Maxwell 27: Increasing the Clan

[fundiefan]

Per Steve:

The enemy of learning is entertainment. If you and/or your children love entertainment, sorry. Ignore all of the above. Your children might as well be wearing a 100-pound backpack through life. Few want to learn and work when they can play.

There are about a billion ways to tear this apart and we all no doubt have a million examples of the contrary. 

He is pretty high on himself and his choices. No one will ever be successful if they have anything resembling fun in life. He hasn't even illuded to it this time; now he has told us flat out. You won't learn a damn thing if you engage in anything entertaining.

F*ck you, Steve. Just because he is apparently incapable of balance and had to give up his hobbies - no doubt because he is obsessive & out of control - does not mean the rest of the world can't. Most human beings know how to separate entertainment from work and learning and manage to do both successfully. 

 

[JermajestyDuggar]

Whoops. John married into a family that LOVES entertainment. 

[anjulibai]

8 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

Whoops. John married into a family that LOVES entertainment. 

I think Steve is aware of this and it's bothering the fuck out of him. 

[Foudeb]

And the Bontragers look a lot more productive than the Maxwells. Look at Chelsy, her vegetable patch, her proper cooking, helping with house renovations, hosting large numbers of people, and still finding time for pride and prejudice, fashion and blogging. Contrast with Anna or Mary, similar age range, who... dust ceiling fans? Smile at the camera? Oh and do chalk drawings on the pavement. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

10 minutes ago, Foudeb said:

And the Bontragers look a lot more productive than the Maxwells. Look at Chelsy, her vegetable patch, her proper cooking, helping with house renovations, hosting large numbers of people, and still finding time for pride and prejudice, fashion and blogging. Contrast with Anna or Mary, similar age range, who... dust ceiling fans? Smile at the camera? Oh and do chalk drawings on the pavement. 

Exactly. Some people need to have a goal with some sort of reward at the end. So after they work hard, they play hard. Why would you want to work your ass off if there wasn’t sort of payoff at the end? Like money for an amusement park ticket? Or a favorite movie? 

[daisyjane1234]

The idea that work can be fun as well seems to be utterly lost on Steve.  Knitting, quilting, gardening, cooking, baking, canning - all things I enjoy doing are also extremely productive.  

I could also cite a few dozen Biblical passages about joy, and fun, and celebration.  But we all know Steve won't take theological direction from a woman - even if she has a few theology degrees.



 

[Loveday]

7 hours ago, thoughtful said:

Not just anybody's voice -- June Foray's!

I think the episode had potential. The theme is moving -- parents so selfish and nasty that their children run away to a fantasy land. But the writing and direction are not good -- Aunt T goes back and forth between being a Southern Granny stereotype and being creepy, and the mother is over-the-top shrill.

But the nail in its coffin is the weird juxtaposition of an iconic sight with an equally well-known sound. It's incredibly jarring to someone who grew up in the 1960s to hear the voice of Rocky the Flying Squirrel, but with a Southern accent, coming out of the mouth of Scout Finch! 

 

 

Oh!! THAT'S who June Foray was! I thought the name seemed familiar when I saw it on IMDb, but for some reason I didn't get around to researching further. As a child of the 60s, I should have recognised her voice immediately! 

[Lisafer]

27 minutes ago, daisyjane1234 said:

The idea that work can be fun as well seems to be utterly lost on Steve.  Knitting, quilting, gardening, cooking, baking, canning - all things I enjoy doing are also extremely productive.  

I could also cite a few dozen Biblical passages about joy, and fun, and celebration.  But we all know Steve won't take theological direction from a woman - even if she has a few theology degrees.



 

Right? I enjoy being productive! Entertainment is not the opposite of work, in my mind. And when I'm working on something, I can also talk, watch a movie, or listen to music. 

Also, I've noticed my 7-year-old learns a lot faster when he perceives it as "fun." It's not a moral failing--it's human nature. 

I like fun. Suck it, Steve!

[MamaJunebug]

12 hours ago, Black Aliss said:

Those are not Mary's eyes. If it's Mary she should wear that expression more. She might get a husband.

Sadly, I think they are her eyes. I spent way too many minutes last evening zooming in and comparing features between the lady in the snow and Mary In The Shipping Center.

Both pairs of eyes have that quietly manic look of “There-is-a-camera.—I-must-smile-because-there-is-a-camera.”

Just my pessimistic and gloomy opinion, of course. Also, the teeth are pretty much identical.

At least  I kniw I must be feeling pretty strong & optimistic overall, to be able to think about the Maxwell Way Of Life & Death at all. 

[PennySycamore]

@Lisafer, you're exactly right about kids learning faster and better when the lesson is fun.  That's true even for adults, but they might have the patience and maturity to sit through a boring lesson.  Kids rarely do.

My physics professor at Furman told our class that his physics class in high school went to an amusement park because there's a lot of physics to see there. The apparatus in a physics lab tend to look a lot like toys -at least they do to me. 

[Alisamer]

1 hour ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

Exactly. Some people need to have a goal with some sort of reward at the end. So after they work hard, they play hard. Why would you want to work your ass off if there wasn’t sort of payoff at the end? Like money for an amusement park ticket? Or a favorite movie? 

I get the impression that Steve thinks that the more boring, bland and un-fun your life is, the better heaven will be after you die. Or something.

I personally think if God created the universe but wanted life to be miserable, "fun" or "entertainment" wouldn't exist at all. 

[SassyPants]

2 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

Exactly. Some people need to have a goal with some sort of reward at the end. So after they work hard, they play hard. Why would you want to work your ass off if there wasn’t sort of payoff at the end? Like money for an amusement park ticket? Or a favorite movie? 

Or eternal salvation! Steve is so smug.

[AllisonWndrland]

Suddenly Steve's blog post is utter trash. Why is it so wholly mindblowing to him that a person can be many things all at once? I mean, I know the answer. It doesn't fit his brand to think otherwise. Yes, Steve, willful ignorance is your brand. Own it.  We know you gave up mainstream hobbies and found yourself new ones. Oppressing your family, sex with your depressed wife, and judging others were your replacements. Maybe you shouldn't throw stones from your Glass Sex House. 

As a side note, as I was discussing today's drivel with Mr. Allison, I used the phrase "Glass Sex House," and he called dibs as a band name.

[freejugar]

I love how there's eleventy pictures of men working, and then "the girls" are added as an afterthought.

What an unappreciative asshole, he would have never been able to complete those projects without the contribution of the girls.

[SPHASH]

I think that's why the Reversal boys bought fixer uppers, not because its cheaper but they spend so much time and money fixing it up they won't think about fun.  Or sports.

[thoughtful]

I know I'm being redundant to what others have said, and I know you all know this, but the idea that work and enjoyment are opposites makes me rage. So, just to get it off of my chest (and for Steve, if he ever reads here):

I've been a small corner in the education of a lot of children -- about 3000. That's more than eight, Steve. I'm also always learning from teachers wiser and better than I am. So I may know a bit about how people learn.

Learning involves interest, enjoyment, finding a spark.  Even things that don't interest us can be learned by making the process enjoyable. The brain needs to be focused and alert, not half shut down or wandering due to the teaching being dull or frightening. Seemingly frivolous things, even those from (gasp!) the evil Entertainment Industry, can help. The self-motivated learning you claim to admire is more likely to be killed off by your approach, and ignited by mine.

Caring adults notice that an individual child (is that a concept you can grasp, Steve?) will find some subjects and activities more rewarding, and, yes, entertaining, than others. Those of us who aren't as twisted as you are celebrate this. We are happy that the child is industrious, interested and learning. We think that the interest may blossom into a career, a hobby, maybe a way to help others.

It did for me, and the interest has lasted for over 60 years. I do work I love, and so do many people I know. The line between entertainment and work is blurry, sometimes nonexistent, for those of us who do. That doesn't make it sinful -- it means we may be better at our work, and continuing to learn, because we are alert and interested, not just being dutiful.

You don't have a lot of faith in the God you claim to worship -- do you think He created billions of people so they can all live the same dull life with the same limited skills? We (including you and yours) need people with varied skills to survive in this world, and those skills start with their showing an interest in something. That's not "making an idol" of that activity, you clod. It is the process of finding their purpose in the world -- many believers think that God has inspired that interest.

We all have a niche, and the process of watching and helping children find theirs is one of the greatest responsibilities, and pleasures (yes both, Steve! This works for the adults, as well) of raising and educating them.

tl;dr - Steve has the world completely backwards.

[SPHASH]

7 hours ago, dripcurl said:

“if you aren’t a self learner, learning will cost you”

 

Fuck you Steve. College education is absolutely necessary for doctors, engineers, nurses, etc and YOU benefit but will still shame people for seeking higher education. 

Wonder Woman Melanie has benefited from her OB-GYN's and nurses educations, all of them have flown on a plane so they benefited from the pilots going to flight school and possible Air Force training.  FUCK all the Maxwell's, except the grandkids of course.

[mango_fandango]

Steve said before that he doesn’t believe in the “kids will only engage with education if it’s fun” idea because then they will go through life expecting everything to be fun, and will be disappointed when they realise that life isn’t all fun and games, and consequently won’t bother. 

Fuck off with that bullshit, Steve. 

[Jana814]

33 minutes ago, SPHASH said:

I think that's why the Reversal boys bought fixer uppers, not because its cheaper but they spend so much time and money fixing it up they won't think about fun.  Or sports.

Never thought of that being the reason till you posted it. 

[keepercjr]

That blog post was just awful.  My daughter (in 5th grade) needed help with some math concepts and I could see she wasn't getting it when we were using paper.  She wanted to be done and was totally disinterested.  So I grabbed the sidewalk chalk and we went outside and I wrote in huge numbers and she had to use her whole body to follow along (stepping on the numbers, etc) and it worked!  And not only did she get it, we kept at it for over 30 minutes, with her doing all the writing and math at the end (I was only needed to tell her she was doing it correctly!).  We have done it a few times since then.  Why does everything have to be boring?  This is a child who has told me she is terrible at math.  I insist she not say that about herself and that of course she isn't terrible at it, she just doesn't know how to do it yet.  I know that the chalk lessons boosted her math self image a whole bunch.  In fact, they had end of semester testing and she said she knew how to do all problems!  If I had insisted she work with me on paper we would have gotten nowhere and I had to be creative on how I approached it for her.  Her 3rd grade class used lots of songs (found on the internet) to teach skip counting as a precursor for multiplication.  I feel sad for the "education" those kids got from Teri and Steve. 

Also forgot to ask:

Do we think Christopher does lawns?  Has that ever been mentioned? 

[Odd1Out]

I agree that besides Steve’s control issues, he has had self-discipline issues in the past so he just doesn’t allow anything tempting in his life. Therefore, no one else should get to enjoy anything either. Otherwise, he probably has huge jealousy issues when he sees people having fun. 

I sure hope John and Chelsy don’t give in to his stupidity. 

Im just wondering how they get away with spikeball, hiking, and puzzles at Gigi’s. Should exercise and fellowship be fun?

[anjulibai]

Yeah, it's kind of BS that they don't ever have fun and enjoy entertainment. Playing games, doing puzzles, playing outside with the nieces and nephews, going for a hike or run, that's all fun and entertaining. But Steve likely has many reasons that these things are okay, despite definitely being forms of entertainment. 

Steve's really just pissed that people like and do things that he doesn't like, or that he knows he can't do in moderation. I agree, he's jealous, and wants everyone to be as miserable and deprived as he is. 

[IReallyAmHopewell]

I couldn't stop myself. I left Steve a comment on a real world nephew of mine who did pretty much what they teach yet went to public school, college, grad school and had a mortgage paid off in 3 years. Yeah, he failed. Had to get a mortgage! I couldn't stand the smugness of "Few want to learn and work when they can play." All kinds of people understand MODERATION in everything, Steve. I guess in Maxhell folks are too brainless to know when to turn off the PS2 or the movie-marathon or put down the weight set. Geesh.

[JermajestyDuggar]

Didn’t Steve, Teri, and the girls just go to a Christmas musical performance? 

If that’s not entertainment, I don’t know what is. 

[Hane]

The @keepercjr, that was a brilliant decision you made! I’ve heard about similar “sensory learning” techniques educators have used with kids who feel “stuck” in picking up a particular subject or concept. 

Also—shocker: I’ve met many people who have achieved a great deal *and* spend time enjoying entertainment. Stevehovah, you can go fuck right off. 

OT point #1:  My phone now autocompletes the name “Stevehovah.”

OT point #2: I forget, because Stevehovah pisses me off so much I want to throw things.