In my Video Production class (an easy class that is a far cry away from my normal AP classes, not to be snobby, but it is essential to the point of my story) I have quickly realized the relentless negativity of the students. They can't find the good in anything. The "good" is not something for which they even look. We had to do these biography things, and the teacher would look at them about each of us, and ask us in front of the class about something that we wrote in order to get us better acquainted. One girl went to Panama with her church. The girl behind me just says "What the fuck? Panama? What the fuck is in Panama? Who the fuck goes to Panama?" It wasn't said to anyone particular. I think people laughed when it was brought up that I am the president of the speech and debate team as well. I don't give a care about any of that, truthfully, but it is really bizarre to me. Everything is something that must be made fun of. The only exceptions are drugs, alcohol, whatever music that they like, the football team (a few of whom I speak are football players), and dirt bikes.

The parenthetical distinction I made earlier was there because being in that class among the "regular" the "mainstream" classes and students made me realize that my AP classmates and I are really very few. The majority of this school has such an astounding negativity to them, it is just unbelievable to me.

american youths can balance their checkbooks and live on their own when they are 18. go check out what frenchie does at 18.

dont get me wrong, i fucking love france, but young americans are way more independent from their parental units than their european counterparts.

that's one plus i guess.

I cant really see that many good traits about North American youth culture. I think it depends on where your coming from I guess. There are certain places and certain times that can be seen as wholesome but recently the youth is brought up more and more in a dumbed down world or Paris Hilton and consumerist greed. I worry for the future.

rich spoiled fuckers. so it's your job, as a child of immigrants (or something like that), to take their homes, eat their young, and crank the wheels of the universe, man. just make sure you adopt some fresh savages from the 3rd world when youre ready to pass the mantle.

american youth seem to me to be much more tolerant of race. its much better here than what i witnessed in australia, just as an example... even in canada, actually (montreal to be specific), i notice that there is a lot of emphasis placed on race... and I live the deep south... pretty much as far you can go, because florida doesn't really count.

Uncle Egon

Yeah, non AP/honors classes in high school blow.

I remember being in Eastern Cultures class and half of the class, and every single hick was in that class. To make matters worse, that was in 2001 in the first semester. You know how many times in that class I had to listen to some kid say dothead and towel head? To make matters worse the "hippies" were in that class and they were just as ignorant. Our teacher was a total pussy and never yelled at anyone or sent anyone to the office.

But anyways, just as I was typing this, a commercial for the movie College came on. I think that movie probably demonstrates everything that is wrong with American youth culture.


But back to AP. AP isn't even that hard. I was a total slacker and got good grades in those classes. Those should be the normal classes in high school. The AP classes you should have to work your fucking ass off to get an A.

Their were some pretty dumb chicks in my AP classes as well.

Countless spin-offs of originally shitty films glamorizing sexually transmitted diseases and poor alcohol tolerance? I usually list that under one of my favorites.

Hollywood has kicked our asses!

i think american youth is experiencing a huge dividing line. I have noticed a lot of adolescents thinking more. What used to a minute percent of "wallflowers" if you will, are becoming more prominent. I think the world is so overly-saturated with what is supposed to be "cool" that a lot of kids are forming small counter-cultures. I havent figured out what that counter culture is et, because I dont think it has taken shape. From what I can tell, it is a culture of amorphous apathy.

And apathy tends to breed logic. So I guess you can say that there is an underground movement of thinkers among the american youth.

American Youth Culture?

That sounds like something Nixon or Agnew would have made up. And probably did!

What a bunch of horseshit to make up a category like that. Even if you could reasonably define something like that, what would it be? Kids flocking to American Eagle? Zombies all plugged into their iPods and ignoring the world around them?

Give me a break.

I think we're getting more tolerant of homosexuality. Not everyone is on the same page, obviously, but I think it's more acceptable than in our parents' day.

Yes and no. Some of those tolerant kids, would be appalled if a close family member was gay.

We're also becoming more tolerant of High Fructose Corn Syrup because, well, it's in everything.

American youth culture nowadays seems to be about taking pictures of yourself/friends and posting them on facebook and other internet forums.

That's why we love it. There's little need to actually leave your house often. You can have a false social life on the internet and pretend you have lots of confidence.

haa haa haaa haaa

that's how international baccalaureate-program classes should be, but the only requirements to be in it is to complete algebra i by eighth grade and have teacher reccomendations. anyone can be in them and be moderately successful if they have the right friends to cheat off or able to comprehend basic english. it's supposed to be tougher than ap (or at least it actually IS overseas, where education is actually valued) but the program here in america is fundamentally flawed. my freshman year, reading a book about drama in shakespearean times, someone asked if he had to compete with charles dickens. that was just a typical level of insightful questioning i heard every day.

one good trait is right now in 2008 we have mastered the art of the myspace angle. ten degrees, arm locked, and bam! i look ten pounds thinner.

haa haa haaa haaa




brilliant

such cynicality...funny thing is, thats a name of a song written by the band i have had stuck in my head all day and am currently listening to.

Superdrag.

I totally feel you. I left my AP US History course for an average of fortyfive minutes a day (half the class period), literally. I passed with one A and two Bs. I was the only student to recieve a four on the A.P. exam, which was the highest score in our class. I was talking to my old teacher today about it.
"Pretty humiliating to think that the highest score in the class never listened to my lessons; just walked around school drinking coffee and chilling out all day."