Is this wrong?

[Gnosis]

So it was our schools homecoming this weekend.

The thursday before the actual dance at the school bonfire, a slightly retarded kid started to break dance, except it looked more like a dog humping the air during an epileptic seizure. A huge circle of mostly black kids surrounded this kid and started rooting him on. I thought it was nice because they were giving the kid some confidence and making him feel cool.

Any way after the bonfire this kid took the whole incident so seriosly that he couldnt stop talking about it and by the end of the day he had already been practicing some new moves. Let me remind you all that this kid couldnt dance and all he really did was jump around like a dying fish.

Any way the dance came and everyone started cheering him on again and the kid went crazy on the dance floor floppin around everywhere and what not.

The thing that pissed me off was that the kids were only rooting him on because they thought the kid looked like an idiot. The kid dancing however thought that he really WAS good. Now the kid has all this confidence and he thinks he is the most popular thing in school, when in reality everyone in school is making fun of him and mimicking him trying to dance.

I guess what i am trying to say is.
Is it a good thing everyone pretended to like him and rooted him on because it gave him confidence, or was it bad because one day its gonna backfire and this kid will realize he sucks and be crushed.


The whole thing pissed me off and I wish every low life bastard who did this would die. But thats just my opinion.:)

[S_K_O_F]

I'm not really sure. Perhaps everyone should have just ignored him.

That doesn't seem very nice either.

[Gnosis]

Yea I am uneasy about the whole thing. Everytime I see him I comment him on his dancing skills to be nice...:dry:
I want to tell him he sucks in a way that he wont kill himself, but i dont have the guts. *shrugs

[Volcom]

its not a very nice thing..
but whats the problem.. that kid is happy... why take it away form him
and if he is retarted as you say, i dont think he'd undstand if you explained..

so leave him.... he had his fun, they had theirs
personly... i think it souds funny and would have liked to see it

[Moose]

1st off, you make a thread about a guy whose a bit slower then others when it comes to mental preperation yet one of your options for the poll is "It was nice of them to encourage the retarded kid". So let me first say that, that suggestion already in my mind clearly makes me think that either way you probably found it funny to watch the guy.

2ndly, if the kid wants to go out there and dance, let him, besides kid's like that are awesome people and should get the respect they deserve.

Anyways please change your 1st option, it's not at all appealing.

[Office_Shredder]

Well... obviously, they were being mean to the kid even in their own minds. But consider this: if they had instead circled around him and called him retarded while pushing him back and forth, would that have been better or worse? Consider this the bright side of the bad side of humans

[S_K_O_F]

Yea I am uneasy about the whole thing. Everytime I see him I comment him on his dancing skills to be nice...:dry:
I want to tell him he sucks in a way that he wont kill himself, but i dont have the guts. *shrugs

You probably shouldn't continue to encourage him.

[finalfantasyt]

1st off, you make a thread about a guy whose a bit slower then others when it comes to mental preperation yet one of your options for the poll is "It was nice of them to encourage the retarded kid". So let me first say that, that suggestion already in my mind clearly makes me think that either way you probably found it funny to watch the guy.
That's not what he means. He means, "was it nice of them to encourage him and make him feel accepted, even though they didn't mean it." I've had issues like this in my school too. I'd say that while it may initially make the kid happy, eventually, there will be a fall, and that will be bad news. So I'm going with the option that it was wrong.

[Lone2Wolf]

Same thing happens at my school. There's this kid with down-syndrome, and in gym one day he just starts busting out all these moves (not very good), but we still cheer him on. This happens everyday. I say just let the kid feel happy about himself, because he's obiously have had enough hardship in his life. Just make sure everyone shuts up about his skill.

[Tama Drummer]

Hey, if he's happy that's great. I see where your coming from, but that's kind of going too deep I think.

[The Fairplay]

it sounds like ur jus mad becuz the retard gets more attention then u do

[Moose]

it sounds like ur jus mad becuz the retard gets more attention then u do

I thought you were dead.

[dirka dirka]

it sounds like ur jus mad becuz the retard gets more attention then u do
It sounds like you're just mad cause you found out you go to the same school as Gnosis.

[The Fairplay]

It sounds like you're just mad cause you found out you go to the same school as Gnosis.
it sounds like ur just mad becuz u suk

[Tama Drummer]

it sounds like ur just mad becuz u suk

I don't hear anything. :confused:

[dirka dirka]

it sounds like ur just mad becuz u suk
No.. actually, I'm mad cause people are dissin skateboarding in that other thread. So hows those dance movings coming, TF?

Tama, You're sooo getting a rep when I can. I love those commercials.

[finalfantasyt]

it sounds like ur just mad becuz u suk
it sounds like ur just mad becuz u r a pathetic moron

[dirka dirka]

Anyway... on topic: denial. The kid will never figure out he sucked all this time. He might find out that he sucks. However, he'll think he just lost his knack.

[20 Point]

it sounds like ur jus mad becuz the retard gets more attention then u do

Retard envy is a serious, albeit rare, problem. I shook my retard envy by asking myself, do I really want to be like Moose? Even though he is like the 9th player of TAO or something, I came to the conclusion that it is not healthy to envy him. However, I still clap loud when he dances, not in the bad way - but in the good, healthy, Special Olympics way.

*Claps for Moose*
You are special kiddo. Here is a medal.

[Snarr]

it sounds like ur jus mad becuz the retard gets more attention then u do
Hey!! Great news! I've put a thread in the moderators section so we can discuss if we ban you or not. Isn't it awefully nice of me not to just do it?

[The Fairplay]

Hey!! Great news! I've put a thread in the moderators section so we can discuss if we ban you or not. Isn't it awefully nice of me not to just do it?


who cares?

[ironhorse123]

I think it was wrong of them to make him think he was good, but it was nice that they were cheering him on. I oted it was wrong only because I think it was more mearer than nicer! :p Anyone read the short story "Flowers for Algernon"?

[Daemon Bloodmaw]

Here's a slightly off-topic complaint:

There's some movie with Johnny Knoxville coming out as an athlete who fakes his way into the Special Olympics

My complaint? South Park did that last freaking year and it was absolutely hilarious. This movie is a blatant ripoff of South Park, and although it looks damn funny, they're cheap bastards.

*cough*

I voted for the 3rd option. I've seen challenged kids being picked on deceptively, similar to Flowers to Algernon, and now that I'm older, I'll probably chew out the next person I see doing it.

However, there is a difference between that and this. If it makes the kid happy and gives him a bit of acceptance, so be it. It's not the best thing in the world, maybe somebody could show him some good moves or improvements, but let him do his thing.

[dirka dirka]

My complaint? South Park did that last freaking year and it was absolutely hilarious. This movie is a blatant ripoff of South Park, and although it looks damn funny, they're cheap bastards.
I never watched south park before this year. I just saw that last night, I was stoned. COULDN'T STOP LAUGHING, even hours after it was done.

[Godmic18]

So it was our schools homecoming this weekend.

The thursday before the actual dance at the school bonfire, a slightly retarded kid started to break dance, except it looked more like a dog humping the air during an epileptic seizure. A huge circle of mostly black kids surrounded this kid and started rooting him on. I thought it was nice because they were giving the kid some confidence and making him feel cool.

Any way after the bonfire this kid took the whole incident so seriosly that he couldnt stop talking about it and by the end of the day he had already been practicing some new moves. Let me remind you all that this kid couldnt dance and all he really did was jump around like a dying fish.

Any way the dance came and everyone started cheering him on again and the kid went crazy on the dance floor floppin around everywhere and what not.

The thing that pissed me off was that the kids were only rooting him on because they thought the kid looked like an idiot. The kid dancing however thought that he really WAS good. Now the kid has all this confidence and he thinks he is the most popular thing in school, when in reality everyone in school is making fun of him and mimicking him trying to dance.

I guess what i am trying to say is.
Is it a good thing everyone pretended to like him and rooted him on because it gave him confidence, or was it bad because one day its gonna backfire and this kid will realize he sucks and be crushed.


The whole thing pissed me off and I wish every low life bastard who did this would die. But thats just my opinion.:)

I don't care who you are, you better cheer your friends on whenever they try their best at something. Whether they were doing it for the right reason or not, it was the right thing to do. If you or anyone else were ever negative to someone like that just having a good time, I would take you outside and lay you out. It's called being a human being.

[MokoToko]

Here's a slightly off-topic complaint:

There's some movie with Johnny Knoxville coming out as an athlete who fakes his way into the Special Olympics

My complaint? South Park did that last freaking year and it was absolutely hilarious. This movie is a blatant ripoff of South Park, and although it looks damn funny, they're cheap bastards.


Don't you learn anything from South Park? Have you seen the episode where Butters tries to do evil things but he keeps repeating what The Simpson's did? It means that everything has already been done so its O.K. to have take-offs and whatnot.
:cool:

I'm pretty torn about this topic. I would prob cheer him on, but I might feel awkward or shame later. I really don't know.

[Realist]

You either integrate him into society, or you don't. You don't want him to just stay his whole life on the fringes, and you can't change the way people treat him, so let him fit into the society the way he does. He's happy, the rest of the kids are happy, what's the problem? Society thrives on mutually beneficial relationships.

I'm also not so sure that the encouraging kids are just being mean. I wouldn't be surprised it they had a recognition of the support they are giving the kid and are granting that help intentionally, albeit taking advantage of the humor of the situation as they can (and as is their right.) What's the purpose of breakdancing anyways? To entertain self and/or others. So perhaps it isn't so dishonest to call him good at it, considering that he's accomplished both.

[dirka dirka]

Glam just made me realize that insulting TF like that was also insulting Gnosis's classmate. I apologize, Gnosis, I didn't realize it at the time.

[Matt 34.5]

I honestly didn't read everyones post.. just the first post, so this may have been said.

In my opinion it was wrong of the people to do it to make fun of him, but the fact that he feels better about himself, is good, and so I think it was good that it was done.. I just hope he doesn't take it too far, and eventualy realise everyone was laughing at him.

[HorNeT]

Is it a good thing everyone pretended to like him and rooted him on because it gave him confidence

no one should ever act like they like some one, even if it is to help their self-esteem (sp?)...because in the end, the truth about how they feel will come out and will just crush that person instead of help them.

[dirka dirka]

"The right thing to do and the hard thing to do, are usually the same thing." - forgot

[Gnosis]

You guys have some good points, most I have already considered.

To Godmic: I was cheering him on but i felt a little ashamed afterwards.

To pretty much everyone else: Its not that the kids cheering him on were being mean when they were in the process of cheering, its the fact that kids are pretending to like him now but then make fun of him behind his back. I'm just scared that one day he will be crushed when he realizes that he really sucks at dancing and everyone has been making fun of him.

It wouldnt be so bad if he just had a good time and would leave it in the past, but now everyday he seeks attention by break dancing in the middle of my lunch hour. Its getting out of hand.

Volcom: He is only slightly retarded to the point of being extremely socially inept and incabable of smooth conversations. He is smart enough to feel humility.

Well I leave him be for now. You never know, maybe he really is the next Micheal jackson.... :confused:

[Daemon Bloodmaw]

True MokoToko, but that was a quick parody. And besides, they cleverly integrated a wide array of semen jokes into that episode. :cool:

[ArcPaladinZero]

All I really have to say is whenever you get out of highschool it won't matter. It's the most overrated, over-dramatic, over-cliched place to be. Sure, it's generally required and theoretically makes you a well-rounded person with basic knowledge. High school is an institute of knowledge.

Anyways, my main point is, don't worry about it. When you get out, you probably won't even remember, and if you do it will pale in comparison to anything else that is slightly relivant in your life.

Class of '04 baby! Woot, woot! Glad to be out... now I'm doing the college thing, it's overrated as well but required.

[Moose]

Retard envy is a serious, albeit rare, problem. I shook my retard envy by asking myself, do I really want to be like Moose? Even though he is like the 9th player of TAO or something, I came to the conclusion that it is not healthy to envy him. However, I still clap loud when he dances, not in the bad way - but in the good, healthy, Special Olympics way.

*Claps for Moose*
You are special kiddo. Here is a medal.

Aww, are you still upset that i negged you? But thanks for making me feel so special though, your dependence on trying to boost me to success will not go un-noticed, so thanks for making me the centre of attention in your life, it's greatly appreciated ;).

*Claps for Point*

Here's a medal of dependency with the Moose insigna engraved on it, Cheers!

[kegsworth]

I say let him do his thing.....if it makes him feel accepted..fine. Think of it this way...that was probably the turning point in school for him...he feels great...he's
a little bit off but thats not his fault. He will prolly never feel as accepted in life as he was that night. What i would have done? I would have pulled my best friend Stephen(who can dance like none other and would have agreed with me) and let him tweak the kids moves a lil and started doing it right then and there.
Then the kid would have prolly felt like a god. When it comes to things like this, i generally let the kid feel accepted without it going to far. Then again, thats just my opinion.

~kegs

[tarvos 6]

False hope is the worst hope. I probably wouldve cheered him on, but then I wouldnt make fun of him looking like a fool, I would just ignore him after he stopped dancing.

tarvos 6

[nads]

Imagine what would have happened if Napolean Dynamite had not decided to dance for the school. Pedro would have certainly NOT been elected president, there would have been no new Holy Santos installed in the halls of the school for good luck, there would have been a new pop machine installed in the cafeteria, and it would have been Summer all year long.

[Wolfman]

well, i would like to answer your poll giving the following TAO tur example.

Normally, i ask for tur games n sometimes, from ppls i donno or ppls who i know that tur "bad" or even u could call them "tur-retard", i NEVER would say "hey, tard, stay away from tur!" In the contrary, i encourage them to tur more n get better, giving tips on the way "biting" them into pieces.

The thing is, the sun is not shining only for the people with the normal abilities, or superb abilities..... the sun shines for all creatures.

Let thy live n live.

Encourage him to do it right, instead of cheering him to keep "doing it wrong".... show him the way.

Show some real love bro, for real life is short.

wolfy

[mushroom_girl]

Gnosis, think of it like the movie Radio.

Radio was welcomed into the school, was sort of like a mascot. They let him read morning announcements even though people kind of laughed when he did. They were generally nice to him. He was happy, and that's all that really mattered.

Personally, I don't see anything wrong with what happened because ignoring him would have probably been worse. The guy would have probably gotten all aggrivated and gotten upset. It's better off that people were cheering him on because then at least he felt good about himself.

There's a retarded kid in my art class. He sits there and laughs most of the day instead of art, but he's happy there. We're nice to him, compliment him on his art, etc. He liked us, and even though his art wasn't good, he thought it was. And that's all that mattered.

[Gnosis]

Imagine what would have happened if Napolean Dynamite had not decided to dance for the school. Pedro would have certainly NOT been elected president, there would have been no new Holy Santos installed in the halls of the school for good luck, there would have been a new pop machine installed in the cafeteria, and it would have been Summer all year long.
Ironically his new school wide nickname is Napolean...

[HorNeT]

good point. but, the thing is that they are making fun of him behind his back. One day he is going to realize what is going on and be very deeply hurt.