I was preparing some lessons on modern music for my media class (watching music videos ) when Patrick, a nice young lad in Kindergarten, says: "whata doing"?
I replied: "watching videos". Patrick listened for a few seconds to Amy Winehouse sing Rehab, and then he provided this critique: "well that sounds terrible".
He wandered over and took a look at the young star and added this comment: "well she's ugly".
This is fantastic - kids cut through all the pretentious bullshit of music commentary. Amy Winehouse is ugly and sounds terrible...that about covers it. Kids just give it to you straight. None of the usual concern over how your opionions will make you look to others.
My other son still has this ability as well - we saw an ad with Sarah Jessica Parker and he asks me: "why did they choose an ugly girl"? This is just one kid's opinion, but it sure cuts through the usual politically correct paradigm. We can't do this all the time (unless you want a divorce, a break-up, a punch in the nuts or a firing), but every once in a while it might be good to just to toss out the goods minus the politically correct trappings: "Amy Winehouse is a coke fuelled bitch who sings re-tooled soul - and she's fugly".
Raising kids can be a tough and scary haul, but these little blasts of insight are cool.
Hey - and some people love Amy Winehouse - look at this dude - he's got his own view and if he has drugs...a new client.
