Paris Hilton

[House of Usher]

I'm not sure whether to interpret this as a Paris Hilton goes to prison thread or a lamentable ignorance of history thread, but I'll go with the latter.

I work with homeless people.

The other day at work we caught some footage of Nazi concentration camps on the TV, and one of the posturing teenage clients I work with pronounced, as he swaggered out of the room, "f*** the Nazis, and f*** the Jews". I said "f*** the Nazis and the Jews? You're not one to take sides when it comes to great human tragedies of the 20th century, are you?" "no" he answered, proudly. A fortnight later we caught the last 10 minutes of another history programme, which showed German POWs surrendering en masse in 1918. "F***ing Nazis" he opined. I said "there weren't any Nazis in 1918" but I don't think he paid me any heed.

Playing trivial pursuit the other night with two residents over 50, when a 20-year-old walked in, and asked "How do you play this game? How do you know who's winning? Where do you get all the answers from?" somebody said "well, the answers are all written on the back of the cards". He replied "no, I mean how do know the answers to the questions without looking at the cards? How do you know them already?" We were all lost for words. He's not alone: very few of the youngsters that end up in our care have any real understanding of how other people know things. They don't read books. They don't watch television except to see things exploding. They all had inattentive parents, and most of them have skipped significant periods of schooling. They aren't interested in learning anything about the world, which is a great pity.

Forget for a moment the fact that they are homeless; they are no different to the friends they hang around with who live at home with their parents. They (all their friends) just grew up in an environment where the rewards for studying, applying yourself and doing what you're told weren't obvious, but the rewards for pratting about were plain to see, so they opted for the latter.

On another thread I will jump to the defence of homeless people, who deserve a second (or even a first) bite of the cherry; but on this thread the point I'm making is that I know some young people who know f*** all about anything, and aren't at all ashamed of the fact.

[Bad Andy]

What I find sad about this is that the Pulitzer prize winning photographer is now 'papping' Paris Hilton.

Is this really the career progression for photographers?

[johnnystress]

It's like DaVinci ending his career doing caricatures on Brighton pier ( not many people know that, his speciality was dune buggies )

It's an inevitable progression

[Dunk!]

Be fair, as he took that photograph in the 70's he must be in his 50's/60's now. Not really the age to be running around a warzone, when there's easy money to be made at home.

[Roger Godpleton]

Surely he must have snapped a whole bunch of other innocuous shit without getting a fanfare as well?

Just saying.

[Funt Solo]

::"I know some young people who know f*** all about anything, and aren't at all ashamed of the fact."

One of my neighbours has just completed his final taught year in Dentistry and, with one year more in practise, he'll be fully qualified.  He's never read a book for recreation.  You might easily forgive that, but what struck me as unusual was that he's incredibly proud of the fact, and openly expects it to garner the admiration of his peers.

My sister's first boyfriend once instructed her to inform the rest of my family that we should stop using words that he didn't understand. (The purpose of both a dictionary, and the use of the phrase "what does that mean?" were quickly explained, but only after I gave the idea of a mercy killing some fair consideration.)

[Byron Virgo]

"It's like DaVinci ending his career doing caricatures on Brighton pier"

Or Henri Cartier-Bresson woking in the Walthamstow branch of Snappy-Snaps.

[johnnystress]

Or Brian Bolland on 2000ad

no, wait

[TordelBack]

He's never read a book for recreation.

This always scares the crap out of me, and it's not just young folk either.  My next-youngest brother (now 33) was on this dark path, until saved by Stephen King (I kid you not) and subsequently a very literate wife.  Despite having a BSc, sometimes working as a teacher, and achieving the highest level of professional qualifications in his quite high-brow field of work, my youngest brother (27) has never read a book that wasn't mandated by one of his many courses.  He regularly asks me "how do you know this stuff?", as if someone was beaming useless info into my head.  And I'd honestly consider myself pretty poorly informed.  

On the other hand, I'm too far in the opposite direction, almost to the point of psychosis.  Personally, if I don't have at least two novels, a short-story or poetry collection, a non-fiction book, and some kind of "teach yourself" book on the bedside table I get very, very twitchy.  I can't actually sleep without reading first (a page will do it, but it has to be something).  I buy or borrow books two-or-three "in advance" so I know I won't run out over a weekend.  The thought of leaving the house without a book in my pocket or bag scares the crap out of me. And that's despite the fact that my MP3 player is bulging with audiobooks which I listen to in the car/on the bus or while walking.  I'm actually listening to Dawkin's "The God Delusion" as I type (good stuff!).  

It ain't healthy, and if my fiancée (of one week!) wasn't an obsessive reader to I don't know how I'd keep down a relationship.

The thought of never having read a book for pleasure... it generates the same squeamish reaction that the idea of castration, paralysis or blindness does - a whole huge world, lost.  Brrrr.

[Richmond Clements]

my fiancée (of one week!)

Congratulations!

I know what you mean about this 'no book' thing being scary. My sister and brother in law had literally (no pun intended) no books in their house at all for years.

[Satanist]

"I'm actually listening to Dawkin's "The God Delusion" as I type (good stuff!). "

I'm reading that at the mo. It is good stuff.

I had a mate who was proud that the last book he had read was James and the Giant Peach at school. Me and another mate eventually convinced him to read something we would recommend. I chose Clockwork Orange and my mate went for Train spotting. After reading both of those my mate loved reading and aint never looked back.

I don't really trust people who are proud they don't read.





Oh and Paris Hiltons a TWAT!

[Quirkafleeg]

Several years back at a Uni reunion I got talking to a guy who was a couple of years older than me and was a pretty well qualified specialist doctor. I mentioned something about something on television and he expressed scorn that I would bother watching television. I went on to say that certain programs were as good as a novel or film (ie The Sopranos, I didn't mention Neighbours). He said he never bothered with either of those as well, or the internet. I then asked him want the  hell he did with his evenings. "Play a bit on the Playstation" was his reply.

And the last time I was in the dentist he made a big thing of asking me about the book I was reading whilst waiting to go in, and fact I was reading at the last check up (like six months before). I sort of assume from that that it's a bit of a novelty.

[TordelBack]

Congratulations!

Cheers, rac.  Bit of a weird one, we've been together 18 years, have a house and a kid and all, but I'd never seen the point of fucking it all up by getting married.  Then one day I suddenly thought "Fuck it, I love this woman to death, why shouldn't she have a sparkly ring and a big party?".  And it turns out she liked the idea too.  Go figure.  

[Richmond Clements]

Love, eh?
Go figure...

[Dudley]

My little bro got back into reading via the following route:

Nothing (ages 16-25)->
Andy McNab->
Chris Ryan->
Clive Cussler->
Wilbur Smith ->
Khaled Hosseini ->
suddenly he's got about six absolutely fantastic books on the go at once (age 28).