Well, dear readers, I really must discuss parenting. Yes, Virginia, I, BK, really must discuss parenting – or rather the lack thereof in today’s wonderful world of children. A few days ago, I went into Jerry’s Deli at three in the afternoon for my meal o’ the day. I had my usual booth. Across the way were two children and, presumably, their mothers. These two children were literally screaming at the top of their lungs and they never let up for the entire hour and fifteen minutes I was there. Apparently, two children screaming in a public restaurant at the top of their lungs was okay with these two mothers (and I use that term exactly as you think I am). Apparently, these two screaming children were entitled to do so and the two mothers (and I use that term exactly as you think I am) never, at any time, said anything to these two screaming children. They just sat and gabbed and checked their cell phones. They didn’t care that others were being annoyed. They didn’t care that their children were behaving poorly. And if they don’t care, how can the children care? How can the children ever learn that it’s not good to do that? No, they grow up feeling entitled that they can do anything they please because parenting today consists of saying yes to everything, praising the children no matter what they’re doing, offering no discipline whatsoever, and basically letting the children run the show. Not all parents, obviously, but a LOT of them. Right here on our very own site we have the likes of vixmom, who is a wonderful parent. Melody’s parents are wonderful parents. Today, parents are glued to their cell phones or out or let nanny’s do the parenting (why they have kids in the first place is anyone’s guess), and the plan their kids’ lives with no room for the kid to actually go out and be a kid and discover on their own and play on their own. Every minute of every day there’s some activity planned. The parent drives them to school, picks them up from school, take them out to eat at pricey restaurants that have become the Bob’s Big Boy of the moment, because they can’t be bothered to actually cook for them – allow them to spend way too many hours playing video games, watching videos, watching cable, having Face Time – is it any wonder that there are so many ADD children today? The answer is no. And we cannot look to the child all the time – we must look to the parents. I would not like to be a child today. I would hate being a child today, at least as raised by the kinds of parents I see raising children. I sat at Jerry’s Deli yesterday and there were so many obnoxious children running around, behaving poorly, screaming, crying, throwing silverware, dropping food on the floor and in every single instance the parents DID NOTHING. They just picked up the silverware, or left the food on the floor, or patted their dear little mewling children on the head as if what they were doing was perfectly acceptable. The entire wait staff there looked like they’d been hit by a truck. Note to many, but not all, of today’s parents: You are creating a generation of spoiled, willful, entitled children who will grow up to be spoiled, willful, entitled adults – we already have enough of those. Second note to some, but not all, parents: Don’t have children if you are not responsible enough to raise them. Do not hand your children over to nannies. I know several instances where parents worked and worked to have a child – then the child was born. And in each case, they parents left on a vacation when the child was barely a month old. I gotta tell you. End of rant.
Yesterday was a mostly relaxing day. I did have to do some work, like proofing a booklet, reading a treatment, and some other stuff on the computer, but other than that, I did the four-mile jog, I had two scoops of egg salad and some rye toast for my meal o’ the day, I picked up an important envelope, and I sat on my couch like so much fish.
Yesterday, I watched two count them two motion pictures. The first motion picture was on Blu and Ray and was entitled Scarface, a film of Brian De Palma, starring Mr. Al Pacino, in one of the most scenery-chewing performances in the history of film. The film is certainly bigger than life and over the top, and because of it does have its entertaining moments. The dialogue, courtesy of Oliver Stone (and I’m sure some improvisation by the actors), is often witty. Some scenes crackle with a manic energy. But at close to three hours it just becomes wearying after a while. I’m not quite certain why the cult of Scarface is so huge, but it really is, especially considering its reviews at the time of its original release. The transfer, which is described on the box as being “eye-popping” is not exactly eye-popping. If you’re going to say eye-popping then it is best to deliver eye-popping. What they have delivered is okay – better than previous releases, but with too many anomalies that make you wonder what they used. The colors are accurate, so that’s good, but it just looks plain weird at times.
I then watched a motion picture I’d TIVOd entitled The Eyes Of Laura Mars. I think I must have seen it once before, but boy is it bad. In fact, it may have entered my top ten bad movies of the 1970s. Everything about it is bad, save for some of the performances. It was proof positive what a bad producer Mr. Jon Peters was. The script, co-written by John Carpenter (it might have been better had he directed it – then at least it would have had a pulpy cheesiness to it) is terrible, the direction by Irving Kershner doesn’t help at all, and if you don’t know who the killer is from the get-go then you’ve probably fallen asleep. It’s one of those awful movies where every supporting character has been directed to act weirdly, so that we can think they might be the killer. But then the killer has been directed to act weirdly, too. It’s just laughably bad.
What am I, Ebert and Roeper all of a sudden? Why don’t we all click on the Unseemly Button below because I must be up at six in the morning and I need at least a little beauty sleep.
Today, I have to be up at six in the morning to announce the new Kritzerland CD. Then I’ll probably try to do the four-mile jog before nine. Hopefully, I’ll print out a LOT of orders. Then I have errands and whatnot to do, appointments to confirm, hopefully packages to pick up, I’ll eat something light but amusing, and then I have a conference call.
I’m waiting for confirmation for the rest of the week’s stuff and there’s a lot of it. It will include a session with my engineer where Melody will fix her two little things, I have to record a little dialogue for the web series, I’ll probably have a couple of rehearsals with Alet, I’ll tape a radio show with Donald, and lots o’ other stuff.
Well, dear readers, I must take the day, I must do the things I do, I must, for example, announce a new CD, do the four-mile jog, confirm appointments, print orders, pick up packages, and have a conference call. Today’s topic of discussion: Parenting, of course. What do you think about this topic and the way children are being raised today? Let’s have loads of lovely postings, shall we, whilst I hit the road to dreamland, free of the screaming of little children run amok.