Model behavior with the Moodys

[polecat]

I know the Maxwells are all about substance over form but the idea that anyone can write a children's book just pisses me off. Just because something needs to be simple does not mean that it's easy. Writing good children's literature is something that takes skill, stringing a bunch of words together simply to bludgeon home a blunt moral message is not storytelling, it's children's propoganda.

So, so, so much this.

[sparkles]

I would love to be a fly on the wall to hear what the Maxwells sound like when they converse on a day-to-day basis. Honestly, it's probably just as stilted and formal in speech as it is in writing. Sarah doesn't seem to have much imagination or creativity (and if she does, it's probably discouraged) so she falls back on writing what she knows. And for all the talk about how the only friends that matter are your siblings, somehow I just can't picture them have a casual conversation or a giggle fest about nothing in particular, or even a serious conversation about something that's troubling them. When everything has to centered around Jesus, when you're taught to suppress all curiosity, personality and emotion, there's just no way to really connect with another person, be it a family member or new acquaintance. That formality shows itself in their blogging, their ministry materials and in Sarah's (not-so) non-fiction for kids.

I agree about the baby talk, drives me NUTS when people use it, especially in writing (because it slows down my reading). Almost all kids do it at one point, and yes, it can be cute but it's not something that should be reinforced. And really, the kid can't say dress but countenance just rolls trippingly off her tongue? Ooookay. (Am I a bad person for hearing the baby-talking Moody passage in the voice of Bawwy Kwipke from Big Bang Theory? Steve would blow a gasket.)

[Odd1Out]

I wonder if the unmarried adult children in the Maxwell family are still required to address adults as Mr./Mrs.

[Koala]

I wonder if the unmarried adult children in the Maxwell family are still required to address adults as Mr./Mrs.

I bet you anything they are. The fundie family I knew had the 30 year old daughter doing exactly that.

[Odd1Out]

I bet you anything they are. The fundie family I knew had the 30 year old daughter doing exactly that.

So basically, they have to address their peers, maybe even people younger than them, who are married, as Mr. or Mrs. just because they themselves aren't a Mr. or Mrs. yet. It's amazing more of these people don't go out of their minds.

[Markie]

Would the Maxwells expect children to call Sarah, "Miss Maxwell", and John "Mr. Maxwell"? Or since they are unmarried adults they would/should not be accorded the respect that married adults have?

Or perhaps they are like Miss Jane Austen and refer to Sarah as Miss Maxwell and then Miss Anna and Miss Mary? Although I would sincerely doubt any Maxwell, with the exception of Terri in her giddy Pepsi-swilling days, has ever read the works of Miss Austen...

[anachronistic]

The thing is, 'kid talk' can be done in books, and can be done well. Barbara Parks writes these 'Junie B. Jones' novels for younger readers in the voice of a 5/6 year old and they are hilarious, yet easy to read. She really gets little kids and how they think. Poor Sarah was never allowed to be a child so how can she know how they think?

ETA: Junie B. Jones Meets the Moodys. I would definitely buy that book!

[WonderingInWA]

The thing is, 'kid talk' can be done in books, and can be done well. Barbara Parks writes these 'Junie B. Jones' novels for younger readers in the voice of a 5/6 year old and they are hilarious, yet easy to read. She really gets little kids and how they think. Poor Sarah was never allowed to be a child so how can she know how they think?

ETA: Junie B. Jones Meets the Moodys. I would definitely buy that book!

I tried to like the Junie B. Jones books, but the writing drove me nuts and neither of my kids liked them, either. But, saying that, we all know Sarah has never read one so she's come up with her own version with the Christian twist.

ETA: And a large part of being an author is doing research which, in Sarah's case, would require reading other children's books. The Bible isn't the only one.

[Trynn]

The thing is, 'kid talk' can be done in books, and can be done well. Barbara Parks writes these 'Junie B. Jones' novels for younger readers in the voice of a 5/6 year old and they are hilarious, yet easy to read. She really gets little kids and how they think. Poor Sarah was never allowed to be a child so how can she know how they think?

ETA: Junie B. Jones Meets the Moodys. I would definitely buy that book!

I'm tempted to try writing it, but I've never read Junie B Jones. I don't think they came out till I was twice the target age.

I did notice the inconsistency in Maddie's dialogue.

Now The Moodys meet The Addams Family, THAT would be even MORE hilarious!

[snarkyjan]

I'm tempted to try writing it, but I've never read Junie B Jones. I don't think they came out till I was twice the target age.

I did notice the inconsistency in Maddie's dialogue.

Now The Moodys meet The Addams Family, THAT would be even MORE hilarious!

My money would be on the Addamses. Their family values are far healthier than those of the Maxwells.

[Brittany15]

Poor Sarah... I see the Moody books as how she imagined her family would be when she grew up. As in she wants to be Mrs. Moody. This is her dream that is not coming true...

[Trynn]

My money would be on the Addamses. Their family values are far healthier than those of the Maxwells.

And can you imagine Morticia and Gomez taking Stevehovah and Terrified to the playroom? They could put Stevus on the rack, because it's "nice and relaxing."

[formergothardite]

The thing is, 'kid talk' can be done in books, and can be done well. Barbara Parks writes these 'Junie B. Jones' novels for younger readers in the voice of a 5/6 year old and they are hilarious, yet easy to read. She really gets little kids and how they think. Poor Sarah was never allowed to be a child so how can she know how they think?

ETA: Junie B. Jones Meets the Moodys. I would definitely buy that book!

I fucking HATED Junie B. Jones. :lol: I thought she was unrealistic and a horrifically behaved, extremely mean brat. I was so glad when my oldest daughter got through that stage.

[Hane]

(lone person here who prefers being called Miss Lastname UNTIL I know you well enough to invite you to call me Hane. I'm especially pissed off when, in places of business, people young enough to be my grandchildren automatically call me Hane immediately upon meeting me.)

That said, the stilted dialogue and ostentatious preachery make me stabby.

[Etaoin Shrdlu]

Gizoogled! :lol:

(Setting: Da Vibeys call Animal Control upon findin some raccoons up in a trash can.)

At tha sound of a motor, they turned ta peep tha Animal Control utilitizzle truck pullin tha fuck into tha driveway fo' realz. A short dude, whoz ass straight-up filled his bib overall, clamored out. Right back up in yo muthafuckin ass. Seein tha way tha manz afro stuck up from under his cap, Dad fondly recalled his childhood term "bedhead."

"Howdy there, so peek-a-boo, clear tha way, I be comin' thru fo'sho. Muh name is Harold Gibstone yo, but muh playaz call me Big Red hommie biaaatch! Yore lil playas can just call me Harold. Y'all KNOW dat shit, muthafucka! Y'all gotz a problem wit some 'coons, biatch? There done been nuff dem round these parts lately," tha playa drawled.

"Actually, Harold, our crewz preference is ta have tha lil pimps call you Mista Muthafuckin Gibstone. We feel dat be a way tha lil pimps can show respect ta adults," Dad replied.

Mista Muthafuckin Gibstone nodded his head. Y'all KNOW dat shit, muthafucka! "Whatever you want. Now, where was dem 'coons?"

… and

(Setting: Da Vibey crew is gettin back tha fuck into they van on a funky-ass bangin' dizzle afta visitin tha nursin home. Mad-Dawg is tha three year oldschool youngest daughter.)

Da crew trooped back ta tha van. I aint talkin' bout chicken n' gravy biatch fo' realz. As soon as tha lil pimps had climbed in, Maddiez sour vibe flared up again. I aint talkin' bout chicken n' gravy biatch. "I hot son! Mollie, you sittin' on mah dwess." With a scowl on her probably sunny face, dat dunkadelic hoe tugged on tha dress.

Dad glanced back up in tha rearview mirror at Maddiez frownin face. "Maddie, remember dat memory verse you've been hustlin on, biatch? Didn't it rap on some cold-ass lil cheerful heart?"

Mad-Dawg nodded n' wiped tha pimpin' muthafucka tears away wit tha back of her lil sweaty hand. Y'all KNOW dat shit, muthafucka! "I 'member it fo' realz. A mewwy ass maketh a cold-ass lil cheerful countenance. Proberbs 15:13."

"Straight-up good, Maddie. Try ta be cheerful n' not grumpy," Dad holla'd.

[slickcat79]

"Actually, Harold, our crewz preference is ta have tha lil pimps call you Mista Muthafuckin Gibstone. We feel dat be a way tha lil pimps can show respect ta adults," Dad replied.

YES :lol:

[Jana814]

Poor Sarah... I see the Moody books as how she imagined her family would be when she grew up. As in she wants to be Mrs. Moody. This is her dream that is not coming true...

Agree.

[Hane]

Now that I've recovered from laughing myself into near-incontinence thanks to the Gizoogle translation...

From the few Moody passages I've read, I've noticed a thick vein of regarding people outside the family as both "other" and inferior. In the story above, it's made clear that the Steve character finds the exterminator low-class and ridiculous (cf. his obesity, messy hair, and down-home dialect). In the story where the kids pet-sat a neighbor's guinea pig, it was pointed out that she was wearing a SUNDRESS! (gasp!), and her husband had to instruct her to remove her shoes in the Moodys' house.

Honey's owner, however, is cast as a celestial senior-citizen angel, saved by the blood of Jesus. You see, if the lady HADN'T come out with the standard-issue Jesusy line, she wouldn't have been considered a REAL Christian .

[ceg045]

I love how "clamored" apparently stymied the Gizoogler as well. :lol:

[lilith]

Da Vibeys........ Love it.

It's very sad that Sarah is probably still restricted from cling other adults by their first name, including adults younger than her. She probably has to call Josh and Anna Mr and Mrs Duggar, even though they are five years her junior.

[sparkles]

The Moody excerpt about pet-sitting Mrs. What'sherface's dog Honey made me wonder whatever happened to the real Honey. Remember her? The dog the Maxwell kids wanted but couldn't have until God and Steve did some major conversatin' and God gave Steve the thumbs-up? I searched the blog and the last dog-related Honey entry was August 14, 2009. Not a word since. Honey was clearly up there in years so it's pretty apparent that she died somewhere along the line but there's absolutely no mention of it, unless I'm missing something. Seriously, a supposedly beloved family pet, one of god's creatures, doesn't even warrant one single expression of sadness from any family member? How cold can you get? And yet, so typical of the Maxwells.

[bananacat]

Yeah, the truly respectful thing to do is call people what they prefer to be called. This little vignette doesn't teach respect; it teaches that Daddy is in charge and gets to decide everything, even other adults disagree.

[WonderingInWA]

The Moody excerpt about pet-sitting Mrs. What'sherface's dog Honey made me wonder whatever happened to the real Honey. Remember her? The dog the Maxwell kids wanted but couldn't have until God and Steve did some major conversatin' and God gave Steve the thumbs-up? I searched the blog and the last dog-related Honey entry was August 14, 2009. Not a word since. Honey was clearly up there in years so it's pretty apparent that she died somewhere along the line but there's absolutely no mention of it, unless I'm missing something. Seriously, a supposedly beloved family pet, one of god's creatures, doesn't even warrant one single expression of sadness from any family member? How cold can you get? And yet, so typical of the Maxwells.

Yes, I was offended that they never mentioned Honey had passed away since any post that featured her seemed to look like they liked her. I wonder if she just died at home or if they all went to the vet to say goodbye and if they mourned her? We'll never know, probably.

[kpmom]

Steve's heart is two sizes too small. I remember a Corner where he mentioned Sarah asking him if he loved Honey (he was petting the dog at the time). Steve said no, because you can't love animals like you do people, or some such nonsense.

He's such a cold fish.

[Jana814]

Steve's heart is two sizes too small. I remember a Corner where he mentioned Sarah asking him if he loved Honey (he was petting the dog at the time). Steve said no, because you can't love animals like you do people, or some such nonsense.

He's such a cold fish.

How horrible! Can't/can believe he said that. I'm a dog/cat person. I actually like many more animals then people at times!