Posted by
The Big Mick on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 11:34:47 PM
Back in the early 80's I was teaching Middle School in a public school in southwestern Virginia and I chaperoned an 8th Grade Dance. I noticed that sometimes you’d get girl couples dancing, at the time and at that age more a comment on their hesitation to approach boys and boys to approach them then on anything else. I noticed too that sometimes not two, but three or more boys would stand in a circle and dance, and that gave me a lens for viewing what happened about exactly half-way through the evening. Even then I had long maintained that 8th Graders were Herd Animals and only quasi, perhaps proto, humans.
About half way, as I say, through the event, I noticed one boy/girl couple stand up from the bleachers on the Right side of the Gym, where EVERYONE was sitting and walk, for no discernable reason, over to sit down on the Left side of the Gym. When they got about mid-court, another couple stood up and moved toward the other side, followed, a split-second later by another and another until, in a sort of human Brownian Movement, the Whole Little 8th Grade Herd migrated to the other side of the gym! Again for no discernable reason other than the whim of the original couple. At the end, couples and single boys and girls were rushing, even running, to get AWAY from the, now, "Not Cool" Right side and over to the, now, "Cool" side before they were the last one remaining on the "Not Cool" side!
Don’t tell me teenagers aren’t quite capable of creating a relational milieu in which certain specific behaviors become de rigueu without SAYING a damn word!. That kind of Social ComPACT doesn’t have to be written or even verbal to be absolutely binding.
I agree with the 45 year-old Gloucester Music Teacher who the AP quoted as saying, "If you think this wasn’t planned you’re pretty naive."
[At least that was the quote when I first read the story. That quote, indeed the whole last paragraph attempt at some kind of "balance", was dropped from the story within 30 minutes. Wonder why?]
The AP, however, apparently, DOES believe exactly that, buying what Lindsey Oliver, (whom they describe as one of the girls who have gotten pregnant --actually they said "became" as if it was some sort of Miraculous Conception) had to say. The AP reports Lindsey told some morning talk show today (that reference was also dropped from the New Version) that "definitely" it was no pact, but rather "coincidence" and it was all a post-coincidence decision to help each other.
Yup! A statistical two orders of magnitude 400% "coincidence.".
And Bill Clinton never had sex with Monica Lewinski.
God I hate being assumed to be stupid.
At least M. Trujillo (and HER byline has since disappeared) of the AP gave the name of 5 month pregnant (another dropped detail) 17 year old Oliver’s Impregnator, 20 year old Andy Psalidas.
If 17 (or 16?–do the math) ain’t the age of consent in Mass, little Andy done gone and committed Statutory Rape now hasn’t he? Just like those LDS Fundies in Texas, right?
And maybe I’m only a 24 hour prophet, but damn if Psd Andy’s dad, Charlie, didn’t fulfill my prediction of last night. He says Andy’s already got an Exclusive Interview Agreement with Inside Edition (cha ching!) and the couple would air later today. Guess that’s why they were in the Big Apple and the AP couldn’t reach ‘em!
Go cheap and get scooped, AP.
Memo to the Gloucester 16: Better cut your deals quick, kids, your value is dropping fast! If you don’t grab your 15 minutes in the next few days, you’ll be lucky to get a free pack of Pampers out of it.
Even I moved too slow compared to IE. I was going to suggest to Larry Flynt (is he still alive?) that he offer the 17 Inseminators a Year’s College Scholarship (or the equivalent in Cash, Gas, or a New Car) for names, dates, places, number of times, positions, sound effects and post coital pillow talk. I figured in economically depressed Gloucester the little studs would jump at the chance to squeal. Beats guttin fish for the summer, or for a living.
I was going to suggest he sweeten the offer to 4 years college or equivalent for everyone IF ALL of them came forward.
That or a photo shoot with Miss September and a Lifetime Subscription to "Hustler."
(To commence upon their legal majority, of course.)
Peer pressure works for Males too.
Looks like IE got the worm, and dirt cheap too I’m betting.
Good "get" IE!
AP, I got some water front property in Iowa to sell you.
The Big Mick