem with her saying "screw you" to the kids because the kids only do what they are taught. The adults are the ones who haven't taught them the value of education because they don't value education themselves. But then again, Americans in general don't value education and ridicules "nerds, brains, geeks, etc." She's dumping on the kids when she should be attacking the society as a whole.

Her approach is shitty. I'm quite sure there are more than just a handful of children in the inner-city who really want to get a substantial education but are a victim of circumstance. She could have built learning centers and have programs for those who maintain a B-A average, have good attendance, volunteer in the community, that sort of thing to reward those who at least try.

Oprah coming out saying, "Inner city children don't want to learn" will be taken as BLACK KIDS DON'T WANT TO LEARN, and since it's coming from a "credible source" (Oprah) that's going to make teachers and the community that much more resistant to putting resources into inner city or predominately black schools "Since they don't want to learn anyway."

[alltoofamiliar]

I understand what Oprah is saying...but really, it is unfair to compare American children to African children. How can African children miss something they have never had and/or seen?
Yes, American children really need to appreciate the opportunities that they are given, but to compare the two is not apples to apples.

For example, an African woman wouldn't even think about treating a dog the way the Oprah treats her dogs. The African woman (more than likely) wouldn't put much time into the psyche of her dog, but Oprah has spent plenty of time worried about whether her dogs would get along.

[teforde23]

^^Can I just say that as a woman with 2 cats and a realization that I never want to have kids I kinda treat them the same way. I overpamper them and treat them as if they were my kids. I've decide that I will never live too far away from NY because they get terribly carsick so when I do decide to move again it will have to be no more than 6 hours away(goodbye Seattle). I try not to leave them alone for more than a day because they get lonely. So I do understand to some point how she feels about her dogs. After a while it's like having children and at some point you start treating them like kids.

[CrazyGirl07]

Oprah the next Mother Theresa perhaps? I'm all for celebs putting their money to good causes but why an all girls school? Does that seem a little sexis to anyone but me? And maybe it is true that inner city kids are not as excited about school as others because some have the thought that the streets are going to be a big pay off. But I can't say totally because I'm not from an inner city area. And I beg to differ I don't want an ipod...I already have one but i'll take a new car.

[ChangingEventually]

Originally Posted by Natee471

Oprah can do whatever she wants with her money. But how can you be critical of the materialism of young people in the inner city when YOUR show often promotes materialism? She once spoke about when she was a child, all she wanted was a polaroid camera. That camera is now today's ipod.

If she wants to help the children in the inner city, she needs to start with the parents. Oprah is materialistic, and a philantropist whose decided that American children only care about money. Not how to obtain it. To lump all the inner-city children of America together and say they are beyond help doesn't equate to the truth.

Oprah showing off her material excess, giving away CARS, and people lining up around the block to get on her show because they think that they are going to get some fabulous gift. (Which consists of overpriced, frivilous luxury items) If inner city children have no appreciation for education in favor of instant gratification, then where does Oprah think this comes from? She's flossing and showing off what she's got but complaining that inner city children are "too materialistic?"

Oprah needs to sit her ass down on this issue.

Her show, MTV cribs, Pimp My Ride, Ballers online showing off their homes, vs. letting these children see and understand all of the sacrifice and hard work it takes to get these material things. They do not see the nexus between the hard work, many hours of difficult taxing problems being overcome. What they see is the final product.

That is why I like the movie 'Pursuit of Happyness' and how they ended it. People want to see Chris Gardner enjoy the spoils of his labor, but that wasn't the point of the movie. The point was to show EXACTLY the hard times, the hard work, the disclipine and the sacrifice Gardner made in order to pursue his goals in life.

The inner city kids don't understand this and we as the adult generation have failed to teach it. Oprah is a part of the problem she speaks on.

The children can only do what they see the adults around them do. If the adults around them don't value education, why should they? I have a problem with her saying "screw you" to the kids because the kids only do what they are taught. The adults are the ones who haven't taught them the value of education because they don't value education themselves. But then again, Americans in general don't value education and ridicules "nerds, brains, geeks, etc." She's dumping on the kids when she should be attacking the society as a whole.

Her approach is shitty. I'm quite sure there are more than just a handful of children in the inner-city who really want to get a substantial education but are a victim of circumstance. She could have built learning centers and have programs for those who maintain a B-A average, have good attendance, volunteer in the community, that sort of thing to reward those who at least try.

Oprah coming out saying, "Inner city children don't want to learn" will be taken as BLACK KIDS DON'T WANT TO LEARN, and since it's coming from a "credible source" (Oprah) that's going to make teachers and the community that much more resistant to putting resources into inner city or predominately black schools "Since they don't want to learn anyway."

I really like your approach to this. But, there's only one comment I have to make: A lot of the kids getting good grades aren't learning anything. Or if they are, they don't care. I've been to a lot of different schools and even the kids getting the best grades don't seem to value education. As I pointed out before, I don't, but that's a personal thing for me.

They usually award the kids who get Honor Roll and stuff in school, and I realized that when looking around and talking to the kids in those groups, that education isn't the most important thing to them. It's hard to explain. I think the kids who struggle a little value education more. But these kids that everyone likes to award because they're "so smart" and parade in front of everyone else couldn't give a damn about education.

I've been in some meeting-thingies that some schools send all the kids with the highest grade averages to. Basically, we sit there and talk about how we got good grades and what others should do. It's really stupid. But here's the thing that shocked me the first time I went to one of them: In front of the adults, the kids were all "Yeah, education is so important and it's such hard work. Knowledge is power." But then the second the adults left, the kids complained about how they hated school and how they were so bored and couldn't wait to get out.

I'm not trying to make a point or anything, just trying to explain something I've seen happen over and over again. I don't like it when people put the "smart and hardworking kids" on pedestals because most don't appreciate it like people think they do. This is just what I've seen in New York and California though. It could be different wherever you are.

[crackho]

And with that observation, Oprah, your job here is now complete. So move your fat (or soon to be, again) ass to Africa until they get sick of your holier than God attitude. God, how I want this woman to fall.

[lovehurtsrealbad]

oh hey by the way, I studied anthropology...not forensic or physical anthro though, that grossed me out too much. I took one class and the prof started talking about corpeses and bugs eating flesh etc and had a nightmare that night...but good luck to you LHRB. It is an interesting and useful field.

Actually that's one of the reasons I like this field/job so much. Things that usually gross other people out are interesting as Hell to me I'm a freak, really.

Originally Posted by o0Amber0o

The forensic anthro class at my community college, the professor required students to do a project on road kill in which they actually had to go find a dead animal somewhere and study the decaying process.

Talk about nightmare.

You have no idea how cool that sounds to me

Okay ... so, what were we talking about??
LHRB

P.S.: Oh, yah, Oprah is slarter then all of us and better then all the [sthupid] American in the worlds. Okay.

P.S.S.: ^^That was a joke. Laugh, damn you!!

[AliceInWonderland]

mother theresa was a whore!

[curlysem]

i think i understand what oprah meant about american kids having a free education and not caring much for it. true. we do pay portions from our taxes. and yet kids get the education they need, but at the same time, it's true what she said, some kids dont give a crap about education. either they are dropping out of school, getting into trouble, only matters to them what brand name of shoes, clothes they are getting instead of worrying about getting a proper education. however, kids in different countries, are very greatful, because they are poor, and they dont have what we have here to splurge on material things. they are not spooiled like we spoiled our kids with the latest stuff. so good for oprah for helping poor children in africa or all over the world.

[Goose]

I think she's doing a good thing by providing an opportunity for people who didn't have that option before, however, it's rather elitist of her to go through and hand pick 152 girls that she feels deserve this education. $40 million for 152 students? Why not all 3500? Why are these 152 girls going to change the world and not the other ones? Because they look better?

[curlysem]

Originally Posted by Goose

I think she's doing a good thing by providing an opportunity for people who didn't have that option before, however, it's rather elitist of her to go through and hand pick 152 girls that she feels deserve this education. $40 million for 152 students? Why not all 3500? Why are these 152 girls going to change the world and not the other ones? Because they look better?

she had them audition for the school!

[AgentOrange]

American kids don't appreciate the value of anything. It's what makes them the greatest consumers in the world!

[pacific breeze]

Originally Posted by curlysem

she had them audition for the school!

I don't think audition is the right word. Do you suppose that everyone who applies to Ivy League schools, or even some public schools, is accepted just because they applied?