Language of Origin Please?

I don’t know if you have ever watch this, but I honestly think the Scripps National Spelling Bee is one of the most hilarious and interesting programs on TV. Once a year, kids across America join together in quite the All-American competition. It’s up there with baseball and apple pie. These kids get together to do nothing else but spell words. Some people like to say, “what do you do, read the dictionary” when somebody uses a big word, but literally these kids do read the dictionary. Just watching and seeing some of the absolutely RIDICULOUS words they are forced to spell is interesting in its self.

Spelling Bee time is the only time you will ever want to hear a guy read off etymologies of words, language of origins, definitions, and so many other dumb things that nobody ever will care about for words. And all read without any hint of emotion or life in the old man’s voice.

But really, who thinks of these words? Whose job is it to turn to random pages of the dictionary and say, “Hey, this word is big, has lots of syllables and will be impossible to spell!” That would be potentially the worst job in the history of the world. Mike Rowe should make a show about that job (although, I am not sure how “dirty” it is. Maybe when they get a paper cut from turning the sharp pages of those dictionaries).

This is also the one day of the year when children of Indian and Asian descent really get to shine. In no way am I being racist, I just think it’s near impossible not to make the observation. There are plenty of the cookie-cutter white teen children out there, but there are just so many kids that are either Indian, or Chinese, or of some Eastern descent. The Scripps National Spelling Bee really is America’s melting pot competition. And I hate to say it, but it really isn’t helping the “Smart Asian” stereotype not be a stereotype.

Last but not least, it is the only sport where 14 year olds faint under pressure of spelling a word. Literally a kid fell down and fainted right up there on stage. It may be one of my top 10 funniest “sports” moments I have ever seen.

So, the Scripps National Spelling Bee is on TV now. Watch it and appreciate just how funny of a competition it is. 

P.S.

Make fun of me if you will, but I really have been listening to a lot of Justin Timberlake lately. That man is legit. (Post *NSYNC of course, I wouldn’t EVER admit to liking him in the boy band era).

Cory, Le Blog